The Tiger Sport and Trident share a 660cc inline-Triple with DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder.
of today’ s motorcycles look like the design team’ s AutoCad got stuck in Acute Angle Mode. Not so with the Trident. It strikes a balance between thoroughly modern( swingarm, silencers, that tank!) and pleasingly retro( headlight, gauges, mirrors).
The Tiger Sport cuts a more utilitarian figure. Don’ t get me wrong, the bike will turn heads. Just look at the way the radiator cowls pop in the Silver Ice / Intense Orange colorway. Again, the bright color is limited to a small part of the bike, making it stand out even more. The updated bodywork improves wind protection and splits the difference visually between“ sport” and“ tourer.”
Both bikes are eye- catching in their own way, and even though they’ re built on the same platform, each has a unique personality. Sort of like Greg and me. We have the same parents and grew up in the same household, but we march to different drummers.
TARTED- UP TRIPLE
The overnight flight from Los Angeles deprived me of a good night’ s sleep, so once in Spain I crashed hard. After a day spent checking out Alicante, I was ready for the evening’ s technical presentation. Triumph’ s engineering team, led by Stuart Wood, had a lot to brag about. The 660cc inline- Triple
powering both bikes makes an additional 14 hp( up 18 %) and 4 lb- ft of torque( up 9 %) compared to the previous version. Peak output is now 94 hp at 11,250 rpm( 1,000 rpm higher than before) and 50.2 lb- ft at 8,250 rpm( 2,000 rpm higher), and redline is increased to 12,650 rpm. Horsepower may be the fast- running hare, but torque is the tortoise that wins the race in terms of usability. Triumph says 80 % of peak torque is available throughout the rev range.
How did Triumph squeeze so much more oomph out of the engine without increasing displacement by a single cubic centimeter? There are now three throttle bodies instead of just one, the airbox is bigger, and the cylinder head has larger exhaust valves and a higher- lift cam profile. Triumph also recalibrated the throttle- by- wire for smoother low- rpm throttle openings and better overall response. On that count, I’ d say they nailed it. The right grip meters out power in a precise, linear manner. Smooth, sweet, and delicious, like grandma’ s buttercream frosting.
After the tech talk, we got a preview of the next day’ s route, the map showing a particularly squiggly line looping through mountainous terrain. Having ridden this area before, I knew I was in for sweepers, hairpins, chicanes, and elevation changes, sometimes all within a mile of one another. I needed to be firing on all cylinders, so I avoided overindulging in vino tinto and retired early.
Left: The 2026 Triumph Trident 660 is available in Cosmic Yellow( shown) or Stone Gray. Pricing starts at $ 8,745. Right: The 2026 Triumph Tiger Sport 660 is available in Interstellar Blue / Mineral Gray( shown) or Silver Ice / Intense Orange. Pricing starts at $ 10,445.
16 / NOVEMBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM