It was a Saturday evening, I just got back in our Parañaque home from a trip from my hometown in Ilocos Norte because I am preparing myself for the upcoming elections to run as a city councilor of Batac City.
I have been thinking about how triumphant I will become in this coming elections. I actually spent a lot already in forming my campaign team that the reality of becoming a politician has been getting the best of me.
Falling asleep that night, I dreamt about riding a classic looking Triumph motorcycle, it is more of a modified café racer in my dream, but the fuel tank of that motorcycle clearly says Triumph.
I felt riding that motorcycle in my dream. It is very vivid, it actually felt better riding my own motorcycle. It is one of the most wonderful dreams I had when I was asleep.
I woke up the following day, searched Google right away to find out which Triumph did I dream about. I found the Bonneville, grabbed the photo and posted it on my Facebook account.
Fortunately, people from Triumph Motorcycle Philippines has noticed my post, and invited me for a test ride of any Triumph Motorcycle the following day.
I went to their showroom last Monday for the test ride. They presented me four units of Triumph Motorcycles. The Triumph Tiger, both GT Pro and Rally Pro variants, the Triumph Street Triple R, and the Triumph Trident 660.
I was surprised to see the Triumph Trident! It was exactly the Triumph in my dreams. I said to Sir Darby Villaruz, sales manager of Triumph Motorcycle Philippines, that the Trident was the bike I saw in my dreams, and not the Bonneville.
The keys were handed over to me, then, tadaaa... I took the Trident 660 for a test ride.
My first impression of the bike was, whoaaa... "this is exactly what I felt in my dream". That vivid moment in my dream suddenly became a reality.
The Trident 660 was easy to ride, feels like easier to ride than a Yamaha Sniper, to be honest. It feels light, my feet are planted on the ground and it is very easy to maneuver around the streets of San Juan and Quezon City. Lane filtering in the Trident is as easy as lane filtering my Honda Click 150i.
The sound of the 3 cylinder engine also gave me an aural pleasure, it sounds like a high pitched formula 3 car.
I also tested how the bike performs in heavy traffic. There was a portion in QC where I stayed behind a car and avoided lane filtering. And to my surprise, the liquid cooled 3 cylinder engine of the Trident 660 sits pretty well in traffic. I never experienced any signs of engine heat, the temp remained the same in a 5 min bumper to bumper traffic. That is very surprising for a European bike. I always get into trouble with my KTM 790 Adventure in traffic because the temperature rises quickly in under 5 mins.
What I think that lacks in the Trident is torque, I tested its acceleration on a free stretch in Ortigas Ave. but it didn't reach 100kph, though I did 97kph. I can easily do triple digits on that area on my PCX and KTM 790.
The gear ratios of the Trident feels like a gear ratio of rally cars, the gears are short.
But of course, I should be reminded that I am driving a bike that has a smaller engine of what I am used to.
The best part of the Trident is, it is the best contender for a beginner expressway legal bike. It doesn't lack power compared to the 400 and 500ccs, and it is very easy to drive, the clutch are not hard, it is actually very soft for my standards, you will not get tired riding the Trident in the city. I also like the loudness of its horn. You can hardly hear the stock horns of KTMs. Brakes on both foot and the handle bar also feel great, they stop easily, the ABS is niche.
Female riders will definitely tame this smooth operator right away. This is an expressway legal motorcycle that I can buy for my wife without worrying that she might get into an accident right away, or she might drop it. I know my wife's ability to ride a motorcycle, she can ride it to long weekend rides right away. If I have the extra cash now, I will place an order right away. This Triumph is not a beast. This Triumph is a god, and this god is a smooth operator.
Surely, Triumph has been Triumphant in making the Trident.
The Triumph Trident 660 is a symbol of victory on how this motorcycle company has overcome hurdles and became triumphant against challenges that has been brought to us of this economic changing world.
As a symbol of triumph, I do wish I can acquire a Triumph motorcycle that I can use in my election campaign, because this motorcycle brand is inspiring me to do well in the elections, win the heart of my kailians in Batac, and be Triumphant to bring change not only to my fellow Ilocanos in Ilocos Norte, but also a triumph to the Filipino people!
