2023 Triumph Trident 660 - 18 Month Owner Review

Join me as I go through the best and worst parts of my 2023 Trident 660, and give my final verdict. Check out my initial review if you want a more complete review!

[@josephrisner9596]

I just bought a very lightly used 2022 Trident. The first owner bought it, put on some triumph factory accessories and a full GPR exhaust. Over two years he rode it enough to complete the break in and then traded for a cruiser. So I bought the bike way cheaper than new and it had the full 600 mile service done. I’ve owned it for 5 days and have put about 300 miles on it. Super fun little bike! The power comes on super smooth and has a very healthy pull. I got it for ~$7300 OTD with 658 miles on it. It’s a great first bike!

[@fendermon]

That's a great buy. My MI dealer wants 11k for me to roll a new one off the lot. I don't know how anyone can determine a fair price on new. Any tips appreciated.

[@theleftlane3654]

Sounds like a great deal, glad you’re enjoying the bike!

[@josephrisner9596]

@@fendermon $11,000 is pretty steep. I would assume ~$10,200 would be pretty fair. Remember the triumph freight charge is like $780, at least in Ohio.

[@fendermon]

@@josephrisner9596 Thank you, that's very helpful. I know it varies by region, but Ohio is close. -Cheers

[@mayimbe2198]

@@fendermonDon’t do it, after covid everyone has lost their senses of a fair price, mSRP plus tax and title is the most I would pay at a dealer, otherwise I buy used.

[@WoWwYnAtoR]

Upgrading brake fluid and pads will fix that break fade. 💯 Also, you should always leave it in gear at stoplights for that hopefully never-needed emergency escape...

[@theleftlane3654]

I will definitely be doing the pads and fluid!

[@user-aerodelax]

Thanks for the actual review. I get this bike in one week (35mm lower) in the "Tribute edition" which includes quickshifter, windshield (small) and spoiler. I count every day, its my first bigger bike. Greetings from Berlin, Germany.

[@Festolite4]

counting everyday is relatable. it is even frustrating to wait. :)

[@user-aerodelax]

@@Festolite4 thx for the replying. :) In the time i got my Trident. Its now in the first 1000km Inspection. I really love the handling and the accelation. If you ask me today, i will keep it for some years.

[@orange42]

My quadlock came with a little extension that moves the phone over sideways from the mounting point

[@terenceokeeffesmotorcyclestuff]

Stick to 3 & 4th in the twisties and you won’t need your brakes at all. If you are using your brakes so much they fade they are being way overused. You will have much better control of your machine in the twisties regulating your speed with the throttle in those lower gears.

[@MaxSw00zli]

Great review! I love my 660 Tribute Edition 2024 :)

[@theleftlane3654]

That's awesome! I love the way the Tribute looks. That paint job is incredible, made me want to trade mine in for a minute

[@MaxSw00zli]

@@theleftlane3654 It’s worth it!

[@BrianWilliamson-l8d]

Just bought my tribute yesterday. 10 days until delivery

[@didimetel5051]

Hey I just got the 2023 oranges trident in Bk NY I payed 6500$ new no miles and added a quit up-and-down shifter.. that’s my fist bike and I’m 46 YO I live it

[@efremendez]

I wanted same bike no triumph dealer within 3 hours from my house. Im not riding that long for 1st service and future valve adjustments...😢 So i had to settle on expensive ass indian scout bobber 60

[@vashspecter]

Brakes + heat = less efffective. Might be quality of the pads or rotor not cooling fast enough.

[@stimpsonjcat26]

I don't consider this a "beginner" bike. It is easy to ride and suitable for beginners but I don't think you will need to upgrade from this like you would from a typical beginner bike as it is perfectly fine for normal uses other than racing. It is even pretty quick. Fast enough to get into trouble. I recently purchased the tiger 660 that uses the same engine and it is a great everyday bike. I have ridden faster and bigger bikes and am perfectly happy with this bike even though I am far from a beginner.

[@Steck896]

Overtaking on double lines is something you shouldn't be filming, nor doing.

[@theleftlane3654]

Correct you are. Lapse of judgement on my part

[@Vinay-yz3wd]

It’s ai generated footage🙄

[@arbenpali5124]

Tell us you’re gay without telling us you’re gay

[@Vinay-yz3wd]

@@arbenpali5124 who

[@Cartsp70]

Ok Karen 😂

[@staindnirv]

I owned one bike for summer 15 years ago. Getting the itch to get back into it again and I keep coming back to this exact bike, I love the styling and the orange is amazing.

[@siddharthtayal5123]

for the second gripe or disadvantage you mentioned, I have a suggestion , You can get a phone mount extention that fits on the centre piece of the handle bar and then you can put the phone mount on it in the centre below the cluster

[@davidstewart8647]

Couldn’t you put the quad lock on the mirror stem?

