Honda HORNET 750 vs Triumph TRIDENT 660, ex-Owner’s Take 

And that's how you do a proper comparison. No circus, straight to the point. Objective. Clear. Well done Rocket!

A brilliant comparison, all point really well covered. I must admit, I really like the Trident but after having dealings with Triumph after sales service, when I owned a street twin, it’s swayed me towards the Honda. Best wishes, look forward to seeing your new bike soon.

Wow, an honest straight to the point comparison. Great video.

Brilliant review as always. It was you who convinced me to get a Trident 660 & even in the same color as yours was. I just couldn't go to the Honda but I'm very interested in the new 23 Street Triple RS.

You’re right, 80 HP is more than enough for a beginner. Great video, thanks.

After one and a half year and 7000+ km with the Trident I have to say it's a very good bike. This was my first Triumph after 48 years of only Yamaha, 38 of those on thousand cc fours, it's a damm good bike. No lack of power, smooth, well handling even with a lot of luggage. Comfortly even on very long trips, 500+ km.

I live in Taiwan and am evaluating these 2 bikes. Even I'm not as tall as you are but your review is very helpful for me to make the decision. Great review.

Great review. The Hornet seems really capable but I'm just over 6ft with a dodgy back. I also regularly take a pillion. I'm really interested in the Transalp as I'm tired of riding heavy 240+kg bikes - just wish it was available with more road oriented wheels and tyres. Look forward to watching your video on it!

Good comparison video. I think I would go for the Honda Hornet.

Thanks, good info as always.

Can't wait to pick up a Trident. I've still never seen one in the wild over here (California).

Really good comparison. I agree with your verdict and i'm a Triumph fanboy

It's a winner for Honda. I've almost convinced myself to buy one when they bring out the half faired Tracer 700 tyoe variant. Your new Transalp is an option too, but I'm fed up with changing tubes roadside. My last 3 bikes have bee tubed, and the novelty has worn off.. Safe, happy travels 👍

I had a 2010 street triple (not the R version)for twelve years. Lovely handling plenty of performance. Thank you for the review,I’m Really interested in the new hornet.

Well mate, apologies up front. Came in to ur sight originally with the cb 500x. Swiss Army bike for sure.Agreed.Also pretty much in ur age group, I think? Since then, now have a Gen 3 Hayabusa & a zx6r 22 track bike. The point is, we are all evolving in our own way & I actually love ur content because of it's "no bs attached theme". Period. I'm on another ( maybe crazy) path, reckon I'm all good tho, albeit with a guardian Angel in my realm. Love coming back to you tho. Rate you n your's highly. Upvoted again. Good luck my common denominator. 🤗

I remember the wow factor when the first cb750 came out when I was a kid, I feel this new one would be ignored in the garage through the winter, unlike my 21 year old mille which is still something I love to look at.

Where I live, my trident is still the only one I've seen around. The dealer never even has one when I'm there. So still feels unique. Personally I like the swingarm license mount more than any ugly tail bracket sticking way out. Makes the tail section look so much cleaner. Wouldn't mind more power though haha. For looks I'd go for a cb650r over a hornet. The hornet is not ugly but not special looking. Doesn't make me want to ride it just by looking at it

I owned a Trident for a while. I'm 173cm or 5ft8 and it was perfect for me. I really loved its handling at all speeds. As a mainly urban and peri-urban rider this is crucial to me. I didn't find the Trident lacking in power but I don't do much motorway riding. I disagree that it's a beginner's bike, rather it's an easy bike to ride well for riders of all abilities. The only real faultt I found was some latency in the acceleration in lower gears. Is the Hornet as flickable and does it corner as nimbly? I actually now own a Zero due to rules in Paris! Fantastic machine but no intoxicating engine sound😂

If I had to choose (and I do not need a naked bike), I'd go for the Trident too. I'm taller than you and I would not need all that power to negotiate curves or going for my aperitivo in town. Cheers, V.

I test drove the 660 and really enjoyed the smooth acceleration with minimal vibration coming through the handle bars, you mentioned the Honda being similar which with a better display is a winner in my books. Did you mention in passing the 2 years of triumph ownership might be coming to an end ?. call it a journey or rabbit hole it's fun going alone for the ride :)

Very nice comparison! I have multiple bikes and on twisty roads 50HP are even enough. Sure sometimes it is fun to feel more power, it helps overtaking, but most of the time you just can't use it. Riding my 900 Hornet I am not really that faster then on my NC. Surely on the few straight sections it is no comparison, but the most fun is anyway in the corners :D I would take very likely the Honda of that two, as I am much smaller and prefer my bikes to be practical. But since I did not ride any of them this is very speculative. Both, Trident and Hornet are looking nice, however I am just getting used to the new Hornet. Somehow I desired sth more similar to my SC48... which would be the Trident (or a CB650R / CB1000R). regards!

