Triumph Trident 800 (2026) – Technical Review

Way back in 2007 Triumph took the simple step of stripping the fairing off its then-current Daytona 675 and slapping on some straight bars to create a machine that’s the poster child for the saying ‘more than the sum of its parts’ – the Street Triple. The new Trident 800 looks set to repeat that trick, using components largely borrowed from existing models to create a surprisingly appealing package that should have some mainstream rivals very worried indeed.

Pros & Cons

2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Price & PCP Deals

Listing at £9,195 when it hits dealers in March 2026, the Trident 800 carries a premium over the £7,895 Trident 660 but one that’s more than reasonable given the hugely increased power, better suspension and brakes and uprated technology.

However, it means it’s also squarely in the same bracket as the Street Triple R, which makes a smidge more power but less torque from its higher-revving, shorter-stroke triple and packs slightly better specs in terms of chassis, suspension and brakes.

Triumph is banking on the Trident 800’s more relaxed attitude giving it a broader appeal, putting it into the same realm as the Yamaha MT-09 – which costs around £1000 more – and Kawasaki Z900.

While deliveries don’t start until March, Triumph has already opened an online reservation system that lets you configure the Trident 800 and put down a deposit to be among the first to get the bikes when production is up to speed.

The standard price gets the black paintwork, with the two alternative schemes – Ash Grey with Diablo Red, and Carnival Red with Graphite – are likely to carry a price premium, like two-tone versions of the smaller Trident 660. All three colour schemes get gold wheels, though, which help add a touch of colour even to the black model.

2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Engine & Performance

The 798cc three-cylinder engine in the Trident 800 is far more than just a bored-out version of the engine from the smaller Trident 660, and in fact comes from the Tiger Sport 800 that was launched a year ago.

That means it’s also significantly different to the 765cc Street Triple motor, despite sharing the same general layout, bore and a similar capacity.

The 798cc total comes from a 78mm bore, like the Street Triple and 4mm larger than the Trident 660’s, paired to a  55.7mm stroke that’s 4.6mm longer than the Trident 660’s and 2.3mm longer than the Street Triple’s. Added to a 13.2:1 compression ratio that’s significantly higher than the 660’s 11.95:1, with a trio of throttle bodies instead of the Trident 660’s single unit, the result is a peak of 113hp at 10,750rpm, with 62lb-ft of torque at 8,500rpm. That’s a power increase of around 40% over the 81hp Trident 660, as well as a 31% boost in torque.

Unsurprisingly, the internal changes also mean there’s a new crankshaft, camshafts, conrods, pistons and even a new balancer shaft.

The numbers are now much closer to the Street Triple’s 765cc three-cylinder than the Trident 660’s, with the Street Triple R putting out 118.4hp at 11,500rpm and 59lb-ft of torque at 9,500rpm. But bear in mind Triumph is promising 29 new or updated models for 2026 and has yet to reveal what the changes to the Street Triple R, if there are any, will be. Perhaps a power hike to bring it closer to the RS’s 128hp? That would certainly put the Trident 800 into a clearer space in the range.

2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

The basics of the Trident 800’s chassis – a tubular steel perimeter frame, Showa 41mm forks and a Showa monoshock – might read like they’re straight from the Trident 660’s spec sheet, but the reality is that they’re all significantly different.

The frame itself comes not from the Trident 660 but from the Tiger Sport 800, as the main tubes are set further apart to clear the wider, three-throttle arrangement of the 798cc triple instead of the smaller bike’s single throttle.

The forks might be 41mm Showa SFF-BP units, like the Trident 660’s, but for the 800 they’re given adjustable compression and rebound damping, while the Showa monoshock at the back is upgraded to have adjustable rebound and preload instead of the preload-only adjustment of the 660.

With those changes come a tweak to the geometry, with a slightly steeper 24.5-degree head angle instead of the 660’s 24.6 degrees, and fractionally more trail (108mm instead of 107mm). The seat is 5mm higher at 810mm, and restyled to be a two-piece design with revised bodywork around the rear, while the addition of an exhaust end can on the right-hand side instead of the 660’s underbelly setup, plus a new bellypan around the front section of the pipe, means the 800 is easily identified.

