Triumph’s Trident nameplate first appeared for the 1968 model year on the company’s three-cylinder road bike developed under the BSA-Triumph group. It represented a major step for Triumph at the time: the brand’s move from its long-running twin-cylinder formula into a distinctive triple that would become one of the most recognizable themes in its history. The original Trident era is closely associated with Triumph’s late-1960s and early-1970s performance image, as well as with the racing success of the production-race machines that helped keep the name alive in enthusiast memory.
That first production run ended in 1975, when Triumph’s Meriden-era motorcycle production came to a close. The name then disappeared for a period before being revived in 1990, when Triumph returned from its Hinckley rebirth and reused Trident for a new generation of triple-powered road bikes. This second production era gave the badge a fresh identity in the modern Triumph lineup while still tying it to the company’s triple-cylinder heritage.
The Trident name returned again in the 21st century with a new-generation middleweight roadster, extending the badge into a contemporary era while retaining the same basic idea of a practical, characterful triple. Across its separate production periods, the nameplate has come to stand for Triumph’s triple-cylinder identity more than any single specification or body style, making it one of the company’s most important and enduring model names.