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In the high-stakes sportbike biz, the sweetest triumph is often the result of persistence, trial and error and, ultimately, remaining true to your character. No one knows this better than the blokes at Hinckley, England-based Triumph Motorcycles Limited. Going toe-to-toe with the Japanese contingent in the hotly contested middleweight sport category has been a losing battle for Triumph.
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Playing by the rules of convention, Triumph entered the arena with its TT600 in 2000, followed by the Daytona 600 three years later (see our Long-Term Wrap-Up, this issue). Both machines were inline-Fours sharing many similarities in engine and chassis design with their Japanese counterparts. Although the bikes gained praise for excellent handling, both lacked the engine performance and overall value of the competition. Last year’s Daytona saw a mid-life model update that hinted of Triumph’s new line of thinking. No longer constraining itself to the 600cc-displacement cap dictated by Supersport competition rules, Triumph focused on optimizing its middleweight machine for real-world street needs. With an increase in displacement and refined fuel-injection, the Daytona 650 proved a much better street package than its predecessor, but remained in the shadow of Kawasaki’s ZX-636, a bike that most view as a superior example of a similar theme.
Triumph calls the all-new 2006 Daytona 675 “incomparable.” While sounding like common marketing hype, it’s hard to disagree, considering the new machine is powered by an inline three-cylinder engine that faithfully exudes the tactile sensation, sound and soul that is Triumph and Triumph alone. While undeniably trying to be different, the Daytona 675 also offers several tangible advantages over the middleweight status quo.
Foremost is the engine’s broad spread of torque, extending much lower into the rev range than any middleweight Four. Being substantially narrower than an inline-Four, the 675cc, 12-valve, dohc Triple resides in an aluminum frame that is 20 percent lighter and narrower than that of the Daytona 650. The result is a very slim machine claimed to offer class-leading cornering clearance. At a claimed 365 pounds dry, the bike is a class featherweight as well.
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Steering geometry is aggressive, with 23.5 degrees of rake and 87mm trail. A steering damper is tucked out of harm’s way beneath the lower triple-clamp. The bike’s 54.8-inch wheelbase is right in line with the best 600 supersports, as are its top-shelf Kayaba suspension and front brake system featuring Nissin radial-pump master cylinder and four-pot radial-mount calipers. The use of peculiar-sized 308mm-diameter front rotors underscores the attention to detail that has gone into the machine, shaving unswept rotor area and unnecessary rotating weight.
Having covered the new 675 with a tech preview in the January issue, the stage was set for our first ride at the bike’s world press launch held early this year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I spent 90 minutes lapping the spectacular Sepang Circuit and logged 100 miles on public roads. Not a lot of seat time, but enough to experience the breadth of the engine’s versatility and the nimble, unflappably stable chassis over a wide range of speeds and pavement conditions.
I’m hungry for more! Triumph has nailed the recipe with the Daytona 675. This is not only the best sportbike to roll out of the Hinckley plant, but one the most enjoyable sporting machines I’ve ridden to date. I was surprised most by the fact I didn’t find a single quirk when riding the bike on either the road or the track. Mechanically, everything works precisely and with smoothness. Throttle response is spot-on, power delivery seamless, clutch action fluid and driveline lash minimal.
If you’re intent on digging for a complaint, okay, some may find a coarse band of engine vibration that creeps through the grips to be finger-tingling on longer rides. The engine features a gear-driven counterbalancer shaft located ahead of the crank that quells vibes to a subdued and characteristic Speed Triple-like growl. Didn’t bother me much, considering I frequently found myself revving the engine into five-figure rpm territory during the street ride without realizing it unless I glanced down at the tachometer.
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