Triumph Daytona 675

Wolf in Wolf's Clothing

Want your own World Supersport race bike - but one you can ride on the road? Triumph reckons this Daytona 675, unassuming though it may appear, is pretty darn close in spec to the bike campaigned by Garry McCoy in the World Supersport Championship - the one on which he claimed sixth at Phillip Island last March, coming home just 1.2sec adrift of winner and countryman, CBR-mounted Andrew Pitt.

It looks innocent enough, doesn't it? Sure, there are a few nice bits of carbon fibre here and there, and there's an Arrow pipe under its tail, but on the whole it looks pretty much like a stocker.

However, Triumph has a range of engine hot-up bits on offer for the 675, and it's pretty much thrown the catalogue at this street sleeper (see the separate panel). All up there's around $9000-worth of mechanical magic at work here, from valve and camshaft kits to a slipper clutch and a revised ECU.

So what do you get for your money? Well, apart from a sweet exhaust note, super-smooth downshifts and some carbon bling, you also get some 127 ponies at the rear wheel. Now Triumph claims 123hp at the crank for a stock 675, so with this hottie we're getting somewhere between an extra 15 and 20 rear wheel horses. In a claimed 165kg (dry) package, that's certainly going to put an extra spring in this 675's step!

COMPARO KING
The 675 was launched to international acclaim at the start of 2006, and since then it's taken out a raft of awards around the world, including "Best Supersport" for a wide variety of motorcycle magazines, and the prestigious, multi-publication "Masterbike" and "Supertests" comparison tests - in fact, it's won both of those mega tests for two years running.

The 675 is proof Triumph has come a long way in a relatively short period of time, the marque first opting to plunge into the piranha-infested waters of the supersport pool in 2000. The TT600 was an admirable first go, but despite a sweet chassis and awesome brakes, it fell short in a number of areas, and sales weren't exactly brisk.

A vast improvement came with the Daytona 600 in 2003, which then became the Daytona 650 in 2005, but for 2006 Triumph abandoned the in-line four format, and opted for an in-line triple - a configuration which by then had become synonymous with the modern Triumph name.

Triumph had done its homework, and the even today, two years on, the stock 675 is a pearler. Throw another 20 horses into the equation, and it's a precision missile just waiting to rip up a winding road with tyre-torturing abandon.

It needs a handful of revs to get rolling as its fuel-injection is a little fluffy down below 2000rpm, but then the tacho swiftly sweeps around to an indicated 14,000rpm redline, as your head snaps back and the scenery blurs in a manner you normally wouldn't associate with a middleweight.

Snick the super-light gearbox up a cog with your foot - no clutch necessary - and repeat, as the pipe bellows its battle cry behind you and the digital speedo flicks up through the numbers with impressive pace.

The in-line triple engine drives forward with relentless urge - the power feels dead linear, and when that famous mid-range triple torque begins to ebb, this sleeper's bulk top-end power takes over.

A series of blue LEDs light up from 10,500rpm as you approach the revlimiter, so you can judge your shifts without needing to directly focus on the tacho. It's a nice touch, and - like the inclusion of a lap timer - leaves you in no doubt this machine is focused on speed and outright performance.

As if to underline that very fact, the top speed reading on our test bike's onboard computer read 278km/h, a figure apparently set by a racer at an Eastern Creek track session the week before. It makes the old adage, "there's no replacement for displacement", appear a little narrow-minded, don't you think?

It's surely the latter where a tool like this will excel. The stock suspension is firm - bred more for the track than our bumpy Aussie back roads - but the upside down forks and rear monoshock inspire confidence through any turn. It's fully adjustable at both ends, and the adjusters are all relatively easy to get to.

To be honest, I couldn't fault the 675's springs on the road, and it would take a top flight racer to provide meaningful comment on the bike's suspension on the track - even then, that info would only be meaningful for other riders of a similar level of pace.

The Nissin brakes are simply superb, delivering all the power and feel you could ever want, while the fizz they emit as you haul down from speed only adds to the wonderful aural onslaught. Braided steel brake lines are employed front and rear, and undoubtedly play a big part in the braking equation.

The six-speed gearbox is particularly sweet, and the slipper clutch is a wonderful addition, especially if track days figure high on your priority list. Simply charge a corner, bang it down the appropriate number of cogs and let the slipper clutch do the rest - no more chattering rear ends, just smooth, settled deceleration, allowing you to concentrate on winding the power back on and set up for the next bend.

TRIPLE TREAT
I reckon the 675 looks superb - up-to-the-minute styling blended with minimal graphics and a solid colour that looks classy, not garish. Incidentally, the Scorched Yellow version seen here is no longer available, but the 675 looks just as hot in Neon Blue, Jet Black or Tornado Red.

The instruments look great, and they pack in a heap of info - all the usual stuff plus a clock, fuel economy, top speed and that lap timer (use the latter at your peril - lap timers are a great way to push past your limits!).

Downsides? Only its injection below 2000rpm, where it struggles a little to clear its throat, and the position of those crash protectors, which got in the way of my knees. No doubt some more dyno tuning could remedy the former, while as for the latter, well, at 6ft 2in I am on the taller side.

At $14,890 plus ORC the Daytona 675 is actually the cheapest of the middleweight supersports bikes, although they're all keenly priced, with the whole lot falling within a range of $600.

With its in-line triple engine and a British badge on the tank, the Daytona 675 represents a brilliant choice for any supersport fan who wants to stand out in the predominantly Japanese crowd. Throw in the performance upgrades, and you'll find yourself aboard a power-packed British bulldog with one hell of an appetite for sushi...

Upping the ante
Want to turn your 675 into a true racer for the road? Triumph offers a host of upgrade kits to truly unleash the beast within. Here's what had been added to our test bike, to achieve an impressive 127hp at the rear wheel...