New Triumph Trident Roadster Coming for 2021

Peon Maface · August 25, 2020

Triumph is bringing back another name from the brand’s past, announcing a new Trident for 2021. The new Triumph Trident will slot in as an entry-level model below the Street Triple and Speed Triple, with a contemporary take on classic roadster styling. Triumph revealed a prototype offering a hint of the Trident’s design, promising the arrival of the finished product at dealers next spring.

The new Trident was the result of a four-year development project by its U.K. design team with input from Rodolfo Frascoli who also helped design the new Tiger 900 (and new Suzuki Katana). “Original British design with Italian flair,” as Triumph puts it. The result is a minimalistic roadster that’s distinct from Triumph’s modern classic line while incorporating cues from the Speed Triple.

“The Trident design prototype marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Triumph, where the brief was all about fun, from the look to the ride,” says Steve Sargent, Triumph chief product officer. “With its pure minimalist form, clean lines, Triumph design DNA and more than a hint of our Speed Triple’s muscular poise, this gives the first exciting glimpse at the full Trident story to come.”

The 2021 Trident will be powered by a new iteration of Triumph’s three-cylinder engine, but instead of the 765cc Triple, it’ll be closer to the previous 675cc displacement. Triumph hasn’t revealed any technical details yet, but a close look reveals Triumph used casings of the 675cc engine for the prototype instead of the larger engine currently powering the Street Triple.

The Trident prototype’s engine covers resemble those of the 675cc version of the Street Triple. The more recent 765cc version has a shorter crankcase cover.

Triumph says the production engine will be a completely new variant with a unique tune, offering a balance of low-down torque and top end power. For Europe, the Trident will be offered in a power-restricted version to meet A2 license requirements, but it can be restored to full power once its rider has gained a full license. Triumph says the Trident will offer “class-leading integrated rider technology.” At a minimum, this means traction control, anti-lock brakes plus selectable engine modes should be standard, but we don’t expect anything that requires a six-axis IMU.

The smaller engine makes sense if Triumph wants to position the Trident as an entry point to the Triple lineup. Triumph says the Trident will be competing with the likes of the Honda CB650R, the Kawasaki Z650 and Yamaha MT-07. If it skews closer to the Yamaha or Kawasaki, we’re likely looking at the $7,000-$8,000 price range. Even if it were closer to the CB650R’s $9,199 MSRP, that would still make the Trident the least expensive model in Triumph’s lineup (the Speed Twin is currently listed at $9,300).

“Ultimately our aim was to bring a new take on character and style, alongside the accessible easy handling and quality Triumph is known for – at a price that’s really competitive,” says Sargent.

Triumph says the Trident makes use of a brand new chassis, with a comfortable, upright riding position, which should make it more accessible to a wider range of riders (and new ones, especially). The prototype’s front brakes and suspension look similar to parts used on the 2018 Street Triple S, which consisted of dual Nissin calipers, and Showa suspension, but we’ll soon learn whether these will remain on the production model or if the designers just raided the leftover parts bin for this mock-up.

Check back here on Motorcycle.com when full specifications and pricing for the 2021 Triumph Trident will be revealed in the weeks ahead.