Triumph Trident expected to be priced at around Rs 6.25 lakh

This latest-gen Triumph Trident doesn’t have anything to do with the original Trident that introduced Europe to the iconic ‘triple motor, winning the IoM TT for five years in a row, suggests Steve Sargent, Triumph’s chief product officer. The original Trident was meant to make a dent in the mid-weight naked universe and the modern Trident is expected to follow suit. It faces competition from Honda CB650R (inline-four) and other parallel-twin powered Japanese motorcycles in the form of Kawasaki Z650 and Yamaha MT-07; none of which offer a triple-pot motor. And that’s where the similarities end with the original. The latest Trident though, has certain retro-ish elements to it, especially the Ducati Scrambler-ish round headlamp and single-pod cluster. The recesses on the tank remind me of the BMW R nineT but the rear-end is very Daytona-ish which lends the Trident a minimalistic look which is very different from other modern Triumphs.

The name is derived from the motor which obviously is the USP of the machine. Loosely based on the 2020 Street Triple S 660cc motor, the Trident’s unit has received a major overhaul. It gets 67 new components including a new crankshaft, pistons, clutch, cam profiles and bespoke intake/exhaust systems. The compression ratio is lower as well and Triumph has also altered the geometry of the motor. It gets a smaller bore but longer stroke for improved lowdown grunt. The same reflects in the max torque figure which is generated way down the range(3000rpm lower) as compared to the ‘Triple S. The max output is considerably lower too but torque is almost the same. Expect the Trident to be friendlier in the low and mid-range as compared to the ‘Triple S which should prove to be a boon in the canyons. Combine that with an underslung exhaust and you’re in a for a treat for sure. Triumph is also offering a bi-directional quickshifter as an accessory.

The chassis has been developed from the ground up as well. The compact perimeter frame is lightweight; in fact the Trident tips the scales at 189kg, making it lighter than the Z650 by 2kg despite packing in an extra pot. The seat height is a lowly 805mm to make it noob friendly (again). The rider’s triangle too seems to be slightly oriented towards the ‘comfort’ side of things with a not-so-aggressive position. Grab-rails are an optional accessory too if you’re planning to ride pillion. Now the pogos are sourced from Showa, which is good news although they’re not adjustable. The brakes are picked up from the ‘Triple S inventory with twin 310mm discs, paired with Nissin callipers at the front and a single-pot Nissin calliper at the rear. It gets non-switchable ABS as standard. Michelin will be providing the brilliant Road 5 tyres for the Trident which again is a good news.

However, I’ve saved the best news for the last. Despite being offered as a budget option, the Trident does not skimp on tech. It’ll feature ride by wire and switchable traction control as well. The two riding modes — Road and Rain — alter throttle input and traction control settings as per the requirement. There’s also a colour TFT display that supports navigation, call alerts, music controls and GoPro connectivity when connected with My Triumph accessory.

Now for the price. The Trident will be manufactured in Thailand and brought to India as a CKD. Going by the pricing in UK, we expect the Trident to cost roughly Rs 6.25-6.5 lakh, ex-showroom in India when it goes on sale early next year. That said, it surely is going to make a dent in the mid-weight universe, just like the original.