MaxxTest Triumph Trident - Upper middle class? - YouTube

Hi everybody and welcome to MaxxMoto, welcome in Tenerife at the launch of the all new Triumph Trident!

I brought a cheatnote because there's a lot to say about this new...

Ah yes, Tenerife, tropical home of golfing fossils, cyclists and now also the newest Triumph nakedbike

Which brings us to the question: why?

Why would triumph build yet another nakedbike next to the Bonneville 900, 1200,...

Speed twin, street twin, Speed triple, speed RS, Street Triple in three different editions...

How many naked bikes do you want?

Well, there's a bunch of them, but there was one missing: the Trident.

The short resume: it's a middle class bike with triumph finish, serious electronics and obviously a nice design with a round headlamp.

This is the bike that has to compete with the MT-07, Z650 and Honda 650's

It's quite crowded in the middle class

But with this bike Triumph wants to make an everyday bike, a more simple motorcycle that's just a bit less sporty than the Street Triple.

And that's not all, because Technology-wise Triumph beats the Japanese to the punch with their electronics.

Very important for Triumph: this is the first middleweight bike with traction control.

Is that necessary on a super linear three cilinder?

and that doesn't deliver tons of torque?

I don't think so

for more experienced riders this won't be the case

but it does offer peace of mind that you can turn on the TC in slippery circumstances.

When I talk about the technology, in first place I'm talking about the new dash

I think it's a lot prettier than the one on the Street triple, it's a colorTFT with all possible features

and in the option catalogue we find a lot of extra's that are new to the middle class such as smartphone connectivity

You can command your GoPro, there's turn by turn navigation on your dash.

It's the sort of stuff you can expect on the flagship models, but it's new to the middleweight class.

okay so we did some riding and we know the bike has an electronics pack, but what else is new?

The design is always a bit personal

but I think we can say that you can immediately recognize this bike as being a Triumph.

It doesn't have the aggressive front end of some other bikes.

It's a bit of a classical design, even though the performance is modern.

Maybe we have to dig in a bit deeper on those performances.

So to be competitive in the middle class you have to be around 70-80 hp

This thing has 81hp and 64 Nm of torque, those are very nice numbers.

Coupled to that there's the weight

obviously in the middle class you want a light bike that ideal for beginners, reborn bikers, smaller guys like me (1m75), women,...

with 189kg ready to ride it's definitely a light bike for a three cilinder, even though the two-pot competition is still marginally lighter

maybe I have to add that the seat height is 805mm

combined with a bike that is really narrow towards the end of the tank

so it's very easy to touch the ground with your feet flat

in meantime bigger riders get enough space thanks to the gaps in the tank

and a flat seat which is raised just a bit in the back.

Alright, you get it, the Triumph is a bit more expensive than its competitors, but it offers more in return.

On one hand that's the electronics, but on the other hand the riding is really nice as well.

in front there's a USPD fork and double discs

in the rear there's a preload adjustable damper

that all sounds very simple, but the riding character is better and more stable than what we're used to from the competition.

Don't expect adjustable suspension or big Brembo's

but honestly I don't think anyone is going to miss that.

It sounds just right, brakes and rides well, and you get all of that for just under 8k in Belgium and 9k in The Netherlands.

Now you've probably seen some other movies from the other countries and test riders.

You'll hear the same news and comments there, but there's one thing you have to keep in mind, especially in Belgium.

The biggest competitor to this Triumph...is another Triumph.

Even though it's a different bike than the Street Triple, in my opinion it is very close to the Street Triple S.

The bike offers 95 hp, it offers more power in total and yes it's higher up the rev range.

but it is a bit more serious too and in Belgium the price difference is only 500 euro.

This one has to cost 7995 and the Street Triple S costs 8500.

add another couple options and the Street just offers a more grown up package, it's more rugged, a bit more sporty

So I guess Triumph needs to find a better balance there.

A bit unlogical as well is that the Street S comes as an A2 35kW bike, while the Trident is offered as a full power model that needs to be detuned.

After the testride I asked our PR-guy Cees Lengers (Benelux) for an explanation.

Fire away!

Why do you want to buy the Trident?

The trident is aimed at buyers that are looking to buy their first new bike

in general we're speaking about a younger audience than the one that is already familiar with the Triumph brand

it's a perfect bike for city use

it's a perfect bike for going to your work

but it's also a bike for, just like Arno did here in Tenerife, the perfect cornering.

And if you still want more, than the Street Triple is a logical next step.

It's a bike with different steering characteristics

It rides different from the Trident

The trident really is an easy bike aimed at people that are starting out riding

so if you want to make the next move and you're looking for track capabilities in a motorcycle

Then the Street triple is the right option for you.

Alright Cees, you made your point, even though you have to admit that there's still quite some overlap.

What I really want to remember about the Triumph Trident is that it is a really easy bike.

The steering is super light

It stays stable with a really nice chassis

That chassis is really among the best in the middle class

And on top of that you get that theecilinder character which I'm really a fan of

And the soundtrack of this one is really something special.

The only thin I regret is that it should've been just a bit more...

Just a bit more power, and especially a bit more torque down below wouldn't hurt this motorcycle.

Positives: Triple sound, ultra stable chassis, braking force, traction control

Negatives: Misses engine character (too linear), fun extra's are optional $$$, little difference with the Street Triple S

The only thing I can advise you, is to book a testride yourself

check with your local dealer, go ride and compare it to your other options

I know it's a bike for people that are looking to buy their first bike, so make sure you do your homework and go for a testride.

That's all on my behalf, I hope you enjoyed the video! Please don't forget to subscribe to our channel and see you next time!