Test rode a Triumph Trident 660

[Finklejag]

I own a 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan 411cc. I received my motorcycle endorsement in early January after completing a motorcycle training class. The Himalayan has been a great first bike for me to practice my skill set for a new rider. The single cylinder is very forgiving when it comes to power delivery and ride ability. I knew I was going to grow out of the Himalayan at some part and step up to a higher cc bike. Well it looks like seven months later and I feel that time has come.

I like the look and riding position of adventure bikes. I don’t care for cruisers and sport bikes. I know the Trident is considered a naked street bike but the riding position is almost upright. So yesterday I test rode one to see if I would like it. The Trident felt like it was 5X as powerful over the Himalayan. Those extra 250cc really makes a difference. My bike feels like a tractor compared to it. With the Trident’s traction control, it will never do a wheelie at stop lights after take off. The riding position is not fully upright like on my bike and it might get tiring with long rides. It’s a really nice bike with great fit and finish, but I don’t think it’s the right bike for me. I will be looking at the Honda NC750X, Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki V-Strom 650, Moto Guzzi V85TT. Just from the pictures, I fell in love with the Moto Guzzi, it’s the most expensive middle weight and my closest dealer is over 3 1/2 hours away.

 

[benjy]

lots of options to test ride, the farther the better to REALLY know if its comfortable for you. read various forums as well to learn about them. if your not a DIY closer service is important BUT a good local independent WILL be cheaper, just keep records for warranties + be aware of overall cost to own. i like triumphs classics as i am one + have an 18 T120 + a 19 street scrambler. modern water cooled multi cylinder bikes are light years ahead of royal enfields that are bargains for sure + air the earlier but modern preowned triumphs are cheeper + upkeep easier as well, good shopping!!

 

[FZ1]

I own a 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan 411cc. I received my motorcycle endorsement in early January after completing a motorcycle training class. The Himalayan has been a great first bike for me to practice my skill set for a new rider. The single cylinder is very forgiving when it comes to power delivery and ride ability. I knew I was going to grow out of the Himalayan at some part and step up to a higher cc bike. Well it looks like seven months later and I feel that time has come.

I like the look and riding position of adventure bikes. I don’t care for cruisers and sport bikes. I know the Trident is considered a naked street bike but the riding position is almost upright. So yesterday I test rode one to see if I would like it. The Trident felt like it was 5X as powerful over the Himalayan. Those extra 250cc really makes a difference. My bike feels like a tractor compared to it. With the Trident’s traction control, it will never do a wheelie at stop lights after take off. The riding position is not fully upright like on my bike and it might get tiring with long rides. It’s a really nice bike with great fit and finish, but I don’t think it’s the right bike for me. I will be looking at the Honda NC750X, Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki V-Strom 650, Moto Guzzi V85TT. Just from the pictures, I fell in love with the Moto Guzzi, it’s the most expensive middle weight and my closest dealer is over 3 1/2 hours away.

Check out a triumph speed triple. More power and still pretty light.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Look at BMW F750GS as well. I loved my F700GS.

Triumph Tiger 800/850 also.

 

[Snagglefoot]

If you’re looking for something a little different, the 3 cylinder engine is it. Four valves per cylinder, DOHC. What’s not to like?

 

[ZeeOSix]

A Yamaha XSR900 or FZ09 triple might be an option too

 

[troop]

I'm guessing a lot depends on what you're going to use the next bike for. If long distance travel travel, maybe look for something with cruise control and 4.5 ga + fuel tank. The Guzzi will do it all, albeit at a cost. I looked hard at the 650 V-Strom before buying a Tiger 800, as the Triumph had cruise control. The V-Strom 650 is a wonderful bike, and after owning (8) Kawasaki's, I can say I prefer it over the Versys 650. Another one to look at might be the Yamaha XSR700. Awesome motor and a relaxed riding position.

 

[Ride_Red]

You mentioned a NC750X. I own and ride a NC700X (basically the same bike). It is a great commuter bike and can easily handle long trips. It is a perfectly capable motorcycle that is built for smooth riding and fuel economy. If you want a quick and fast bike, look elsewhere. The NC makes about 50 hp where as other bikes in the 650cc class make 60-75 hp. The NC is more like a tractor (like your Himalayan) with a low-reving engine.

I love my NC700X, but I admit it is not everyone's cup of tea.

 

[Finklejag]

I been watching all the youtube videos on the 2021 NC750X and it’s on the top of my list but there are none in my area. It looks like Honda is having really bad inventory problems.
One bike that has caught my eye is the Suzuki V-Strom 1050 XT. They redesigned it for 2020 and it’s a sales flop. There are tons of the 2020’s at dealers nationwide with big discounts. If I went that route, the 1050cc would satisfy my future power urge if I went to a middle weight then grew out of that quickly. The 1050 XT has tons of riding and traction modes to retard power delivery and traction to reduce the engine power until I feel comfortable with bike.

 

[Ride_Red]

Like I said, I love my NC700X. I recently took it on a 1000 mile, long weekend trip and it was great.
If you want a good, reliable bike that has mild manners, the NC is the ticket. It's not the quickest. It is far from the fastest.
I like it because of the low RPM, low-end torque characteristics of the motor and the low center of gravity that makes it easy to maneuver.

I also have a ST1300 with 120hp. When I want power, I ride that. It's a night and day difference between the two bikes. On the 1300, I can just roll on the throttle and it goes any speed I want in any gear I want. The NC has to work for it.

