TRIUMPH’S NEW OFF-ROAD BIKES: WHAT’S THE REAL DIFFERENCE?–THE WRAP

MotoFactory · 28 сентября, 2025

Triumph is on a mission. Last July they invited us to the California high desert to ride their new “E” bikes; the TF450-E and the TF250-E. Last week, they took us to West Virginia to ride the new “C” bikes; the TF450-C and the TF250-C. If you include the two motocross bikes, that’s six dirt bikes from a company that had zero just two years ago. How are they different? At first, we were a little confused ourselves. Now we think we have it straight.

2026 Triumph TF450-E

TF450-E & TF250-E
These are basically dual-sport bikes from Europe with competition kits installed. Europe has rules that are very different from those in the U.S., so Triumph’s U.S. dual-sport bikes are still at least a year away. In Europe, the term “Enduro” is code for fully street legal dual-sport bikes. It’s common practice there for manufacturers to offer power up kits for off-road racing. For now, the U.S. “E” models will come standard with all the parts to go off-road racing. The power-up treatment takes them halfway to the performance of the full-blown motocross bikes.

Mark Tilley in the California high desert on the TF450-E.

E-MODEL POINTS
* Increased crank inertia (30% for the 450, 34% for the 250)
* Six-speed gearboxes
* Special cams and heads
* Claimed TF450-E horsepower: 58.5 @ 9750 rpm
* Claimed TF250-E horsepower: 41.7 @ 12,250 rpm
* 2.2 gallon fuel capacity
* Off-road suspension
* Off-road mapping
* Off-road equipment (kickstand, handguards, skidplate, 18-inch rear wheel)
* Radiator fan
* Off-road exhaust, no spark arrestor
* Headlight, taillight, instruments, horn
* Michelin Enduro tires
* TF250-E MSRP: $9795
* TF450-E MSRP: $10,795

TF450-C & TF250-C
When we rode the E models with their power-up treatment, we didn’t know anything else was on the way and we assumed they were designed to be Triumph’s off-road racers. It made sense; they were both far more powerful and race-oriented than bikes like the Honda CRF450X and the Yamaha WR450F. So the C models caught us by surprise. These really are race bikes in virtually the same state of tune as the MX bikes. They have just enough equipment to be called off-road bikes.

2026 Triumph TF450-C

C-MODEL POINTS
* Same crank inertia as MX bikes
* Five-speed gearboxes
* MX cams and heads
* Claimed TF450-C horsepower: 61.5 @ 9500 rpm
* Claimed TF250-C horsepower: 46.7 @ 12,250 rpm
* 2.2 gallon fuel capacity
* Off-road suspension
* Off-road mapping
* Off-road equipment (kickstand, handguards, skidplate, 18-inch rear wheel)
* No radiator fan
* Motocross exhaust, no spark arrestor
* No headlight, taillight, instruments or horn
* Dunlop AT82 tires
* TF250-C MSRP: $9695
* TF450-C MSRP: $10,695

Pete Murray in the West Virginia woods on the Triumph TF450-C.

Both bikes have traction control and two maps available through a handlebar switch. That switch also has Quickshift and launch assist. If you buy the connectivity module for $210, you can hook up any Triumph dirt bike to your smartphone and cook up your own map.

What’s the real difference between the Es and Cs? Power! Even though the C models have off-road mapping, they feel very much like motocross bikes with cushy suspension. The E models have a softer hit and are a little torquier. As I said, the E models are still more powerful than bikes that legitimately fall in the “off-road” category. Honda, Yamaha, Beta and KTM all have models that comply with U.S. EPA standards for off-road vehicles, which means reduced noise and emissions (and power). For Triumph, those standards are still in the future, so for now the E models are only a tick off full output.

Murray on the TF250-C

Which ones did we like best? We don’t really know. The introductions were a month apart and in very diverse conditions. Oddly, the E models were introduced in desert conditions that could eat as much power as a bike could dish out. The C models were ridden in slick West-Virginia mud where throttle control was everything. Go figure. We hope to get all four models in familiar conditions soon, so stay tuned.

See you soon!