FIRST RIDE
P54
2013 TRIUMPH DAYTONA 675R
the shape of what amounts to a
completely new motorcycle that
shares little in common with the
previous Daytona 675 model
beyond its overall three-cylinder
architecture. Oh, its front fender,
turn indicators, and footpegs. As
Triumph's Product Manager Simon Warburton, head of the R&D
team working on the new bike
since midway through 2009, is
at pains to underline, everything
else is new - from its higher-revving, torquier and more powerful
shorter-stroke engine to its lighter, stiffer chassis. It's a total triple
transformation.
The chance to ride the new
Daytona in 675R form on the
testing, twisting Cartagena track
in southeast Spain gave a revealing insight into how much
has changed on the new model.
Quite apart from the most obvious difference, with the 3-1 catalyst exhaust's single silencer removed from under the seat to a
more central Yamaha R6-like location low down on the right just
in front of the back wheel, you
immediately notice a difference
by simply throwing a leg over the
675R. That's because while the
new seat's height is unchanged
at 32.6 inches, it's narrower so
that you feel less perched on top
of what always seemed to be a
taller bike compared to its fourcylinder rivals - and the MV-3.
You now feel more a part of the
Triumph, more nestled into the
cockpit, so shorter riders will feel
more at home, although this has
always been accommodating for
The 675R is completely revised with a
powerplant that revs higher and faster.
taller ones, and the new version's
no exception. That's because retaining the bike's same narrow
overall build even with the new
short-stroke motor's wider bores,
means that the footpegs can be
set lower, to give more room without impacting on ground clearance at the serious lean angles
the Daytona is capable of reaching.
So the new Triumph's hot
seat is a good place to be, and
that's even more the case when
you thumb the starter, and the
three-cylinder engine's gloriously
distinctive gruff-sounding snarl
chimes in, magnified via the Arrow aftermarket slip-on silencer
fitted with the dB-killer removed.
The sound stays with you the
whole time you're riding the bike,
thanks to a good part of it coming
from the intake roar beneath your
