First Ride: Triumph Trident 800

Triumph’s bid to conquer the middleweight naked sector is looking a whole lot tastier following the release of this roadster reprobate…

We’ve all got one of those mates that turns up on the doorstep, dressed smarter than usual, acting suspiciously grown-up and luring you into believing they’re no longer the loveable liability on any given night out. In a similar sense, I went into the launch of Triumph’s new Trident 800 seeing a more conservative and less intense take on the British brand’s middleweight naked endeavours. It’s impossible not to draw parallels between this and the unapologetically performance-focused brilliance of the much-loved Street Triple 765RS… a model that’s reigned supreme in its sector for decades across many different iterations. Potent and precise, it is the consummate naked road and track weapon, but there are those that would prefer it with a more chilled disposition, more affable ergonomics and a less racy motor that better befits the norms of day-to-day road riding. Without any question of doubt, that was the message being hammered into our ears during the Trident’s model presentation, in a warehouse on the outskirts of Larnaca. The Trident was the same… but different. A model born with road focus at heart, packed with a much more relaxed riding position and a price point that is sure to make its rivals weep. Aesthetically, there’s no correlation between this and the Street, with the Trident adopting the lines and looks of its now out-gunned, smaller sibling – the Trident 660. That bike has proved such a hit for Triumph, it would have been illogical not to crack on and build a big bore brother, just as they’ve done with their Tiger Sport offerings.

This time last year, Triumph delivered the Tiger Sport 800 onto the market, featuring a whole new engine… which has now found itself at home in the Trident. The 798cc triple makes 113bhp, 84Nms of torque (meaning it packs more than the Street Triple) and comes dripping with character. Fuelled by triple throttle bodies and egged on by a specifically crafted airbox that focuses just as hard on its tantalising induction note as it does the performance it brings to the party, you’re left with no doubt that this is not the dumbed down parts-bin special you could naïvely be led to believe. Admittedly, Triumph’s walked something of a tightrope in getting this project over the finish line without scaring people off with a top tier cost. That being said, seeing the bike in the flesh, it looks far more premium than the £9,195 asking price would have you believe, but when you get stuck in and scratch a little deeper, it becomes clear that the brief behind this bike was delivering it to the market with what it needs… versus littering it with costly eye-candy. The twin brakes up front are of Triumph’s own branding, the dash is on the basic side, and as for the tech, that too is limited and lacks the bells and whistles found on some of the model’s nearest and dearest adversaries. Sure, you get traction control, but it’s of an on-off nature, lacking levels or the ability to alter it on the fly. It also sees wheelie control integrated into its function, rather than separated. Cornering ABS is another permanent feature and is calibrated to work the same across the Trident’s three rider modes – Rain, Road, Sport. Toggle through those and you’ll alter the throttle map on tap, while the peak output remains at 113bhp in all cases. On the suspension front, the kit’s decent but a long way from being top draw. 41mm Showa Big Piston forks can be adjusted for rebound and compression damping, while the rear shock’s tweakable for preload and rebound. Having spent way too much time eyeing the bike up and prejudging it by its lack of trick bits, I wasn’t quite sure what the model was set to offer, but over the course of a seven-hour joyride on every kind of road imaginable, this protagonist turned every preconception I’d had irrefutably on their head.

While the temptation’s there to start at the beginning and bang on about how impressed I was by the Trident’s relaxed ergonomics, I’d sooner cut to the chase and chat about the first time I got to pull the pin on this thing, high up on a Cypriot mountain pass. As is often the case at this time of year, the weather seldom plays ball, meaning our fast-paced shenanigans were somewhat castrated by the ever-changing switch from wet to very-wet roads, with the occasional hint of dry egging us on throughout the minging conditions. As luck would have it, the weather did eventually play ball, and we got our moment in the sun. That’s when the character and the capability of the Trident slapped me across the face and very much reaffirmed that this wasn’t an underdog, underdamped or underpowered alternative that could be placed in the corner and smirked at.

The Trident felt lively and very much up for attacking the succession of switchbacks littering our joyride, flicking effortlessly in and out of them with the stability and plush feel that I’ve come to know and love from most Triumphs. I’ll admit, I figured the suspension would be the weakest link on this bike. It’s far from basic, but neither is it top draw. But what the Trident features is considered Showa units at each end, that’d been developed with real-world rider weights in mind. I was talking to the brand’s chief engineer about this, and he confirmed that they typically use 85-kilo riders as the metric to dial in the suspension. Being five kilos less than that, it meant my bike felt pleasantly firm, but supple enough to soak up the road’s relentless imperfections. The bike was talkative and reassuring, with a confidence-inspiring front end and plenty of support at the rear, especially when gassing hard out of corners. Doing that would inevitably prompt the front wheel to lift playfully, skimming the ground before the soft-culling wheelie control brought it back down. Even that little aspect helped me to warm to the Triumph; rather than limiting lift entirely, letting that front wheel float just a little showed me the joyful inner thinking of its designers. This was a bike that was seriously capable… without taking itself too seriously. Another thing that hammered that note home was the raucous soundtrack, that married the electrifying whir of the induction stupendously with the throaty bark of the exhaust can. It’s worth mentioning that an instant difference between this and the 660 version is the longer, high-mounted can on the bike. Nowadays, we’re used to seeing systems slung under bikes, in a bid to clean up a machine’s sleek look and to centralise the mass as low as possible. Such considerations aside, it was actually quite nice to see a longer system on this triple. And it was even better to hear it when it was bouncing off the limiter, which happened quite a lot on this particular section of road. First gear on the Trident is impressively long, and the spread of power on tap is linear and consistent, from 2,000rpm all the way up to the redline. As already mentioned, the Trident makes more torque than the Street Triple, and I was making the most of that solid midrange, that was accessed silkily thanks to its cracking fuelling.

