smoothcrim
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| Quote : | "2006 Triumph Daytona 675
9/22/2005
By Kevin Duke
Well, gang, we've now seen it, touched it and sat on it, and from what we can tell so far, Triumph's new Daytona 675 Triple could be the most interesting new offering of 2006.
"It's the epitome of what Triumph should stand for in a sports bike," said Triumph's Product Development manager Ross Clifford at a special media gathering in West Hollywood Wednesday night.
Indeed, it's also what I've been asking for from Triumph prior to the forgettable TT600's debut. It seemed silly then to try to compete directly with the might of the big Japanese companies, and it seems like Hinckley believes it's also silly today. With the launch of the three-cylinder 675cc Daytona, Triumph is now unconstrained by arbitrary displacement limits and is offering a machine that simply can't be compared to anything else.
"Twins and Triples, it's our future," assured Clifford.
The Triple in the new Daytona shows a modern, clean-sheet design, with internal oil and water pumps for a less busy engine design and appearance.
Triumph engineers worked hard to make the powerplant as compact as possible. For the first time in company history, it is using the stacked transmission shafts that have become prevalent in sportbikes since the debut of Yamaha's R1 in 1998. As such, the new mill is nearly 1 inch shorter and is also almost 2 inches narrower than the defunct Daytona 650's four-cylinder.
The 74.0 x 52.3mm engine is fed via a ram-air duct that funnels and pressurizes incoming air directly through the steering head area and through the electronically controlled flapper valve in the airbox's intake. Fuel is mixed with air by a trio of 44mm throttle bodies, each having 12-hole injectors for optimal atomization, and a 120-degree crankshaft has evenly spaced firings.
After being squeezed at a high 12.7:1 compression ratio, spent gasses are routed through a three-into-one underseat exhaust, which is equipped with a power valve to boost low-end and midrange power. .
In terms of power, Triumph is claiming a maximum of 123 crankshaft ponies at 12,500 rpm, with an extra 1500 rpm available before hitting the 14K rev limiter. But the real beauty of this Triple is its torque production. Clifford boldly states that it has more torque at 5000 rpm than some 600s make at 10,000. With a claimed 44 lb-ft at just 4000 rpm and 53 lb-ft at 11,750 rpm, this new Daytona is going to redefine what a middleweight's powerband can feel like.
Sending power to the rear wheel is a new close-ratio gearbox that reps say shifts better than those in previous Daytonas. A close-ratio box is what a rider wants on a racetrack, but since Triumph says it has no plans to participate officially in any racing activities, it seems an odd choice for what is primarily a streetbike.
Also helping the 675's compact dimensions is the new architecture of its aluminum frame. Its dual frame spars actually sweep over the engine rather than around it, similar to what Kawasaki does on its ZX-10R. This design, in combination with the narrower engine, results in the frame spars being a massive 4.3 inches narrower than the old 650's. And the design of the frame not only looks attractive, Triumph says that it's a hefty 5.5 pounds lighter than the old 650's.
The Daytona's steering geometry is a bit sharper than some of its middleweight competition, with a 23.5-degree rake and a stubby 87mm (3.4 inch) of trail. Its 54.8-inch wheelbase is about on par. Kayaba suspension components are used front and rear, and both ends are fully adjustable. Brakes are fully up to spec, with radial-mount front brake calipers and 308mm rotors up front actuated with a radial-pump master cylinder. Also of high specification are the 675's standard tires, Pirelli Dragon Super Corsa Pros.
Triumph says the new Daytona weighs just 363 pounds dry, which is a typically low number claimed for a middleweight that usually isn't much below 400 pounds in ready-to-ride form but with its tank empty. It's a game of optimism played by manufacturers, but in this case Clifford promised me the Daytona scales in lighter than any of the '05 middleweights.
In person, the Daytona looks bad-ass, with its projector beam headlights, lovely frame, underseat exhaust and rakish stance. However, those latter two items also force a seat height that will discourage shorter riders; my 31-inch inseam wasn't enough for me to touch flat-footed.
Its instruments look suitably attractive, and they incorporate a bunch of features that include a lap timer, gear position indicator and a programmable shift light, among the other typical accoutrements. Accessories include the usual carbon fiber bits and tankbags, but the one that caught my eye is the Arrow exhaust system that is said to make an extra 5 horsepower and shed 13 pounds of weight.
Available in Scorched Yellow, Tornado Red or Graphite Gray, the new Daytona 675 retails for $8999, which isn't too shabby considering Honda's CBR600RR will cost the same and Yamaha's new R6 might even cost more. Triumph says it will crank out just 4000 units for 2006, a low number that is intended to keep demand high.
It is scheduled to begin hitting dealers near you this March, but you might want to consider putting in a deposit a fair bit sooner. Triumph is introducing its Priority Reservation Program in which those who put down a deposit will end up getting their bike before walk-in buyers.
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Not new, I'm thinking this may be my next bike since triumphs have terrible resale
thoughts? 12/27/2005 2:18:11 AM
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