[@christianburger25]

I have my Quadlock in the middle and keep the phone horizontal. I use that attachment that let's you tilt the phone and a vibration dampener. It's not perfectly straight but really close. Doesn't get in the way of my tank bag either

[@theleftlane3654]

Thanks for the tip, I’ll try it out!

[@FernandoBea]

Similar story for me. Horizontally mounted and using the Quadlock stem mount. Doesn't get in the way of the speedometer and you don't have to take your eyes off the road

[@pocketlint82]

I did the same. Any other place and it blocks the gauge or hits my tank bag when turning the bars. It's not perfectly centered but it's close enough that I'm not going to spend more money to get it a few millimeters closer

[@fermingh]

Supperb video and review. Congrats. I am from Spain. My trident is the same than yours and i use it in the same way, 30% work, 70% twisty roads for fun. I agree with you in the good points but I differ from you on some others. For me, vibrations over 6k that gransmits to pegs, mirrors and right handlebar are an issue. Gearbox has has been tricky from the beggining. Mine came with quickshift installed and it was almost imppossible to find neutral. My trident had to go to the dealer and under gurantee they changed some spacers and springs of the detent shaft that solved the neutral problem completely. Other concern, lack of any kind of transport accesories and MPG. Aside from that, i am completely satisfied with this school bike. I will take care of it until my definite motorbike that I am pretty sure it will be a low trail. V.

[@theleftlane3654]

All good points! The vibrations over 6k are definitely annoying, but I short shift most of the time when I’m not riding hard so they didn’t quite make the list. I’m with you about the transport accessories; seems like something Triumph could have provided pretty easily. I guess maybe they were trying to separate it from the Tiger Sport 660?

[@jakeruchti1]

Im 250lbs 6 foot. Is this bike too small for me?

[@MattSpartan145]

OMG!! The Neutral thing! I though it was just me! haha. I get stuck in Neutral all the time! haha Otherwise I do love the bike.

[@theleftlane3654]

One of those things that’s not a deal breaker, but just pisses you off sometimes😄

[@TriumphLover]

I got 5 Triumphs in my garage, "fanboy" for sure. Last year I bought Junior a new Trident. He loves it. I got him the Akra full race exhaust and a DNK tune. I got him the Evotech qaud lock mount which attaches to the handle bar brace. Look it up, see if it's something you'd like.

[@theleftlane3654]

I’ll check it out! The Akra exhaust sounds incredible too, good choice

[@92belisarius]

Which ones have you got?

[@TriumphLover]

@@92belisarius Speed Triple 1200RR, Daytona 765 Moto2, Thruxton RS Ton Up, Street Triple Moto2 Edition and 2012 Tiger Explorer

[@92belisarius]

@@TriumphLover absolute legend. Amazing stuff. I have the Trident. Ultimate goal is to have Speed Twin 1200 and Street Triple 765 RS. I’ll start saving 😂

[@mechanicaltakedown6868]

Bang bang orange gang. Was going to wait another year but you can't get orange in the 24ym. Triumph had a special zero percent finance going on. I need to ride more bikes but I kinda don't want to. I think it is the best looking bike in its class.

[@theleftlane3654]

EASILY the best looking bike in class in my opinion. Having also ridden a lot of the bikes in the class (xsr700, cb650r, sv650, and z650,) I’ve always felt that the Trident is the most unique, well rounded package. I’ve loved my ownership experience and would recommend it to anyone

[@lukazavisic]

Do you know which colours will be available for 2025?

[@JoseLopez-jj5te]

What's the tail bag brand?

[@BlackHillsMotoSD]

Thank you for the review. This bike is on my potentials list for a next bike. How’s driving around FoCo been lately? I go back quarterly for work and aggressive driving seems worse each time. Curious how people treat riders down there these days.

[@davidstokes551]

Can motorcycle manufacturers start thinking about rider comfort. Hard ride, flat hard seats affect the spine, and we boys, have tackle down there that needs room to move.

[@thebrowns5337]

You can't say 'cruise comfortably' if you have no cruise control. More bikes need it.

[@stephenoclarke8703]

Don't buy a naked bike if you regret wind blast. They are urban vehicles not optimised for freeways

[@garyblack2237]

I put the Rizoma race handlebars on mine. The wind resistance is no longer an issue because of the forward lean. It’s way sportier

[@mayimbe2198]

Question, how is it with engine vibrations, how relax does the engine runs, what RPM around 65 mph?

[@theleftlane3654]

At 65mph, I believe I’m usually sitting at around 5-6k rpm in 6th. The gearing is pretty short to keep you in the power band. The vibrations aren’t bad when you’re just cruising, but when Im on it more and staying above 6k rpm the vibrations can be pretty intense; that being said, it doesn’t bother me because it lets me feel what’s going on with the engine without looking at the gauge to much during hard riding. I would say this is a very comfortable city commuter, but not a super comfortable long distance/highway bike.

