Triumph Daytona 675 Road Test Review
“…below that carefully crafted fairing lies around $9000-worth of factory Magic…”
Triumph was a latecomer to the middleweight supersport table, its TT600 in-line four arriving in 2000, some 13 years after Honda first produced the groundbreaking CBR600F.
Riding on the back of some fearless marketing, the TT was undeniably a worthy first effort, but its fuel injection was flawed and its conservative styling missed the mark, and sales did little to hurt Japan Inc.
The TT600 became the Daytona 600 in 2003, a thorough redesign resulting in new styling, more power and less weight, while this morphed into the gruntier Daytona 650 in 2005.
BACK TO BASICS
However, by now Triumph was renowned for its in-line triple engines – a three-cylinder, across-the-frame configuration that delivered oodles of low-down and mid-range grunt, coupled with a stirring whirr of valve clatter and a soulful exhaust bellow.
So in 2006 Triumph got back to basics, and produced the Daytona 675 – a supersport bike powered by a 675cc in-line triple – and it hit the jackpot. The bike now offered superb performance, up-to-the-minute styling AND that sought-after in-line triple Triumph character.
The Daytona 675 promptly cleaned up in bike mag comparison tests around the world, including Europe’s prestigious and internationally judged ‘Supertest’ and ‘Masterbike’ epics.
Today it’s still winning accolades, and after recently sampling the pocket rocket it’s easy to see why. However, I should point out this 675 isn’t your average Daytona. No m’lord, there be dragons lurking in that there engine…
Apart from some carbon fibre cosmetics it looks like a stocker, but under that fairing lies around $9000-worth of factory magic (see Race Options list)
Triumph Australia claims the extra gear brings it pretty close to the level of spec you’d find on the race bike currently campaigned in the Supersport World Championship by Australia’s Garry McCoy.
McCoy proved the model’s worth at the Australian round in March, when he squared off against the world’s best and came home sixth, crossing the line just 1.2sec after the winner. Needless to say, if you’re a track day fiend you’ll revel in the extra grunt the factory mods unleash.
FOCUSED ON FAST
Hop aboard and you’ll instantly notice the seat is relatively high at 825mm – this helps throw you into a racer’s crouch when in motion, with your legs folded beneath you and your chin over the front of the tank. It’s a supersport, after all, and if sports bikes push your buttons you’ll love its single-minded simplicity.
Thumb the starter and the triple roars into life, a rorty cackle spitting from its free-flowing Arrow exhaust. Snick the super-slick slipper clutch (now say that out loud!) into first, give it a handful of revs to get rolling and you’re off, building speed with impressive pace all the way to an indicated 14,000rpm redline.
On the go the 165kg (dry) machine feels impossibly small, both in terms of physical size and sheer agility. All the controls are light, responsive and precise, while a series of blue LEDs tells you it’s time to shift up when the pace is too frenetic to scope the tacho.
The suspension is firm – certainly more track than road oriented – but it delivers a scalpel-sharp line through a corner which inspires both confidence and awe in equal measure, as do its four-piston, twin-disc front brakes.
Like the bike itself, the instruments are modern and stylish, and they come complete with all the usual functions, plus a lap timer – whether you use the latter for good or evil is up to you…
It’s not exactly comfortable and with an average fuel range of just over 200km it’s not too practical, but then this bike is purely about speed, performance and adrenalin – and on those counts it delivers the goods with gusto.
At $14,890 plus ORC it’s almost criminal how so little cash can deliver so much excitement. That’s the essence of the supersport success story, but Triumph’s fresh triple take on the familiar four-cylinder theme is sure to see the Union Jack fluttering high above the Rising Sun for many supersport faithful.
The Daytona 675 pictured here has copped a thorough performance boost thanks to a host of Triumph factory upgrades, all of which are available through your Triumph dealer.
Triumph says the end result of all this tinkering and go-fast gadgetry is 93kW at the rear wheel, as opposed to the standard bike’s claimed 92kW at the crank. For just 675cc, that’s impressive, as was the top speed recorded on our test bike’s onboard computer – 278km/h!
Race Option Price
- Arrow exhaust $3147.75
- Camshaft inlet kit $556.90
- Camshaft exhaust kit $556.90
- Camshaft sprocket kit $302.65
- Valve spring kit $651.30
- Cam chain kit $169.50
- Cam chain tensioner kit $193.70
- Valve kit $799.00
- Air funnel kit $629.50
- ECU kit $778.30
- Cylinder head gasket kit $140.40
- Carbon fibre clutch cover $200.95
- Carbon fibre crank cover $118.60
- Carbon fibre alternator cover $200.95
- Slipper clutch kit $452.00
TOTAL: $8898.40
Specs
Engine: | 675cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, fuel-injected, 12-valve inline triple |
Power (std): | 92kW at 12,500rpm |
Torque (std): | 72Nm at 11,750rpm |
Transmission: | Six-speed |
Front brake: | Twin 308mm discs, four-piston calipers |
Rear brake: | Single 220mm disc, single-piston caliper |
Front suspension: | 41mm inverted forks, fully adjustable |
Rear suspension: | Monoshock, fully adjustable |
Seat height: | 825mm |
Claimed dry weight: | 165kg |
Fuel Capacity: | 17.4lt |
Price: | $14,890 plus ORC |
Colours: | Jet Black, Tornado Red or Neon Blue (Scorched Yellow no longer available) |
Warranty: | 24 months/unlimited kilometres |
Contact: | (03) 9381 9766;www.triumph.co.uk/australia |
In the ballpark: | Honda CBR600RR ($15,290 plus ORC) Yamaha YZF-R6 ($15,499 plus ORC) Kawasaki ZX-6R ($15,190 plus ORC) Suzuki GSX-R600 ($14,990 plus ORC) |