Triumph Daytona 675

The last 'supersport' bike that I owned was a Honda CBR600RR5 so , inevitably , in much of my experience of this bike I end up comparing it.

Well , to be honest , apart from the overall level of handling and performance , there is no real comparison . The Triumph goes about it's business in a very different fashion to the Honda .

The Daytona name has been around for a while now but this current size of Daytona ( a 675cc triple) first hit the road in 2006 . It had a bit of a change in 2009 and then the 675R was introduced in 2010 or 11 ? This 2013 model is both very different and a lot the same as the 2012 model. The engine is completely new , internally , the exhaust has moved from under the seat to under the engine ( where it makes a truly wonderful noise)and the frame , although of similar design , is now made differently. The fairing is of a different design and the headlamps are different as well. Apart from that , anybody who has sat on last year's Daytona would find things look quite familiar in the office .

I bought the Triumph about 2 months ago and have now covered around 2,500 miles on it and immediately what struck me was how easy the bike is to ride .This was in stark contrast to the Honda which took quite a while to get used to. The handling is light but stable and ( with the run-in period out of the way) the performance is just brilliant . The extra flexibility of the triple cylinder engine making for a very forgiving and supple ride.

The bike appears to have been designed and set-up for much bigger people than me ( I'm assuming for the US market) so I have had to reduce the suspension settings somewhat and also fit Helibars clip-ons as I was having trouble stretching for the original Triumph items. I'm only 5'6" and I would presume that bigger folk than I would not have any problems. Certainly , with the Helibars on I have a very comfortable riding position which also gives me plenty of room to move about. Just to show how some things have not changed in places , the Helibars are for last year's Daytona and are an identical fit.

The bike looks very smart and the standard of finish is very good indeed .

I have 'blinged' it a bit with a few extras . Evo-Tech tail tidy ,Double-bubble screen from MRA plus several billet items from Triumphs own accessory range and also their alloy levers which are both adjustable , the clutch lever on the OE item was not. They look like Pazzos . In truth none of these were essential save the Helibars and the levers ( small hands as well....)

The Daytona is a total joy to ride. It is comfortable , well-built and incredibly capable road bike and in 35 years of riding this is , without any shadow of a doubt , the best bike I have ever ridden. The cornering and handling are just sublime and the range of adjustment on the suspension means that I have been able to get myself a really smooth ride over the bumps without compromising the handling in any way . It even sounds good with the exhaust giving out a sporty , low-pitched howl at anything over 6,000 rpm which is almost addictive , having heard it once , you just want to do it again !

It even seems to be shaping up as being not too hard on the pocket either. The Pirellis it came with are showing no signs of wearing out just yet ( though I do know that Pirellis go very quickly when the decide to , but the Honda's first Bridgestones were gone by now...)and I'm even getting a steady 45 MPG which gives quite a reasonable range to a tankful. It handles well in the wet and I'm truly impressed with it.

The only question is , should I have gone for the 675R ?

For some reason the only reviews around seem to be for the 675R version and there does seem to be some confusion in the minds of the journos about what the differences are between the two bikes.

Some of them are even saying that the differences between this , 2013 model and last year's Daytona are actually the differences between the 675R and the 675 , which is wrong. So what are the differences ?

Well ,apart from the price , not very much actually.

The 675R has Ohlins suspension the 675 has Kayaba . (which I admit is pretty major ! )

The 675R comes in one colour only ( white) the 675 comes in three ( black , white and red).

The 675R has a quick shifter , and ABS as standard these are both options on the 675.

Both levers on the 675R are adjustable , only the brake is on the 675.

The 675R has Brembo brakes front and back the 675 has Nissin brakes ( of similar spec) on the front and the same Brembo on the rear.

Apart from that , in all other respects , riding position , seat height , frame , engine output , fairing , instruments etc etc all is identical ...but £1500 cheaper .

So my answer has to be no. As I don't do track days buying the cheaper model has not disadvantaged me in any way .

It's a great bike ,a rider's bike , I'm really looking forward to getting to know it better.

Having owned motorcycles since 1975, all Japanese, 2 Kawasakis, 3 Hondas and 3 Yamahas this is the first Triumph I bought and I am not a bit disappointed. True, a few parts are Japanese, but it is a bike I never thought I would be able to buy. I have since bought another Triumph and also own 3 Japanese bikes. The 675 is my favourite modern sportsbike and a joy to ride even if it is a tad uncomfortable. To me it's like a Ducati but for Japanese money, fantastic.