Triumph Daytona 955i

"There are plenty of good bikes out there for decent money Andy... Keep looking," is the reply.

Several hours and 30-40 Bacardi Breezers later: "Leechy, mate, I need a bike!" "No worries cobber. I'll work something out for you."

It's been almost three years but now I'm back baby! If only for a short time.

A couple of weeks into the new year, I pick up the beast. "You've got a week, have fun, and don't drop it," were the Ed's final words as he handed over the key.

After the usual check of what's what, I suited up, threw the leg, turned the key, and pushed the starter. Nothing. Okay, relax. What haven't I done? Kill switch was on, side-stand up, bike in neutral, all looked fine, push the starter again. Nothing. Deep breath. What did Greg do to start it? I hadn't looked. I was just about to make an even bigger dick of myself and run in and ask but then took a punt pulled in the clutch, pushed the starter...boom - she fired.

Sweet noises
What a sweet sound! Then the doubts crept in. Has it been too long? Should I get off now, return the key, walk away and never look back? No way! The burbling exhaust note brought me back to reality. So what if it took five minutes to work out how to start her up. Things change in three years.

Panic and embarrassment turned to nervous excitement and adrenalin overload as I took off. And take off I did. This thing is an absolute ball-tearer. By the time I got home I was soaked. Lose weight now - ask me how... Spend an hour on someone else's $18,000-plus all-out sports bike in 27 degree heat in peak-hour traffic (not to mention the words "Don't drop it" ringing in your ears) and you too will shed kilos.

It was inside for a quick change of clothes then off again this time with a pillion passenger. We rode from Mt Evelyn across to Yarra Glen then into Kinglake (north-east of Melbourne), around the roundabout and back again via Toolangi. Not a bad reintroduction and confidence boost back into the world of motorcycling freedom.

Big Drew
You might say I'm a big fella. With Drew Carey good looks and frame to match, I found it a little uncomfortable after a while. With all my weight on the bars the old wrists and neck ached after an hour or so in city traffic and boring, straight, low speed roads.

Out on the open road and it is a different story altogether! Anything over 100km/h and the wind picks you up so the pressure on the wrists and neck is lifted. Living so close to the Yarra Valley, I have a choice of some of the best roads for riding a bike in Victoria and, when you're on these roads on a bike of the Daytona's capabilities, you forget about being uncomfortable and just soak up the sweeping bends.

I made the most of having the Triumph Daytona 955i over the weekend and went for a blast. From Warrandyte to St Andrews over the mount to Kinglake, right at the Whittlesea turn off, through Flowerdale to Yea, then to the Glenburn Hotel where friendly staff delivered the best counter lunch I've had in a long while.

The road between Flowerdale and Yea is sensational and, with a pocket-full of confidence, it was time to have a real crack just to see how powerful the Triumph is. With 135ps at the rear, I knew it wasn't going to be a slug. I just didn't realise how much grunt was on tap. From 100km/h in top, I kicked back two gears, cracked the throttle and held on. Holy Toledo! From recreational punter to Mick Doohan wannabe in under a second. It absolutely howls. In top gear at 100km/h it's doing 4000rpm.

There is a slight vibration through the pegs at this speed, but once you roll the wrist you don't even notice it. Hit 7500-9000rpm in lower gears and the only thing you notice is three degrees of separation - your licence from your wallet, your eyeballs from their sockets and the pillion from the rear perch!

The brute power of the Daytona is like nothing I have ever experienced. With instant power on tap, new super sticky tyres and great handling you have to be on the ball and have 100 percent concentration at all times. At the speeds this thing will do there's no time to check out the scenery. Although the current set up is for flat-out riding, the suspension was a bit stiff for two-up, but on my own I didn't have a problem.

In the past I've had pillions that make riding hard work. Fortunately my partner is not one of those. You don't even know she's there. Being slight of frame and confident in my riding abilities, she made our jaunt even more enjoyable. This is the first bike she has been on that perched her above me but as mentioned my statuesque frame spared her of a wind buffeting. The pillion seat was not as uncomfortable as first glances would have you think, although after an hour or so it starts to become a tad "wooden".

No problems
The hardest part is finding something wrong with the Daytona. Apart from a couple of "finishing off" touches, it is in my mind near perfect.

Would I have one? In an instant, for weekend jaunts with mates up and down the twisty bits, but not for day-to-day running. I have enjoyed the week immensely and it has rekindled the passion to get back in the game. All I have to do now is keep chipping away at the "Minister for Finance" to increase the yearly budget, or maybe a bribe of a slab of Barcadi Breezers might do the trick for the interim...

Story by Andy Tinham