New Triumph Trident middleweight roadster teased ahead of 2021 launch

Triumph Motorcycles has announced it will revive the Trident nameplate for a modern generation as part of a brand-new middleweight roadster model due to go on sale next year.

The British company marked the announcement with an exclusive sneak peek at the prototype it has been developing ahead of a formal reveal in the coming weeks, with sales due to begin in early 2021.

Reviving a nameplate last seen adorning Triumph machinery in the 1960s and 1970s, the Triumph Trident has been developed as the new entry point into the manufacturer’s triple-engine range of roadsters, slotting into the range between the Speed/Street Triple and Classic ranges.

The Trident is the result of a four-year development programme that broadens Triumph’s modern-day range, while still drawing upon the classic Triumph signature design language and blending it with the ‘style and attitude’ of the firm’s current offerings.

To demonstrate the Triumph Trident’s aesthetics, the company showcased this striking all-white design prototype - which has been styled with input from new Tiger 900 pen-man Rodolfo Frascoli - to a selection of media outlets.

Though this is not the finished product, Triumph’s Chief Brand Officer Steve Sargent says this is very close to how the final production version – due to be revealed in the coming weeks – will look.

For now, Triumph is remaining coy as to the specific details of the new Trident until that launch date, most notably the exact capacity of the three-cylinder engine, which serves a 765cc unit in the Street and Speed Triple ranges. However, it does confirm it will be offered to be A2 compliant. 

Nevertheless, Triumph promises the Trident will be competitively priced and offer class-leading technology as it targets a ‘new generation’ of riders to lure away from rivals as the Honda CB650R and the Yamaha MT-07.

“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 Sargant. “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.

“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.”

The Triumph Trident marks the first shift towards the low-to-mid capacity motorcycle market, a move that was teased with the confirmation of its partnership with Indian motorcycling giants Bajaj Auto, though this model has been developed independently by Triumph itself.

Nonetheless, it sets the company along a new model path with future models tipped include smaller displacement – around 400cc – variants of its Speed, Street and Tiger ranges.

Full details of the new Triumph Trident to follow 'soon'.