Triumph 955i Daytona

The 2000 version of the reborn British marque's precision sports tool remains the sharpest bit of kit at the pointy end of the Triumph fleet, this year appearing with few changes to an already proven formula.

TASTY RECIPE

After all, it's a recipe which has served the company well over the years, the 955i, preceded by the T595 and before that the Daytona 900, proving a popular mount for those with a dual passion for sports riding and the major marque of the "mother country".

A few changes have been implemented beyond purely the cosmetic for 2000, however, the biggest of which being the machine's shortened wheelbase, modified by reducing the chain length and altering the gearing. It now measures 1431mm, down by 15mm over the '99 model. Triumph claims it gives the bike a more flickable feel and a faster rate of turn. On paper, and by the laws of physics, that would have to be the case, and I can certainly say that the bike's stability hasn't been compromised, but there seemed little difference between old and new in the manoeuvrability stakes. Wheelbase aside, the gearbox has also been modified and the ECM is now slightly smaller and lighter, then there's the cosmetics.

SILVER BULLET

Aluminium Silver has been added to the Lightning Yellow and Tornado Red colour options (while Jet Black has been dropped), the wheels are now silver (although polished rims are still offered at $600 for a changeover with the bike's standard rims when new), the muffler is now round with a brushed finish, and the understated graphics have been revised. The fake carbon-fibre has also gone from the idiot light instrument surround, replaced by a plain black plastic finish, a small step down, in my opinion, but said lights are now easier to read. The silver number we had on test looked a million bucks in my opinion, and taking the bullet for a strop through the hills was just the ticket to get the adrenalin flowing.

POKE APLENTY

The trusty 955cc DOHC 12-valve in-line triple powerplant has remained untouched, and belts out the ponies in an arm-wrenchingly satisfying manner. Usable power is available from as low as 2000rpm, and then builds steadily almost all the way to its 10,500rpm redline, bar a small glitch around 5500rpm. Triumph is claiming around 130ps (at 9900rpm) and 10.2kg-m (at 9600rpm) as the 955i's maximum horsepower and torque figures, although history has shown that 107ps (9400rpm) and 9.4kg-m (at 9600rpm) is a bit closer to the mark in the world of real rear-wheel power and dynos. That's still more than capable of delivering a healthy dose of adrenalin, and a twist of the wrist gets the landscape moving at an impressively rapid rate.

The tractable grunt comes on in a steady surge, accompanied by that familiar triple roar from the machine's three-into-one, with gearbox shuffling unnecessary due to the wide spread of power. 100kmh in top of the 955i's six-speed box will see just over 3000rpm on the tacho, and it'll happily do 70 to 80kmh in first gear Ñ many roads simply being a case of pick a gear and stick with it. The mixture is still handled by a Sagem electronic fuel-injection system, and the throttle response is crisp and instantaneous, without making slow riding a jerky affair. On the few occasions I did decide to go for a row, however, I found the gearbox to be lacking. Changing up through the gears really required a solid shove with my boot, but Triumph boxes do improve greatly after a few thousand km have passed under the wheels, so I'm sure the testbike's will loosen up.

TYRE ABUSE TIME

Ripping around the hills, including the popular biker magnets of Black Spur and Reefton Spur, the 955i proved itself a thoroughly competent sportsbike, the few hours it took to complete the loop adding up to nothing less than tyre-abusing fun. The 955i's got a lovely balance to it, which when combined with excellent suspension, plenty of ground clearance, great brakes, a rigid aluminium alloy perimeter frame and the potent powerplant adds up to one bloody big smile, and a permanent devil on your shoulder should a bend come into view.

The fully adjustable forks and rear monoshock served their duties with aplomb, soaking up the bumps well and keeping things settled under brakes or hard acceleration. The brakes the 955i comes equipped with, namely two four-piston calipers mated to 320mm discs up front and a single two-piston caliper down the back with a 220mm disc, are ripper units, particular those front stoppers. Buckets of power and feel, although the bike will stand up a little if you give the front picks a squeeze mid-corner. Stability is also exemplary, even though the agile nature of the bikeÕs steering doesn't seem compromised in any way. Even getting on the gas and striking bumps through corners will only provoke a lazy nod of its head, with no damage to undies incurred.

COMFY TRUMPY

The Bridgestone BT56 Battlaxs the 955i comes shod with provided plenty of grip and feedback, the rear occasionally breaking away upon rocketing out of a corner, but in a controlled and confidence-inspiring manner. The hoops seemed to be wearing quite well over the fortnight I had the Trumpy in my clutches, and seemed more than up to the task of effectively putting the 955i's horses down to the blacktop. My height (190cm) is usually a pain in the arse (and knees, and back, and neck...) when it comes to motorcycles, particularly when sportsbikes are on the agenda. But the Triumph wasn't too bad in the comfort stakes, not too bad at all. Honda's current 'Blade would win out over the Triumph here, but I reckon the 955i would then be next on the list in the head-down, bum-up comfort stakes.

Weather protection from the screen was good, but on hot days I was experiencing a rather unpleasant hot waft from between the frame and the rear of the main right fairing panel. It was a nuisance when wearing leathers, and positively uncomfortable when wearing jeans, but the flipside is it'll be quite pleasant in winter, and in between it's not a problem.

The mirrors were clear and vibe-free, but mainly give you a damn good look at your elbows, as is the trend with many sportsbikes these days. Around 15.5km/lt was returned over the bikes stay with us, healthy enough for a performance machine, and giving the bike a potential safe range of over 250km.

HEAD-TURNER

The 955i's price tag has remained static thus far into 2000, staying at $18,990 (plus ORC), and the usual range of Triumph accessories is still there, including things such as huggers, guard extensions, paddock stands, a hot pipe and so on. For those sort of bucks it's placed a fair cut above the comparative Japanese performance machinery, but then buying a Triumph is always more than just horsepower and torque curves. It's that stirring note only a triple can give, it's the quality of finish, for proof of which you only have to watch passers by take that second glance, and it's the emotions that name and Union Jack evoke when you look at the decals. Great looks, great performance, great bike, if you're after something with the goods which won't blend into the crowd, the 955i could be your machine.