I would choose the Hornet as I think when you look at the alternative options its a no brainer. As for the looks I have never taken to the Trident 660! At first I was very disappointed with the looks of the Honda but preferred the White and black color schemes, however I have changed my mind and now like the Grey and the Yellow. I would most probably choose the Yellow for visibility (safety). If only I could get a reasonably price for one of my existing bikes I would definitely buy one.

I really like the Hornet but I'm 6'2 myself maybe the transalp will be the sweet spot. Definitely would love a CB 750 retro being an old guy

I would go with the Honda. Don't like the swing arm mounted registration, indicator malarkey, Honda looks much better to me, the extra cost in road tax I can justify with the extra power. Plus I will only need 2 spark plugs at service time. changing the silencer on the Honda an easier affair I think as well. Thanks for your review, looking forward to the Transalp series.

Great video as usual RocketMan, Couple of question's if I may. Have you made your move to France yet ? If yes an idea for a couple of video's , Is it possible for you to video a tour of a few of the bike shops , say a Honda Harley and Triumph. It would be cool for us Yanks to see the shops over there, what there like products and service.

I have to say if both bikes were the same price I'd opt for the Trident because of the better finish and that Triumphs hold their resale value higher but they're not the same price and with the nearly £1,000 you save on the Hornet would allow a host of extras like the SC slip on can or whatever took your fancy.

The thing is, there is always something newer, honda themselves, probably have a year or two, till the 'next new thing'. I have a trident, which still makes me smile. Of course overall the Honda is now the better bike, no arguments, but I,ve not ridden one, so, my trident still delivers and too me! It looks so much better, less generic than the Honda. No, I,ll keep the trident which revs further, I will wait for the Trident upgrade, then trade in. Any 650-750 you buy at the moment, I think won't disappoint. Nice review. 👍

Well , done, your reviews are well balanced and insightful. And no jarring rock background, like the videos done here in the States. I own an older Tiger and there's just something about those triples, never gets old. I have one question, you mention engine braking, I'm not sure I understand your meaning? Is it engine braking, like a truck?

The Hornet and Transalp will not be sold in Canada, for 2023. I have counted at least 2 Triumph dealer in the Montreal area. Nice comparaison work on both bikes, to the point.

Yea, the white with red frame on the first 2009 crossplane R1, wasn't too popular either. On the subject of Hornet blandness, I can't see it, ant therz nithong wring woth mi isite. Very well presented comparison.

as Usual very ℹ informative & purposeful insight 👍🏽 Thank you *hope for you to Review & Compare the Suzuki GSX-8S, next time 🏍 💨

Unfortunately here in the UK naked bikes are just summer playthings. Even when there is no rain, I am past the age when it was OK to arrive home shivering and numb. A decent screen and other weather protection offer at least the prospect of year-round use.

I do have Forza and Tiger1200 also a bonneville those two brands just fine✌🏻

Great comparison, I think I would choose the Triumph. The horsepower, reliability, and better dealer network of the Honda would always make me wonder if I made the right choice but I am a shallow man and I find the Triumph better looking. I know I would be in the shed or garage, moving my chair around the bike just to see it from different angles, taking a cloth to wipe off some perceived bit of dust.

Great video I would disagree that it's engine is in a league above the ktm 790. as that has more power and less weight than the hornet. I'm going to test ride both soon.

For me, I think the looks and sound of the Trident will make my decision

Seeing I've rewatched all your Trident videos, I thought I'd watch this, as well. The Trident is better looking. Nick

As of now, no Hornets in site here in the US, so Trident is still king of its class in perf/value/features. I also firmly believe my Tridents 660cc power mill is choked back quite a bit from factory and is easily capable of more power. Ive commented on numerous other Trident vids that the only real lack in the bike is the tank is 1 gallon too small and can really use an added "sport" rider mode that deactivates the rev limiter & TCS.

The Triumph looks better but overall the Hornet is more appealing, not even taking the price into consideration. Thanks for the interesting insight. I think you can skip comparing it to the MT07, if ever you meant to, there’s no match actually ✌️

Great comparison video!

