Triumph Daytona 675

It's no secret that the middleweight 600-750cc sports bike class is easily the most viciously competitive in the world.

Triumph has had a couple of goes at it with the TT600/Daytona 600 four-cylinder series, with mixed fortunes. Early versions had some injection flaws down low, which were subsequently fixed. Generally they handled very well, but it was asking an awful lot for this relatively small (albeit rapidly-growing) factory to take on the might of the big four Japanese makers in a class where they're fighting for world championships. Let's face it - you have to be spectacularly brave to take on the likes of R6 and CBR600.

In a broader corporate decision that saw four-cylinder engines disappear off the range altogether, the factory went back to the drawing board with a new middleweight based on the factory's signature engine configuration - the inline triple.

And, like Kawasaki before it with the 636 series, it went for a slightly larger and unique engine capacity - a 675.

The end result is a really interesting toy to ride and is possibly the factory's quickest-ever track bike. It may not have the raw horsepower of the big 955 Daytona, but I suspect the slick handling package would make it just a little quicker on many circuits.

 If some of whinged about the low end response of the 600s, Hinckley has comprehensively shut us up. The 675 pulls like the proverbial schoolboy from down low, through a surprisingly fat midrange and into a screaming top-end. Injection response is very smooth and we weren't able top catch it out in the week or so we played with it.

The bike is super-narrow, which is a real asset in the city and engenders a fair bit of confidence when it comes to chucking it around through corners. It's tall, though the seat is quite narrow at the front. Those with shorted legs will need to try it out for size.

Getting back to the overall width, or lack of it, that combined with a really sharp steering set-up that tips and turns in quickly and predictably, makes for a very sweet cornering package. The steering is top notch.

Suspension seems well up to the task, and there is a wide range of adjustment on tap. Ours was delivered in track mode and we gradually made it more street-friendly over as couple of days, discovering in the process that the ride height and damping adjustments make a real difference.

 Braking from the 4-spot radial mount front brakes is strong and predictable - pretty much one the money for this class.

When it comes to comfort, tall people will manage on it and the overall ride position is very much sport oriented. Don't go looking for generous pillion accommodation.

Instrumentaiton is fairly typical of the breed, with analogue tacho and digital everything else. Overall finish is good.

Fuel consumption hovered around the 14-16km/lt around the city. Expect less if you're up it for the rent.

Overall it offers something a little different for a middle weight sports bike, with no sacrifice in performance. Well worth a look, in our view...

Triumph's take
This is how the factory describes the ins and outs of the bike...

 Alongside the desire for a strong, torquey engine, a key part of the design brief for the brand new 675cc power plant was to make the water-cooled, three-cylinder, 12-valve unit extremely compact and narrow, contributing to the overall slimness of the bike. The stacked six-speed gearbox considerably shortens the engine and is the first from Triumph to feature a truly close ratio set-up for all six speeds, maximising the engine's power and torque perfectly. Bore and stroke is 74.0mm x 52.3mm and peak power of 125PS is delivered at 12,500rpm, with 72Nm torque at 11,750rpm.

A great deal of work went into refining the Daytona 675's new engine without removing any of the triple's innate character and while it may perform like a racing thoroughbred there's typical Triumph toughness engineered into every part - this motor's meant to be used, and used hard again and again.

The Daytona 675's Keihin closed-loop fuel-injection system uses a trio of 44mm throttle bodies and three 12-point multi-spray injectors. Air is drawn from a port between the headlights and passes directly through the headstock to the airbox. An electronically controlled flap in the front of the airbox optimises both acoustics and performance at low, mid and high rpm ranges. The free-flowing exhaust features an underseat silencer and also utilises a secondary valve to boost torque low down. The engine meets stringent Euro-3 emission regulations.

 Designed around the Daytona 675's engine the spars of the fabricated, open-back, aluminium cast frame wrap over the top of the motor, accentuating further the benefits of the narrow three-cylinder design. Rake is set at 23.5°, trail at 86.8mm trail with a wheelbase of 1392mm. The Kayaba 41mm upside down forks are fully adjustable for spring preload and rebound and ompression damping, as is the Kayaba piggyback reservoir rear shock. The aluminium swingarm itself is a two-piece casting and measures 574mm from rear wheel spindle to pivot point, greatly improving suspension and rear wheel control. Dry weight is 165kg (363lbs).

The front brakes use a radial master cylinder as well as twin radial four-piston calipers and the fully floating 308mm front discs are matched by a 220mm rear. The new wheels are a lightweight five-spoke design and wear super-sticky Pirelli Dragon Super Corsa Pro tyres. Front tyre size is 120/70 ZR17 while the rear is 180/55 ZR17.

The Daytona 675's digital instrument console has the usual trip functions as well as displaying average fuel economy. Also featured is a 99-lap memory timer - useful for comparing successive laps on a circuit as well as average and maximum speed for each lap. Gear position and programmable gear change shift light indicators are also included. Stylish twin projector beam front headlights (one for dip and one for main beam) give an excellent spread of light and are matched with a lightweight LED (Light Emitting Diode) rear light unit.