TRIUMPH TRIDENT

885cc Petrol Class 2

#2491 of 5426 overall #145 of 175 TRIUMPHs #113 of 205 naked bikes

TRIUMPH TRIDENT — Photo: PackMecEng · CC BY-SA 4.0

85.0%

first-time pass rate

8.8%

failed outright

23,417

median miles at test

23.9k

MOT tests, 2005–2025

Pass rate over time

first-time pass rate by test year · 2005–2025

The TRIDENT's first-time pass rate has risen 5.0 points since 2005, 85.2% to 90.2%.

Pass rate by mileage

how the TRIDENT's first-time pass rate falls with the odometer · class average 84.9%

A low-mileage TRIDENT passes first time 89.7% of the time; by 50k that's 80.6%.

First-time pass rate by odometer reading at test, 10,000-mile bands for this model. Mileage is the strongest reliability signal. See the full curve.

What fails on a TRIDENT

failure defects by component group · advisories excluded

Component group	Defects	% of defects	vs all bikes
brakes	1,358	32.2	0.9×
lighting and signalling	944	22.4	0.7×
steering and suspension	741	17.6	0.8×
tyres and wheels	402	9.5	0.7×
lamps and reflectors	229	5.4	0.4×
structure and attachments	134	3.2	0.6×
drive system	127	3	0.6×
suspension	107	2.5	0.5×
body and structure	105	2.5	0.8×
fuel and exhaust	74	1.8	0.4×

Defects recorded against failed normal tests, 2005–2025, grouped by DVSA inspection section. One test can record multiple defects. "vs all bikes" is how often this model's tests record a defect in the group, as a multiple of the all-bike rate.

How rivals compare

same type, similar capacity, high test volume

On first-time pass rate the TRIDENT beats 1 of its 4 closest rivals (TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE, TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE, APRILIA TUONO).

TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE 85.6% pass · 74.6k tests TRIUMPH STREET TRIPLE 87.7% pass · 37.7k tests APRILIA TUONO 88.4% pass · 34.7k tests KAWASAKI Z1000 84.5% pass · 22.7k tests

Rivals share this bike's type and sit within ±30% of its engine capacity, ≥ 5,000 tests. Card colour = better/worse first-time pass rate than the TRIDENT.

Pass rate by registration year

how each model-year cohort fares · registration year from first use date

Best year to buy used: 1970 (93.0% pass). Weakest: 1992 (80.6%).

First-time pass rate by the year each bike was first registered (cohorts with ≥ 50 tests). Older cohorts are survivors: the worst examples have already left the road, which tends to lift the earliest years.

TRIUMPH TRIDENT FAQ

answers computed from the data above · terms in the glossary

Is the TRIUMPH TRIDENT reliable?

The TRIUMPH TRIDENT is about average for its class: 85.0% of its 23,936 MOT tests (2005–2025) passed first time, against a class average of 84.9%. That ranks it #2491 of 5426 models.

What does a TRIDENT fail its MOT on most?

brakes — 32% of all defects recorded against failed TRIDENT tests.

What is the best year of TRIDENT to buy used?

By first-time pass rate, 1970-registered examples do best (93.0%) and 1992 worst (80.6%). Condition and history still trump the year.

How many miles will a TRIDENT last?

The median TRIDENT shows 23,417 miles at test, and examples around 50k miles still pass 80.6% of the time — mileage alone rarely kills one.