Thanks for the comparison. How tall is too tall for the Hornet? I am 6.1 (185cm) and looking for a comeback bike after a few years off the saddle. I am from the generation that used to ride 30+ HP two-stroke 125cc bikes, then upgraded to a 1992 Honda VFR 750 (just shy of 100HP), and dont’t really understand the current trend where a 900cc bike is medium/small, a 200kg bike is LIGHT and a 80HP bike is “good for beginners”. 50HP is all a beginner could and should handle. A bicycle and a wall are all you need to die, after all…

Not that I am in the market for this type of bike, but I would rather have Honda`s CB650R than the too generic looking Hornet. CB650R looks great, though I haven`t tried it...Thanks for the comparison all the same!

I would go for the hornet in white with a few extras.

I Liked the honest comparison's of 2 similar bikes. I'm torn at the moment because I still live in the 90s so I'm looking at a CBR 600. It's all about the styling of course. The only new models I've liked lately are the classic looking styles. T100, R.E. 650, and the Z900S. So that's why the 1996/2000 CBR 600 suits and the price of course...why waste loads of money in a country that isn't really great for biking because of the weather 🤪

just put my order for a Trident. Got a great deal (-500eu) so a bit less than 8k for a new one. In Romania the Hornet is 200 euro (MSRP) more expensive than the Trident (wtf? prices in Europe are the other way around afaik). Here the Trident is 8300 E, Hornet is 8500 E, same for MT07. The CB650R is about 9200, so a bit in the upper class. Compared face to face (the looks department, not engine or something else) the Trident is to be compared with the CB650R, the SV650X, maybe the XSR 700 (which is not anywhere to be found in a dealer's stock). The Hornet is a competitor to the MT07 or the Suzy 8S, they're all angular and pointy. So first the looks, then the ergonomic position, the smoother engine/clutch/fueling. Yes, maybe 80 bhp is less, but maybe there's a tuner our there waiting to make a coin..

People say Hondas are boring until they ride one. Also, whether or not Triumph is perceived as more premium is debatable. It sure sounds like that engine is something - maybe a neo-retro version is in the works, though an aftermarket exhaust would spruce it up.

When this comes to the US, I think I will have to get one. The Hornet ticks all the boxes for what I would want for a second motorcycle, next to my Pan America. I like the red forks, nobody is doing that.

Hi Rocket great comparison between those 2 bikes! Currently I'm looking on buying my first bike ever and these two are at the top of my list. If I may ask, having in consideration that you have some experience owning some bikes of these two brands, what's your opinion regarding service costs here in Portugal? Would you say that Triumph service is much more expensive and Honda's cheaper? Or the difference isn't that much? Cheers!

Not available in US. Unbelievable. I've been following development of this bike since day one and currently own CB500F. I'm pissed!

It's a tough call and I would have to try both but on the face of it, I think I would go hornet, purely on the price difference here in blighty.

You sure Honda did not change the state of tune for the "adventure" as this is fairly common?

Hello RocketMan. Have you tried the cbr650r? I think you're not much into sport bikes but have you heard opinion of owners? Would you like to try it?

I am 6’2 and 65 yrs old and just purchased said Hornet and I don’t feel cramped at all. I was surprised actually because I thought I would be. It’s an awesome bike. I bought the black base model here in Queensland , definitely no buyers remorse

Trident rs with the old 675cc motor is something I would’ve bought day one

I had the trident and loved it. My situation of starting a new business meant that after a few months of riding it a lot. I was now hardly riding it at all. I wouldn't buy the Honda. Its just too dull. Someone else will think differently.

speaking about beginner riders because I am one, I would definitely go with the Honda. Is your son's license an A2 permit? Cheers from Marseille

two years since the trident came out ;; where did that time go ??? here in my local bike shop - triumph 's are a bit of a pain to work on , and some hondas are getting to be real horror stories , - buyer beware , as for the start of this video - the trident sounds fantastic ,;;; the honda is their -best buy in their line up - needs a round headlamp for me ;;; and a rear hugger for cornish roads ;;;

I'm testing the hornet this week as a replacement to my 390duke. I tested the 660 tiger and didn't love the engine after the duke. The twin in the honda will be more like it I'm sure. In the UK its the best in class now for sure apart from the looks. The new Suzuki GSX8s looks better but its heavier, more expensive and 10bhp down sadly.🙁

OMG! I am so sorry.....thanks as always for the vids. Always a pleasure to disagree with you. Snowing here (Watford) tomorrow - no bikey.