Of course, as fun as first gear was, there were plenty of sections when the whole six-speed gearbox was given a thorough workout. The stock fitment of a blipper and shifter made such endeavours effortless and only added to the delights of the soundtrack as the motor barked on overrun following downward selections. Honestly, the Trident’s fun-side seemed relentless, and I wasn’t the only one thinking that way. As you can imagine, no hairpin exit was safe from ad hoc wheelies. But to pull them required stopping and switching the TC off completely. It wasn’t the end of the world but it required a little faffing; accessing the bike’s menu and toggling through a few screens to untick a box. I dare say the tech on this bike is going to be a major consideration for any potential buyer. As already eluded, it’s not rammed with the latest and greatest of systems, but the ones it does have work well. Getting the non-switchable ABS to kick in took a considered amount of brake pressure, whilst the TC very rarely reared its head, despite damp roads and heavy throttle hands.

At one point, the rain turned biblical and the impact it had on the group was startling. Those that had the TC off dropped to a dawdling pace, whereas I was jammy enough to have switched it back on just before this stint. I took the chance to switch from Sport to Rain mode too, which only made the conditions more pleasurable. Regardless of which mode you select, you still get the same 113bhp peak output, but the softer throttle map takes the sting out of the initial drive. While I’m at it, I should probably also make mention of the Trident’s clocks. To me, they’re perfectly fine and work well with the overall model’s guise. Admittedly, you might want your contacts in to see some of the info displayed, but at any point in time, the crucial stuff is shown relatively clearly… everything from speed to revs, gear selection to trip mileage. Have I seen sexier screens on a motorcycle. Definitely. Would the Trident’s clocks put me off buying one? Definitely not.

In fact, whether there were any clocks on it or not, I’d of still found myself a fan of this protagonist. Throughout a day of debaucherous riding, it’d really won me over. And not least of all because of its relaxed riding position. Compared to the Street, the bars are notably higher and more rearward, whilst the pegs are a little more chilled… but still encouraging of a sporty nature. The seat was hard to fault, sitting at 815mm, and being plentifully spacious for my needs. I also liked how my knees could wrap in against the sculpted tank, and it’s also worth saying that vibrations from the bike were minimal. After seven hours in the saddle, I got back to base feeling fresh and impressed by the entirety of the bike’s offerings. For the route we’d undertaken, and the kind of riding ticked off, it’d shown itself to be a cracking machine and well worthy of its ‘roadster’ tag. Would I sooner have this over a Street on the track? No way, but I’d maybe pick it over one if roads were my only focus. They are words I never imagined I’d say before the start of this test, but that just reiterates how impressed I was by the Trident. It’d delivered… and then some.

Specs: Triumph Trident 800

Engine 

Type:                                   798cc, L-C, DOHC, inline-triple       

Bore x stroke:                 78mm x 55.7mm                                        

Compression:               13.2:1                                                

Fuelling:                            Electronic fuel injection         

Claimed Power:            113bhp @ 10,750rpm                                             

Claimed Torque:          84Nm @ 8,500rpm                   

Electronics

RBW/Drive Modes:     Yes/ 3 modes (Rain, Road, Sport)                                      

Traction Control:          Yes (on/off)                     

ABS:                                     Yes (fixed)                        

Wheelie Control:         Yes (integrated)                                                            

Launch Control:           No                                                                        

Quick Shifter:                 Yes                                                       

Autoblipper:                   Yes                                                       

Chassis

Frame:                                Tubular steel  

Front Suspension:      Showa 41mm (SFF-BP) forks with adjustable compression and rebound damping 

Rear Suspension:       Showa monoshock with adjustable preload and rebound damping        

Front Brakes:                 Four piston monoblocs, 3120mm discs     

Rear Brakes:                   Single-piston, slide caliper, 220mm disc               

Dimensions

Wheelbase:                     1402mm                                                          

Seat Height:                    815mm                                             

Wet Weight:                    198kg                                                                 

Fuel Capacity:               14 litres                                             

Price:                                   £9,195

From:                                  www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk