I’ve noticed a disturbing trend sweeping through UK motorcycling recently – bikers are getting wiser as they get older.
Now, this is normal with normal people, but, well, you get my point.
As a result, motorcycling chaps and chapesses are realising that there’s little point in the real world in paying a fortune for a 200bhp superbike whose potential they’ll never even come close to realising on the road, and only on the track if their name is Rossi and they started racing when they were three.
Hence the success of midsize bikes such as Royal Enfield’s Interceptor 650 and even the modest Meteor 350. At one point, the former outsold the normally all-conquering BMW GS in UK large-bike sales, and the former is the best-selling bike in the nation under 500cc.
An obvious move, then, for Triumph to jump on the bijou bandwagon with the stylish and nifty Trident 660, then stick its smooth triple engine into a baby version of the Tiger 850 Sport, 900 and 1200 adventure bikes.
And baby it is – walking up to the Tiger Sport 660, it looks like a Tiger 900 that’s shrunk in the wash, although once you climb on board, it’s reasonably comfortable, with wide, high bars, decent mirrors and a small but adequate digital dash.
With a light clutch, slick gearbox and linear torque curve, progress is smoothly lusty all the way to 7,000rpm, at which point the tacho starts flashing in a stern warning to stop being a naughty boy and change up.
Which is a bit of a nuisance, since although you’ve already hit peak torque at 6,250rpm, you don’t reach peak power until 10,250rpm.
There are big 310mm twin discs up front, which you’d expect to haul a 206kg bike to a halt with extreme prejudice, but I had to use the rear as backup once to avoid running into that old blind dear in the Nissan Micra who pulled out of a side road without looking. It wasn’t the first time on that stretch of road, so I’m convinced she’s stalking me.
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Handling, this being a Triumph, is pinpoint precise, making it a joy to fling around bends with gay abandon, and the suspension manages to be both firm enough to match the handling, and pliant enough to soak up bumps without bruises.
The screen, meanwhile, isn’t the tallest in the world, but does a decent job of getting the wind at bay at motorway speeds.
My only complaint, really, is that the seat is a mite on the firm side, so that after an hour I was glad to get off, stretch my legs and gather my thoughts on the bike.
Seat aside, it’s got no obvious flaws, and it’s smooth and quick, but the problem is it’s not very exciting and, unlike the less powerful aforementioned Enfields, doesn’t look as attractive.
The trouble is it’s not one thing or the other. It’s not sporty enough to be a sports bike or a naked roadster, and doesn’t feel substantial enough to be a proper adventure bike, although the addition of luggage may help it bulk up a bit.
But here’s the thing – the dealers are selling them as fast as they can get them in, and bikers are buying them in preference to the Tiger 850 Sport, which is only £950 more.
Mind you, its 888cc engine only has four extra horses, and it weighs 9kg more, so performance is pretty similar.
Bikers are voting with their credit cards, so they’re obviously not as old as I am – but a lot wiser.
* Test bike supplied by Phillip McCallen Motorcycles, phillipmccallen.com
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