I love Hondas but if I were to get rid of my Trident it would be for the 650R or 1000r black edition. Y’all can probably tell what look i like haha

even with 174cm height honda hornet felt to low and seat is too wide, not sure what i didnt like so i bought trident in baja orange color, oh and with all accesories like heated grips, quick shifter etc. triumph was cheaper (non UK user) also honda`s accelerator felt kinda weird as if it turns off or something... dash.. hm maybe honda have more tech but for 2023 trident shows me all i need to see :) just wanna say to watch reviews is good idea.. but please feel it with your own butt and test on road, as content creater say what they feel, not you. Also might be 2023 triumph trident a bit changed? dunno :) thx @RocketMan for reviews I didnt considered triumph untill i saw yours reviews

Out of all the reviews I have watched of the Trident you are the only one that says the rear shock is too soft. All others say it is to stiff och just right. The looks of the Trident does not get less good based on more bikes on the streets but you feel less special riding it.

i hate that i would never get the honda because it looks just like almost every yamizuki R naked bike that has come out for the last 8 years. even if it is a great bike. but we cant always help what we find attractive. id definitely go for the triumph out of these two.

I was surprised you mentioning that Triumph was a more "Premium". I own two large capacity Honda bikes and have always considered Triumph as ok but not Premium at all. Interesting

So the seat height is lower on the hornet?

So you also think the new Hornet is better than the KTM790? Which has a distinct power advantage over the Hornet? At 95hp at the rear wheel verses the Hornets 90 brake hp.

Great vid. Good point on the brakes, I went from rsv1000 factory to street 675 base. Missed brakes. I would have thought Honda maybe a bit better front, being 4 piston? Or still a bit spongey.

Definitely the Trident, would own the tiger 660 now ,IF ONLY it could have been fitted with cruise control.😞

Of the two I would buy a second-hand Kawasaki RS 900. Rocketman, check out the Decibullz earplugs.

My old Z750S had 110 KM/82KW. It looks like a bike not a toy. Where is the progress?

In ur experience.. Have u ever come across a naked roadster.. Which can rival or comes close the the suspension of bmw1250 gs or the Africa crf1100L. ( Power is not a consideration. Only the suspension plush comfort and maybe an engine which doesn't heat up and kill while stuck in slow traffic of a tropical country. IF u name such a bike.. And if it's available here.. There is a possibility I just mite drop that idea of a 1250 gs.. Let's see.. How things firm up after test riding 3 to 4

Trident 🔱 with tail tidy & aftermarket exhaust improve tourqe,weight & 5-6extra HP & it looks better.

What about Tuono 660?

Why are the older bikes from the 90's roomier than the modern bikes now. And don't forget the space under the saddle. They had that too. It's like running backwards into the future

Does Hornet take premium fuel or regular? I couldn't find any info on it

Well, I bought the Transalp because I wanted weather protection and I’m 6 feet tall.

ex owner..bikes been out for half an hour

62 euros is the lower tax amount. I've always wondered about that. Do you have a cold, Rocket?

Oooohh those pesky 5cc! Here in Valencia (Spain) is the same story. I'll be paying 58€ instead of 29€ /year for it. As much as if i owned a 200hp liter superbike, if you can believe it. But after hearing how much you pay in Portugal i feel we have a super cheap tax. 134€ is even more expensive than the top bracket here for motorbikes over 1000cc (121€)

I would like to know how smooth the Hornet engine is compared to Trident or STR, which I own . STR is almost vib. free . Also how many engine balancers on the Hornet ?

The 660 Trident is not a beginners bike, thats way too much power, torque and weight to start riding.

The hornet really doesnt feel too small for me, at 1.93m. The trident felt a bit weird for me;

The CB500x is the only bike that shocked me that you bought it. Couldn’t understand it. Still don’t. I have only hate for anything with the Honda 300 & 500cc motors

Visualmente me gusta mas la trident. Sin embargo, las probé, y la Honda es mejor moto.. más tecnologica, más ágil, más rápida y mucho más divertida

I keep wondering how a 750 has a host of 650's as "its main competition".

That Hornet is a total yawn fest and I agree, I don't think that red frame works at all. If I had to take one it would have to be the yellow with the black frame. The engine does seem to be its strong point. The Transalp does look pretty but give it a couple of years and the buyers will demand a tubeless cast wheel version for those that don't want to take their wheel off by the side of the road to repair a puncture or call a breakdown truck.

Oh, and by the by, Triumph-gate is happening here at the moment due to their appalling charges for services. Their latest wrinkle is to offer lifetime warranties, tied in with extravagant servicing costs - silver service ain't in it: £90 per hour has been mooted for mechanics - they can't all be Leonardo da Vinci, and snide additional costs too. I ride or, more precisely, have ridden, bikes for work as well as pleasure. My bikes have never been hobby objects out of the mould of that weird, small, US actor chap type (Tomb Cruise?), so I don't appreciate my transport being taxed by dealers as a luxury that I should pay through the nose for.

