Riding the 2010 Triumph Daytona 675 by Pascal Bastien
While the riding position is not as radical as the R6, the Daytona 675 riding stance remains a little more stretched forward than that of the GSX-R600 or the CBR600RR for instance, with a high seat and rear-set footpegs. The small windshield means that you have to make yourself small to enjoy even minimal wind protection, while the firm albeit nicely sculpted seat does not provide enough comfort for any but the shortest touring runs.

The Daytona 675 is raced extensively in Europe, in Supersport and in exclusive National Championships. Image forty triples growling around with racing exhausts - music to the ear.

I loved the engine’s torque curve, the fattest in the segment, especially above 5000 rpm, as the triple raises its voice and convincingly thrusts the machine forward all the way to the cut-off point.

The agility and exciting behavior of this British beast lead me to some enjoyable excesses when the roads turned twisty. This is precisely when the bike’s sharp and effective chassis comes to the fore, and the nicely-calibrated suspensions ensure safe braking, stable cornering and rewardingly powerful corner exits.

The 675 remains easy to lean in without a tendency to fall in to the corner, and maintains a set direction over nasty bumps and holes with little effort from the rider, unless you are trying to go quickly, when controlling the beast becomes a little more physical – as well as satisfying. Accelerating hard out of corners, in third gear especially, brings a unique combination of lateral inertia, a little bit of tire squirm over bumps, and a thrilling rush forward from the engine, spiced up by the roar and vibrations from the engine, rather than the howl from small fours at high revs.

The Daytona 675 is one tight two-wheel wonder with riding dynamics that are beyond reproach. The unique and racy design hides a nimble, faultless and relatively docile machine - a combination that is hard to match, let alone surpass.




Photo Credit : Philippe Champoux, Matthieu Lambert, Triumph