[@mayimbe2198]

@@theleftlane3654 I ended up with a scrambler 900 and it is perfect for me.

[@lightthiscity4974]

I agree with most of the things you said about it but the suspension is garbage on this thing. Every bump in the road rocks you, no matter what you do with the rear shock. Most Trident owners, including myself, replace the rear shock because of how terrible it is. But I love this bike immensely and couldn't recommend it enough.

[@andrea7696]

Do u think after the tribute one, its gonna be a different livrea or are they going to change the way trident look like? Just a thought.

[@ccorrales06]

I have my quadlock in the same location as you but i can see all my cluster, maybe play a bit with locating it, took me a few tries and i have no issues

[@theleftlane3654]

I’ll mess with it a bit and see what I can do

[@Balarda3]

@@theleftlane3654 i have a quadlock on my 660, but mine is the fork stem mount, if you go for that option you need to chose the metal one since its contruction is a little different and it fits perfect.

[@Poise716]

Bruh that’s Fort Collins!! We neighbors!!!

[@LesterSuarezGonzalez-dz9ns]

Totally agree, this is a so Wonderful Bike 👍🥇🇬🇧!!!

[@markmcfetridge8845]

If you just release the clutch a little it will then go into gear and stay

[@Patshes]

🆒😎🤘

[@TriumphLover]

Junior bought the Exmax screen fairing, which helps with wind deflection.

[@cpt_boogie3843]

that looks REEEALLY nice

[@ak-47821]

how is the throttle lag on this bike?

[@MartyrDK]

Great looking bike :)

[@theleftlane3654]

It sure is!

[@HosuyakawaYazuki-]

I bought it, sold it, and for what's left I bought a used Street Triple R...Trident was my big rookie mistake :)

[@eLu2198]

why a mistake? what didnt u like about trident compared to street triple?

[@R-Tap]

I have the same bike, same colour etc. It's my 1st bike, I love it, I love looking at it. Have you considered the bar ends and the game changer quick shift accessory?, game changer.

[@theleftlane3654]

Bar ends I’m not big on, but the quick shifter is definitely on the list

[@Voltomess]

Do they come with quickshifter with blipper? as standard setup? I saw few videos where peope have it on their trident 660 and why did you never put a slip on on it? it would sound amzing

[@eLu2198]

no this is not on standard setup, more like you can add them later on.

[@wirblle]

i love your equipment, what are you gloves ? please and jacket ? thanks from a frenchy :)

[@theleftlane3654]

The jacket is a Rev’it Eclipse 2 in white/silver. Great summer jacket, highly recommend. The gloves I don’t remember the brand, but I honestly wouldn’t recommend them anyway. They’re pretty badly frayed and have a couple small holes where the stitching has given way. You can get a similar but higher quality pair with the same carbon knuckle protectors from most of the major brands. Rev’it is usually the best combo of price and quality in my experience

[@MrTobytat2]

Get a Brogue Quadlock mount and then orientate the phone horizontally. Its fantastic and looks and feels factory. It replaces the factory bar clamp. I had the same bike and sold it and now have a Street Triple RS. One thing i didn't like about the Trident was it felt like it had a lot more engine up top but was rev limited.

[@theleftlane3654]

I’ll check that out! Fair point about the engine, it does feel like it leaves a little on the table at the top end. If you were using it as a track bike or REALLY going at it on the road, I can see how that would be annoying

[@chrissunde1104]

Upgrade your brake pads and replace your brake fluid and you might solve the brake fade.

[@theleftlane3654]

Next up on my list!

[@kaveiros75]

I love the looks of this bike - especially in that orange color you bought. (Triumph, please bring back COLOR in your bikes!!!) - The handlebar "issue" you mentioned, is a joke to even refer to. Couldn 't care less. - Fade out brakes in a Triumph? This is a shame! - I test rode one last year, the same day with a Street Triple, and the only thing I didn't love in Trident was in fact the engine! Don 't get me wrong, it is smooth and sweet, but it felt more like a well-tuned 4-cylinder to me compared with the 765 engine - which had more of that low end "grunt" and some "rawness" I personally love. Don't know if things get better with an aftermarket exhaust though. If Trident had the 765 engine, I would have bought it yesterday!

[@theleftlane3654]

I’ve ridden one with the Zard exhaust, it definitely makes it feel more raw and punchy. I have trouble justifying the expense, which is the main reason I haven’t switched over myself. And yeah, I was probably nitpicking a bit with the handlebar😄

[@MrTobytat2]

I've had a 660 and now a Striple RS. Baja Orange and Cosmic Yellow respectively. The 2025 Striple R is going to be offered in this Baja Orange

[@kaveiros75]

@@theleftlane3654 This comment of you could make me buy an orange Trident myself in Autumn, and put a Zard on it!