Page 53 - 2022-08-01 RiDE

TRIUMPH great fun to ride and
The Trident is

7TRIDENT 660 astonishing value

The absolute bargain naked
middleweight

Price £7795 Power 80bhp Torque
47lb·ft Weight 189kg Seat height 805mm

On paper, this budget middleweight should
feel ordinary and not knock your socks off.
However, the reality is very different. To
ride, the Trident feels every bit a quality
motorcycle that strikes a balance between
chassis agility, triple-engine performance
and tech. How many other ‘budget’ rival
bikes have traction control, ABS and power
modes as standard and connectivity as an
optional extra? None.
Able to be restricted to A2-legal if
required, the Trident’s triple gives it a

beautiful heart and soul that, aside from a
NEED TO KNOW bit of a clunky gearbox and a touch of a
buzz, is hard to criticise. Laid-back when
required yet with poke thanks to low
The Trident is cheap to service RIDE VERDICT Much like the gearing, a high rev limit and a chassis that
with 10,000-mile intervals. original Street Triple, the Trident has all of the Street Triple’s agility, it is a
delivers far more in terms of recipe for huge amounts of fun.
Colours other than black cost performance, handling and fun And that’s what makes the Trident so
a £100 premium. than its bargain price suggests. special — it’s fun to ride but also appealing

to a wide range of owners. JON URRY

KAWASAKI many boxes and is a
The Z900RS ticks so
6Z900RS great all-rounder

It’s a modern-day reinvention
of a Kawasaki icon

Price £11,529 Power 109bhp Torque
73lb·ft Weight 215kg Seat height 835mm

50 years ago, Kawasaki bossed the idea of
an inline-four superbike with the Z1 900.
And its presence can still be felt in many of
Kawasaki’s current products, none more so
than the Z900RS, a nod to the Z1.
There are three RS models — the base
model, a 50th anniversary edition (stock
bike with Z1 paint), and the RS SE, with
uprated forks, Öhlins shock and Brembo
calipers. In terms of ride and handling, the
SE is a noticeable a step up from the base
model, but it’s also over £1000 more
expensive than an RS at £12,779.
Either makes an excellent road bike
however. The 948cc inline-four mill is NEED TO KNOW
tuned for midrange urge. Braking is superb
from either the standard Tokicos but Retro style with push-button
especially the SE’s Brembos. Handling is reliability. RIDE VERDICT The most
neutral and the steering light, with the authentic Japanese retro plays a
emphasis on ride quality rather than It’s not a true classic different game to its rivals with a
cornering prowess. That’s not to say the RS experience. more laid-back feel. We like…
won’t boogie – it definitely will. JIM MOORE

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