The concept behind the 2026 Triumph Trident 800 is a simple one: mount the Tiger Sport 800 motor in the updated Trident 660 frame and add some performance-oriented chassis upgrades. The result is a bike that sits in the marketplace between the Trident 660 and the outgoing Street Triple 765 R.

I tested the Tiger Sport 800 last year in Portugal. This time around, I headed off to the eastern Mediterranean Island of Cyprus to test its streetwise cousin, the 2026 Triumph Trident 800. The mythical birthplace of Aphrodite provided mixed weather, broadening our testing experience and ensuring we sampled the Trident 800 in both rain and shine.

1. With 138 more cubic centimeters on offer, the Trident 800 is absolutely a step up in power compared to the spritely 660. This works out to a boost of 19 horsepower that comes on 500 rpm earlier, and an additional 12 lb-ft of torque hitting 250 rpm later than on the 660. Without any doubt, the Trident 800 motor, derived from the 765, has a deliciously meaty midrange, even as it trades away some top end. If you liked the 660, the 800 offers more of a good thing, without any surprises along the way. The 800 builds power completely linearly and boasts a flat torque curve, ensuring acceleration is always a twist of the wrist away.

2. Triumph offers three power modes for the Trident 800, and they’re distinctive. You get the expected Sport, Road, and Rain modes, with each offering different throttle response and cornering-aware traction control intervention, while ABS remains untouched. Sport is snappy without being snatchy, while Road smooths things out by slowing down the throttle response, though not so much that it takes away the fun of riding. While they are noticeably different, you can successfully ride in the Sport mode in urban areas and Road mode in the canyons; your personality will pick the right one for you. Save Rain for the rain, and it provides quite a bit of confidence as the soft throttle response and maximum traction control make breaking loose the rear Michelin Road 6 highly unlikely. Despite my full-throttle attacks in the rain, the rubber and electronics acted as able sentries.

3. The dash and switchgear are standard-issue Triumph. Four arrowed buttons, a home button, and a dedicated mode button make it easy to navigate the round hybrid TFT/LCD dash. You can display your favorites, and the gear readout is prominent.

4. Additional smoothness is provided by the quickshifter for the six-speed transmission. Triumph engineers put a lot of work into the sophisticated quickshifter, and it shows. Engine speed, load, and other factors are fed into the ECU to ensure precise clutchless shifts in either direction. With ride-by-wire, you can downshift with the throttle on and upshift with the throttle off, which is occasionally convenient. Don’t worry about doing something foolish, like trying to downshift at high rpm or upshift at less than 1500 rpm; the electronics will collectively ignore your request. The only thing you have to do is keep a steady hand on the throttle, as mid-shift throttle position changes disrupt the process. Also, manual use of the clutch turns off the quickshifting mechanism.

5. Sharing the same frame and geometry as the Trident 660, the new 800 feels happily familiar. Although Triumph outfitted the 660 with a new frame this year to accommodate triple throttle bodies, the geometry is unchanged. The 800 shows just how well-balanced the 660’s frame is, as the additional horsepower, torque, and seven pounds don’t introduce handling problems. Just as the 660 is an easy and intuitive ride, so is the 800. Ergonomically, the 800 is perfection for my 5-foot-9 proportions. Goldilocks would appreciate that it’s neither too aggressive nor too relaxed. You can go fast or cruise in comfort, thanks to the spot-on ergos.

6. It’s amazing how little work it takes to ride the 2026 Triumph Trident 800 at a good clip. The short 55.2-inch wheelbase matches up nicely to the 24.5 degrees of rake. The 800’s 437 pounds are distributed gracefully, making set-up and turn-in for corners naturally effortless. If you made a mistake, the 800’s chassis obliges any corrections. The Michelin Road 6 tires are flawless in this context, and I was able to confidently explore the cornering clearance limits now and again. Stability is excellent, as I nudged it into triple digits whenever the rare Cypriot straightaway appeared, and the wind blast wasn’t excessive. You can turn off the traction control, which also acts as unofficial wheelie control, to enjoy the wheelie-friendliness of the short wheelbase, if that’s on your to-do list. Otherwise, you’re well-served by leaving the TC on.

7. Upgraded Showa suspension helped smooth the transition from a 660 to an 800 powerplant. There’s nothing wrong with the Showa suspension on the 660 if you’re an average guy like me. While the Showa fork on the 800 is higher-spec, you’d probably need to ride the 800 and the 660 back-to-back to notice. Both are inverted 41mm SFF-BP designs. Still, if you’re an outlier, you’ll appreciate the fork’s adjustable damping and the shock’s rebound damping. Spring-preload adjustment is only available on the shock, though I wasn’t carrying a passenger, so I didn’t need to reestablish the proper ride height. Suffice to say, that Triumph’s 800 suspension upgrade helps ease the pain of losing the most-affordable iteration of the Street Triple 765 line.