Not always about HP, new Suzuki engine, with around 80 HP, seems to be more torky than Honda´s,

The “650” class is easily dominated by CBR650R, trident, and MT07, one great motor of each cylinder count, oh and the aprillia which is amazing. The Hornet honestly Is at the point where you have to kind of compare it to the GSX-S750 & 900’s not the 650’s. That said the Z650 motor is trash and the z400 is somehow better imo because It revs much higher. It’s gone from an acceptable 650 to worst rather quickly, it’s kind of like the CB500 to the 650 class. SPEAKING OF THE CB500, WHY DOES IT EXIST. it’s ridiculous. The 300CC thumper is junk as well for a road bike. Why does Honda feel the need to split classes so often. The 500 competed with 300’s and 400’s. This 750 is at least better suited because of its price but purely from a motor stand point? It’s a bit lazy, as if they refuse to compete directly. For a 650 class bike this motor performs great, every other component and design aspect of the CB650R is superior to this hornet though, it’s even more expensive, which begs the question, are we seeing a transition in Honda away from being the best built bike in a class but with hit or miss motors aside from the 650R, as I type it I suppose it’s clear they may not have ever had a coherent strategy. Still I can’t help but wonder if they’ve repeated the CBR300R mistake here, which had like 1 year as king of the 250cc class before the 250cc class morphed into a 300, 321, & then 400cc class. Honda has split the baby again here really & that means that this bike may be at risk of being usurped. Instead of making a 650ish class leading fire breather 270° P twin that both produces low down torque and revs beautifully & higher than most, like aprillia did FLAWLESSLY (speaking of the motor alone) they instead jumped right into the next class up with the motor with a otherwise 650 class bike setup/hardware but at least with a 650 price admittedly. If Yamaha or kawasaki who are both due for updates decides to play this same game then Honda is dead in the water. That makes me sad. I’m looking ahead a few years just because Honda seems to refuse to do so lately on any dimension that isn’t reliability. They CAN make class leading motors that do it all and rev like hell reliably, they’ve been doing it for ages. Or they used to. So this trend towards cheap power with more displacement and less revs is just a Honda I don’t recognize I suppose. We shall see what happens. I believe the Aprillia matching this bikes power with 100cc less though…it’s a sign of what’s to come, and if accurate that will leave Honda with a bike designed to beat yesterdays leaders that gets stale too quickly and takes forever to be refreshed. Suzuki already has their 775cc p twin coming. I wish they’d made a tuono like hot rod 660 that revs like hell with a more affordable chassis and electronics suite for $8k basically. I suppose I’ll have to wait for a used tuono

I'd skip both 'perfectly adequate' bikes & go for a Street Triple, to enjoy its extra pizazz.

I own the Trident for two years now. Still like the appeal and the motor but am disappointed about the ridiciously short first gear and most: Triumph dealing with electronical issues. Since the last service in September 22 (!) the heating grips do not work any longer, caused by a poor firmware update for many owners. Pretty poor for riding all seasons. "My Triumph" app does not work on iOS 16 ever since - and no reaction from Triumph so far. What I learned in the past years is not to judge a manufacturer of any product by the working features (I paid for)after purchase, but the reaction if something goes wrong any time later. That´s why I never would buy or recommend any Triumph motorcycle again......

I just fine the Hornet relentlessly boring. It's a bike that will win a lot of top trumps comparisons but the looks are dated and I don't think will age well at all, and the engine is just another p-twin in a sea of p-twins. I'm also dubious on the power claims because they claimed 92HP on the CB650R but I never saw that dyno over 82HP.

When you buy and sell bikes with such a turnaround do you not lose out financially? Volunteer in a dealership somewhere and satisfy your curiosity for free😎

Out of these two bikes i we would buy the tiger sport 660 🤣

Looks like the trident and mt07 had a baby

I'm not here to pick holes but perhaps 'prestigious', in manufacturing terms will have to go into the subjective box! Anyone second rating Honda is.......................!!!

Probably can buy a taller seat later, or pay to have it repadded and re-covered.

I find the Trident ugly, the pillion seat looks pants. The hornet looks OK... But I'm sure it's a great bike. Not overly complimentary eh?

Can I have the Hornet's engine in the Trident with the price of the Hornet? No? Okay, I'll take the CB650R.😉

Yamaha and Honda are doing setbacks on their engine for customers convenience. Here in my country the roadtax increased over 150cc and Yamaha made 155cc bikes. Then Honda does this in your country hahaha