Triumph T160 Trident
Tue, May 25th, 2010
IT’S TRIUMPH WEEK!
Featuring a different Triumph street bike each day.
| 1975–77 Triumph T160V Trident | |
|---|---|
| Performance |    |
| The T160 is a nice enough motor when it's running right, but it can't live up to the legend which has sprung up around it, nor escape its lineage from a simple 500cc pushrod twin, into a needlessly complex kickstart BSA, to an admittedly improved but still overstressed Triumph with inherently convoluted engineering and glaring flaws. A full point is added just for the sound it makes. | |
| Handling | |
| I've had the pleasure of riding one, and while they are no where near as capable as any modern bike, they do have a certain smoothness and precision that its spec sheet can't explain. | |
| Looks | |
| Great looking then; great looking now. Few motorcycle designs have aged as gracefully. | |
| Reliability | |
| Keeping a T160 running is not difficult. Keeping one running properly is a daunting, complicated and unending task. | |
| Practicality | |
| It's best to think of a T160 as an aging but still glamorous princess. She expects to be pampered and won't cotton to being pressed into such plebeian duties as commuting or touring. | |
| Desirability | |
| There are better bikes. There are even better British bikes. But in the deepest reaches of many riders' souls, the T160 is the ultimate expression of the ultimate brand. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| They should put a picture of the T160 in the dictionary next to the word 'quintessence.' It's not objectively great, but is greatly renowned for being what it is. | |