The dream of owning a big bike is addictive. In the mass market segment, the first tryst with performance for most Indian bikers is in the form of bikes such as the KTM 390 Duke, Kawasaki Ninja 300 and the TVS Apache RR 310. But when the time comes to make the next jump in performance and displacement, the natural choice is the 650cc class. Over the years, the Kawasaki Z650 has been a crowd favourite owing to its sensible quotient and the dash of performance from its parallel-twin motor. However, that isn’t the case in 2021. With the advent of new bikes such as the Triumph Trident 660 and the Honda CB650R, buyers have more options than ever.
The Honda CB650R is the only inline-four-cylinder bike available in this segment. However, its absurd pricing makes it more of a niche product. The Triumph Trident is the new kid on the block, it has the firepower from its triple-cylinder engine, a bunch of features and more importantly the aspirational Triumph badge. In this comparison we try to find out which bike is the better option for you when you make the leap into the world of mid-displacement performance bikes. We have tested the Triumph Trident 660 and the Kawasaki Z650 on the open highways, twisting mountain roads and the constricted city streets to find a definite winner.