Uprated brakes come in the form of 4-piston radial calipers instead of the 660’s axial Nissin two-pots, and while the rear remains a single-piston sliding caliper, the 800 gets an inertial measurement unit for cornering ABS and traction control.

2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Comfort & Economy

Comfort, economy and accessibility are where the Trident 800 starts to put some clear air between itself and the Street Triple 765 R in Triumph’s range. The 810mm seat might be 5mm higher than the Trident 660’s, but it’s 26mm lower than the Street Triple’s, and the bars are wider and higher while the pegs are lower, giving a more relaxed riding position overall.

A small flyscreen, absent from the Trident 660, helps deflect air over the rider, and while the fuel tank, at 14 litres, is smaller than the Street Triple’s 15-litre unit, the Trident 800 manages significantly better fuel economy, 60.1mpg against 52.8mpg, so its overall range – 185 miles from a full tank – is longer than the Street Triple’s 173-miles.

2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Equipment

As we’ve all come to expect in the mid-2020s, the Trident 800 gets a selection of rider modes, riding assist technologies and connectivity possibilities as standard. These start with a trio of riding modes, Road, Sport and Rain, each tweaking the throttle map and traction control presets.

Less common in this class is the addition of an IMU, something Triumph is adopting widely across its 2026 range, to enable cornering, lean-sensitive traction control and ABS. You also get help with your gearshifts thanks to a standard-fit up-and-down quickshifter, while cruise control takes the strain during long, constant-speed runs.

The My Triumph Bluetooth system pairs your smartphone to the bike’s 3.5-inch, circular TFT screen and control on the left-hand bar for navigation, music and calls.

And of course there’s an array of extra-cost options on offer, including a titanium and carbon Akrapovič exhaust silencer, slim LED indicators and bar-end mirrors.

2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Rivals

Triumph makes no bones about the fact it’s targeting two key rivals with the Trident 800: the Yamaha MT-09 and Kawasaki Z900 – bikes that come very close in terms of performance and specs, right down to the IMU-based rider aids. But inevitably customers are also likely to compare it with the company’s own Street Triple when faced with both options in the same showroom, as they have similar performance, price and specs.

Yamaha MT-09 - Yamaha’s own take on the three-cylinder naked streetbike packs a little more power than the Trident 800 as well as a tad more torque, thanks to 92cc more capacity, but it’s also about £1k more expensive and has sci-fi styling that won’t appeal to everyone. Triumph doesn’t have anything to match the Yamaha’s optional Y-AMT semi-auto transmission, though.

Kawasaki Z900 - Priced within a pint of the Trident 800, the Z900 noses ahead when it comes to power and torque with its 948cc four-cylinder engine. But it’s a tad heavier and again suffers from overwrought styling that would look right at home in a Transformers movie.

Triumph Speed Triple 765 R - With 118hp, 59lb-ft and a 765cc three-cylinder engine, the Street Triple 765 R is, on paper, closer to the Trident 800 in spec terms than anything else on the market, and even slightly undercuts it for price despite tempting kit including Brembo brakes and fully-adjustable suspension. We’re going by the 2025 version here and can’t discount the possibility that there will be an upgraded model available by the time the Trident 800 reaches showrooms.

Yamaha MT-09| Price: £10,110

Read more

Power/Torque

117bhp / 68.6lb-ft

Weight

193kg

Kawasaki Z900 | Price: £9,199

Read more

Power/Torque

122bhp / 71.8lb-ft

Weight

213kg

Triumph Speed Triple 765 R | Price: £8,995

Read more

Power/Torque

118bhp / 59lb-ft

Weight

189kg

2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Verdict

On paper the Trident 800 makes for a compelling package, and its British roots (although production, like other Triumphs, is in Thailand) gives it a particular appeal here in the UK. Strong tech, performance in the same class as its main rivals, and attractive looks mean that not only is it likely to steal sales from the Yamaha MT-09 and Kawasaki Z900, but perhaps also from Triumph’s own Street Triple R.

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2026 Triumph Trident 800 - Technical Specification

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