The middleweight segment is full of exciting options specifically when it comes to naked bikes. On the one hand, you have your tried and tested Japanese machines with the likes of the Honda CB650R, Yamaha MT-09, and Suzuki GSX-8S. And on the other hand, you have your European heavy-hitters like the Aprilia Tuono 660 and Ducati Monster.
But one bike that’s frequently overlooked in this segment is the Triumph Trident 660. Perhaps it’s because it sits a bit too closely to its bigger, more performance-oriented sibling, the Street Triple 765. Or maybe it’s because it’s a little bit on the softer side when it comes to performance.
Whatever the case may be, it seems that Triumph is adamant about getting the Trident noticed for the 2025 model year, as it’s thrown in a bunch of updates that just might put this middleweight naked bike on the top of the spec sheet.
To start with, the Trident 660 now gets an inertial measurement unit, or IMU for short. This means that it levels up its entire tech package with cornering ABS and traction control, giving it an extra layer of safety when tackling twisty roads at a spirited pace.
The tech package is quite the leap forward and makes the Trident 660 even techier than the previous-generation Street Triple RS, a bike I used to own and racked up in excess of 20,000 miles on.
My 2020 Striple RS didn’t have an IMU, cornering ABS, nor cornering traction control, and I felt that it was already a confidence-inspiring, razor-sharp machine as it was. And so it’s pretty cool that Triumph’s now making its performance-focused safety tech accessible to a wider audience.
But apart from sticking in the fancy IMU to the Trident, Triumph’s also throwing in an up and down quickshifter for spirited, ultra-satisfying gear changes when riding aggressively. It’ll surely change the dynamics of this otherwise docile naked bike, making it more engaging, and ultimately more fun to ride.
Triumph further tightens things up with revised suspension tuning for the Trident, with Showa SFF-BF big-piston forks up front and a preload-adjustable monoshock at the back. The 2025 Trident is now also better equipped for long stretches of highway with cruise control as standard, making it one of the few middleweight naked bikes with as-standard cruise control.
Last but not least, Triumph has also upgraded the Trident’s instrument cluster to feature Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation. It even gets new colors and graphics to seal the deal.
So there you have it, a refreshed Triumph Trident 660 for the 2025 model-year. Do you think all these upgrades are enough to push the Trident ahead of the competition? Or are they just extra bells and whistles nobody really needs? I know the quickshifter and cruise control will surely come in handy. Let me know in the comments below.