 

[FZ1]

I own a 2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan 411cc. I received my motorcycle endorsement in early January after completing a motorcycle training class. The Himalayan has been a great first bike for me to practice my skill set for a new rider. The single cylinder is very forgiving when it comes to power delivery and ride ability. I knew I was going to grow out of the Himalayan at some part and step up to a higher cc bike. Well it looks like seven months later and I feel that time has come.

I like the look and riding position of adventure bikes. I don’t care for cruisers and sport bikes. I know the Trident is considered a naked street bike but the riding position is almost upright. So yesterday I test rode one to see if I would like it. The Trident felt like it was 5X as powerful over the Himalayan. Those extra 250cc really makes a difference. My bike feels like a tractor compared to it. With the Trident’s traction control, it will never do a wheelie at stop lights after take off. The riding position is not fully upright like on my bike and it might get tiring with long rides. It’s a really nice bike with great fit and finish, but I don’t think it’s the right bike for me. I will be looking at the Honda NC750X, Kawasaki Versys 650, Suzuki V-Strom 650, Moto Guzzi V85TT. Just from the pictures, I fell in love with the Moto Guzzi, it’s the most expensive middle weight and my closest dealer is over 3 1/2 hours away.

Keep in mind that the more cylinders the motor has, the smoother the bike will be on the road.

 

[Merek]

I was really interested in this bike when it was first announced, it looks great on paper and everyone has been raving about it ever since. I have been looking for one and found a dealership that has it but they are using as a demo bike but have not had the chance to ride it. I have seen that bike in person and it just looks cheap, I know they had to cut corners to keep the costs down low so maybe it's all the plastic they used, granted this was a demo bike and still had low miles but looked like it was already ragged out and the seat already had a tear for being such a new model. I was able to find another one at a different dealer which obviously was much nicer as it was brand new on the showroom floor but still looked cheap to me.

This dealer actually had the Tiger models in stock which I feel the 900 is more for me, I could tell the lady I spoke with didn't really know a lot about that bike and had to go ask someone with my questions.... I honestly felt like I knew more about that model than they did, she kept calling it the "low" model but it was actually the standard model with the low seat installed but the low model actually has a different suspension that doesn't have the same travel so it sits lower to the ground and from all the calculations I've done this model with the standard seat would be comparable to the same seat height as my Ninja 650. Triumph really crippled the 850, it's basically the same model just tuned a bit differently and a lot of the optional accessories are compatible between both models but not all of them, it's pretty much the same model just without all the bells & whistles to keep the costs down.

 

[Trav]

Triumph has a bad habit of discontinuing parts. I had to have a set of injectors custom made for a speed triple, non available worldwide even in the UK. I just did a 1600 Thunderbird last week with one bad injector, non available. Fortunately I found a used one for that.
For painless long term ownership I would go Japanese or BMW.

 

[Finklejag]

BMW = painless? I might be new to the motorcycle world but I already know BMW motorcycles are not cheap to buy or own. The Indian made 310 GS was one of the bikes I looked at but settled for the Himalayan.

 

[FZ1]

I was really interested in this bike when it was first announced, it looks great on paper and everyone has been raving about it ever since. I have been looking for one and found a dealership that has it but they are using as a demo bike but have not had the chance to ride it. I have seen that bike in person and it just looks cheap, I know they had to cut corners to keep the costs down low so maybe it's all the plastic they used, granted this was a demo bike and still had low miles but looked like it was already ragged out and the seat already had a tear for being such a new model. I was able to find another one at a different dealer which obviously was much nicer as it was brand new on the showroom floor but still looked cheap to me.

This dealer actually had the Tiger models in stock which I feel the 900 is more for me, I could tell the lady I spoke with didn't really know a lot about that bike and had to go ask someone with my questions.... I honestly felt like I knew more about that model than they did, she kept calling it the "low" model but it was actually the standard model with the low seat installed but the low model actually has a different suspension that doesn't have the same travel so it sits lower to the ground and from all the calculations I've done this model with the standard seat would be comparable to the same seat height as my Ninja 650. Triumph really crippled the 850, it's basically the same model just tuned a bit differently and a lot of the optional accessories are compatible between both models but not all of them, it's pretty much the same model just without all the bells & whistles to keep the costs down.

My best advice. Buy Boats and Motorcycles used ! Craigslist is your friend.

 

[benjy]

as noted a nice well cared for preowned can save $$$$. in the past Guzzi parts + service were a crap shoot as my dealer friend once noted. older simpler air cooled bikes are a savings overall, so ride + ride more + enjoy your shopping + get what is comfortable + suits you + your budget!!

 

[wpod]

Going from a RE tractor to a more sporty tractor? Get a sport bike ,, A made Japan brand

 

[Trav]

BMW = painless? I might be new to the motorcycle world but I already know BMW motorcycles are not cheap to buy or own. The Indian made 310 GS was one of the bikes I looked at but settled for the Himalayan.

Yes painless. The BMW boxers are some of the best bike engines made, add a drive shaft and Telelever front end and it is a very long lived and dependable motor cycle.

 

[sw99]

Looks fun! I thinks that's a great looking bike but my hips would be screaming...

 

[hank2]

If you’re looking for something a little different, the 3 cylinder engine is it. Four valves per cylinder, DOHC. What’s not to like?

View attachment 65641

That's a pretty respectable torque figure for 660cc 2,3 or 4 cylinder and not at a really insane rpm.