Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1544134
P106 RIDE REVIEW I 2026 TRIUMPH TRIDENT 660 At first sit, the 660 felt a touch on the small side for 6-foot-1/32- inch-inseam me, although if one were to pick one up, Triumph does offer a range of taller (and shorter) seat heights in its after - market catalog. Showa has graced the Trident with its nonadjustable 41mm SF-BPF (Separate Function Big Piston Fork) and its preload- and rebound-damping adjust - able shock, and while that may not brighten the eyes of those hunting outright performance, given this is a pretty handy little roadster for under $9K, those specs act better in real life than they do on paper. Nissin conventionally mounted twin-piston brake calipers clamp down on 310mm discs up front, and you're equipped with corner - ing ABS and traction control, the latter's performance linked to whatever ride mode you're in, be it Sport, Road or Rain. As you guessed, the 660 gains a six-axis IMU, and you can, if you so desire, switch off trac- tion control if you want to have a little one-wheel fun. Triumph has done very well indeed by ap- pointing the 660 with a plethora of electronics that many other manufacturers charge extra for after you buy the bike. Triumph's Shift Assist quickshifter comes as standard, as do cruise control and self-canceling indicators. All this for under $9K! Fire up the Trident, and it's got that wonderful Triumph three- revised intake and fuel-injection system that houses a new, larger airbox and three 44mm throttle bodies compared to the single unit used before. To house those triplets of throttles, the frame needed a slight hollowing around the top rails, which allowed the design- ers to keep the narrow gap between the seat and the tank. This, in turn, meant the engi- neers could retain the skinny midsection and the 31.6-inch seat height, making the 660 an appealing prospect for smaller and/or less experienced riders. The Trident 660 has received a thorough going-over for the 2026 model year and comes to the party arm-in-arm with the larger Trident 800, which we tested in Cyprus a few months ago. The 660 version uses the same motor that powers the Daytona 660, albeit with an engine tune aimed at producing more low- to midrange torque than the Daytona's penchant for screaming racetrack revs. Power is claimed to be 94 horsepower at 11,250 rpm with a stout 50.2 lb-ft of torque at 8250 rpm, achieved through a (Top) Tank styling closely matches that of the 800 Trident. (Bottom) Split seats allow for varying seat heights for rider and passenger.