8. Triumph upgraded the brakes to reflect the 800’s higher performance. Rather than the 660’s axial-mounted calipers, the Trident 800 features radially mounted Triumph-branded J.Juan calipers working on the same 310mm discs. The 800’s brakes engaged gently enough in the treacherous rain conditions to alleviate anxiety, while providing great feel and power in the varying canyons of the Troodos Mountains, home to Mount Όλυμπος (Olimbos). The cornering ABS is calibrated beautifully, making the most of the IMU’s information. I was able to trigger the ABS in the rain without much effort, though it treated me with respect in the dry. The front brakes work so well that the rear brake gets relegated to emergency duty, casual urban riding, or turning at a walking pace.

9. You don’t have to ride the twisties to have fun on the Trident 800. Riding through the streets of Limassol, the 800 behaves itself in either Sport or Standard modes. Working through traffic only requires making sure you don’t clip any mirrors. I rode in temperatures ranging from a sunny 76 degrees to a rainy 47 degrees, and the optional heated grips and well-chosen Spidi gear kept me comfortable throughout the 29-degree swing. Vibration is the wonderful triple rumble, so your hands, feet, and seat don’t suffer from fatigue on long rides; nothing is sore after a ride.

10. The Trident 800 sports its own retro look, blended with tasteful 2026 cues. The organic tank with the padded cutouts for your knees sets the mood, as does the traditional external muffler. While the seat subframe also has alluring curves, the front fender and chin fairing have an angular attitude. The round headlight has LED lighting, and the swingarm-mounted taillight/plate holder is also contemporary. The bar-end mirrors have a vintage feel, though their shape is fashionably modern. Suffice to say, it’s a mighty long way from the Streep Triple, though nowhere near as retro as the Bonneville Speed Twin 900.

11. The 2026 Triumph Trident 800 successfully establishes a style and performance niche between the Trident 660 and Street Triple 765 RS. Those who lament the loss of the Street Triple R have a choice: go with the track-sharpened Street Triple RS or admit they aren’t quite that dedicated to speed and enjoy the performance and road manners of the Trident 800. With an enticing list price of $9995, the Trident 800 makes a strong case for those committed to the street.

Photography by Gareth Harford and Chippy Wood

RIDING STYLE

• Helmet: Ruroc EOX
• Jacket: Spidi Stretch
• Back protection: Spidi Warrior L2
• Gloves: Spidi Metropole H2Out
• Jeans: Spidi J&K Straight Evo
• Base layer: Fly Racing Heavyweight Pants and Top
• Waterproof layer: Gator Skins Thermal
• Boots: Xpd X-Adventure H2Out

2026 Triumph Trident 800 Specs 

ENGINE 

• Type: Inline-3
• Displacement: 798cc
• Bore x stroke: 78.0 x 55.7mm
• Maximum power: 113 horsepower @ 10,750 rpm
• Maximum torque: 62 lb-ft @ 8500 rpm
• Redline: 11,500 rpm
• Compression ratio: 13.2:1
• Valvetrain: DOHC; 4vpc
• Fueling: Ride-by-wire Bosch Multipoint EFI and 3 throttle bodies
• Transmission: 6-speed w/ quickshifter
• Clutch: Wet multiplate w/ assist and slipper functions
• Final drive: X-ring chain

CHASSIS 

• Frame: Tubular steel perimeter frame w/ pressed-steel swingarm
• Front suspension; travel: Damping-adjustable Showa SFF-BP inverted 41mm fork; 4.7 inches
• Rear suspension travel: Cantilevered rebound-damping and remote-spring-preload adjustable Showa shock; 5.1 inches
• Wheels: Cast aluminum
• Front wheel: 17 x 3.5
• Rear wheel: 17 x 5.5
• Tires: Michelin Road 6
• Front tire: 120/70-17
• Rear tire: 180/55-17
• Front brakes: 310mm floating discs w/ radially mounted 4-piston calipers
• Rear brake: 220mm disc w/ single-piston sliding caliper
• ABS: Cornering ABS

DIMENSIONS and CAPACITIES 

• Wheelbase: 55.2 inches
• Rake: 24.5 degrees
• Trail: 4.3 inches
• Seat height: 31.9 inches
• Fuel tank capacity: 3.7 gallons
• Estimated fuel consumption: 60 mpg
• Curb weight: 437 pounds
• Colors: Jet Black; Ash Grey (+$150); Carnival Red (+$150)

2026 Triumph Trident 800 Price: from $9995 MSRP ($10,460, as tested)

2026 Triumph Trident 800 Review Photo Gallery