After a week in Malaysia on the Triumph Daytona 675 launch recently I was looking forward to the odd road test during the year
Click to read: Triumph Daytona 675 owners reviews, Triumph Daytona 675 specs and to see the Triumph Daytona 675 image gallery.
I wanted to see how the latest masterpiece from Hinckley stacks up against the opposition back here in Blighty. My anticipation is going to be quenched sooner than I thought as I've just been told there's a long-term test bike with my name on it ready for collection. I'm so excited I can hardly sleep!
Although the looks and dimensions of this baby Trumpet are not dissimilar to the Honda CBR600RR, the riding experience couldn't be more different. Hit the starter button and the growl suggests you could be on a Speed Triple; pull away down the pit lane or off your driveway and you could be on the Foggy Petronas FP1 racer. New sensations in biking don't happen that often for me nowadays but this is definitely one, and in every sense of the word. Maximum rpm is around 14,000rpm, which is at least 2000rpm shy of the competition, but it's in the mid range where this across-the-frame triple scores.
The transmission is Triumph's best so far, but you still have make positive shifts - although a lot less of them thanks to the broad spread of power. And that's what makes it so good on the road as there is no need to be constantly juggling the gearbox just to keep the engine on the boil.
I've only spoken to a few people that are not keen on the 675's styling, but the choice of colour makes a difference to the overall look. The red does it for me, and I also like the 'Swiss watch face' dash that includes a lap timer and gear position indicator.
The TT600 and the 600 Daytona were nearly bikes. At best they were two years behind the opposition, at worst four. Not so with the 675. Apart from the lack of slipper clutch you have the full house of goodies here. If you're lucky enough to get your mitts on one, enjoy!
