The 2021 Triumph Trident 660 does have some great features for a LAMS machine. The frame is steel but is a tubular perimeter frame and the wheels are cast alloy. The forks are Seperate Function SHOWA 41mm inverted items and the shock is SHOWA. The lights are LED and the tyres are Michelin Road 5. The bike comes in a full power (80hp) version overseas, but we only get the LAMS model here.

The engine features RbW technology and there are two Ride Modes, Road and Rain, as well as a traction control system that can quickly be switched off within the dash menu (while stopped) should you feel the need to do some wheelies!

Styling is, in my opinion, on point. The large logos look great, the colour options are spot on, and I really liked the red highlights on our press bike. As nice as the rear looks, the pillion seat is more style than substance and you really would not want your pillion to slip off the back with the amount of rear tyre that is exposed, but that seems to be a common styling trend for a lot of Euro bikes these days. The dash is great looking, the headlight, taillight, badges, indicators, and the finish are top notch.

My first few days on the Trident were spent riding around town, using the bike as a daily rider, and it was a job that the little triple excelled at. The lowish seat height, super narrow tank and seat and the wide handlebars, combined with the footpeg position, give a commanding rider triangle for urban riding and would be great for the newer rider. The Trident is well balance and nimble steering at slower speeds, such as in traffic and around town, and generally easy to handle – although more steering lock for a tighter turning circle would be good and a little more power from the rear brake would help.

The engine makes impressive torque from walking pace and is just so friendly as a daily rider powerplant, as you can get lazy with downshifts and carry a taller gear, and just about drop to idle speed without stalling or going for some clutch. Speaking of which, the cable operated clutch is light enough but a tad grabby around town on take-up, which meant I found I had to use more revs than I otherwise would.

Fuelling is pretty smooth low down without being perfect. Switches and mirrors, sidestand access and dash layout are all easy to live with. At night the headlight is good, even on some of the dark National Park roads surrounding my hometown I didn’t need to flick high beam on at night. The dash is easy enough to read at night also.

Getting out of town is what we all want to do, and the Trident is a hoon machine at heart. The handling characteristics took me a bit by surprise though when I first hit the twisties. That ultra-accurate low speed manoeuvrability that makes the Trident so easy to weave through traffic and negotiate the urban jungle didn’t translate to the same performance in the twisties for me…

With weight carried quite high and a lazy, stable rake angle of 24.6º plus a large amount of trail at 107.3mm, the Trident feels longer than its 1401mm wheelbase. Initial turn-in is really quick, then the bike resists leaning a little before rapidly falling on its side once it passes a certain lean angle. What this means is you have to be committed to the corner and have a lot of trust in the grip if you are having a go, as once in a turn the Trident likes to stay on the one line. For medium paced riding where you are not using full lean, the geometry makes more sense, and will suit new riders more than experienced riders.

It likes a long, arcing old fashioned line through a corner although it is fun, has good ground clearance and can carry a lot of corner speed. If you are going to crank the bike right over, that initial drop into the turn can be quite heart-in-mouth and probably not so easy for newbies that might need to readjust their line after committing to the turn.

The tighter switchbacks that don’t need too much lean angle are a happy place for the Trident, when it can be flicked through corners and fired out, and as mentioned, the long sweepers at full lean, it is just the middle zone where I found the bike a little difficult to ride.

The brakes on the Trident are sufficient, however, they are more suited to the learner rider, and I would imagine the full power version would need more braking power. Initial bite is gentle and there is not a lot of power there, with a hard squeeze needed. This is probably a good thing for the learner rider, however, once some experience is gained, a change in pad material will probably be a help.

The suspension is quite good for what it is, basic spec stuff (on par with the competition). The forks are well sprung and valved, coping with everything I encountered during the test period. They hold up under hard braking, can handle a series of bumps and only felt underdone with the bigger hits. Out the back, the shock was fine for 80 per cent of the riding.

Like pretty much every Triumph engine, the Trident powerplant is super engaging, fun, thrilling and just has that grin factor that some motors seem to have tuned into them.

It has a wicked note, torque on tap anywhere and just makes you enjoy the ride. The gearbox is good, with a positive shift (a quickshifter would be tops), and although it does flatten out up top when power and torque are sent to bed, the bottom-end and mid-range is ballsy. Switching TC off brings it alive more, but I spent most of the time in Road Mode and only tried Rain Mode a few times in damp conditions. I preferred Road, even in the wet, as the TC is less intrusive.

If you are after a fun urban bike to learn on, that can still be a blast out in the hills, and you want the fun of a triple, then the Trident is the one to go for… It certainly offers a unique riding experience and styling, for a good price point.

2021 Triumph Trident 660 LAMS Specifications

Price: From $12,690 R/A

Warranty: Two Years Unlimited KM

Colours: Silver Ice & Diablo Red, Matte Jet Black & Matte Silver Ice, Crystal White and Sapphire Black

Claimed Power: 39.8kW@8,750rpm

Claimed Torque: 59Nm@5,000rpm

ENGINE

Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, inline three-cylinder four-stroke, 660cc, bore x stroke 74mm x 51.1mm, compression ratio 11.95:1, EFI Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection with electronic throttle control, Stainless steel 3 into 1 header system with low single sided stainless steel silencer, wet, multi-plate clutch, six-speed gearbox.

CHASSIS

Frame Type; Tubular steel perimeter frame

Rake: 24.6º Trail: 107.3mm

Suspension: Showa 41mm upside down separate function forks (SFF) (f), 120mm travel, Showa monoshock RSU, 133.5mm travel, with preload adjustment (r).

Brakes: Nissin two-piston sliding calipers, twin 310mm discs, ABS (f) Nissin single-piston sliding caliper, single 255mm disc, ABS (r).

Wheels & Tyres: Cast alloy, 17 x 3.5in (f), Cast alloy, 17 x 5.5in (r), 120/70 – 17in (f), 180/55 – 17in (r).

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 1401mm

Overall Length: 2020mm

Width: 795mm

Height: 1089mm (without mirrors)

Seat Height: 805mm

Wet Weight: 189kg

Fuel Capacity: 14L

Dash & Electronics: TFT Screen with smart phone connectivity, traction control, ride modes, Blutooth connectivity, My Triumph connectibity app available for Nav, Music and more.

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