Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128354
ayiono 650 The 650 is visually similar to the old bike, but you won 't co nfuse the two motors. only requi res a minimal amount of shifts per lap, but I figure over the course of the day I did over 100 laps on the 650 and never missed a single shift. On e area that Triump h has always excelled in is handling: Whethe r it was the or iginal TT600, t he Daytona 600 o r the new Dayto na 650, the chassis has always been a strong po int. The all-aluminum tw in-spar frame helps to provide excellent SPECIFICATIONS Triumph Daytona 650 LIST PRICE $7999 DISPLACEMENT 646cc ENGINE TYPE Uquid-cooled, DOHC, in-line four-cylinder BORE x STROKE 68 x 44.5mm COMPRESS ION RATIO I2.85: I CARBURETION Eleetronic fuel injection IGN ITION Digital inductive TRANSMISSION Six-speed STARTING SYSTEM Electric FUEL CAPACITY .4.7 gal. WHEELBASE 54.7 in. RAKEfTRAIL 24.6°/89.1mm SEAT HEIGHT 32.1 in. FRONT TIRE I20nOZRI 7 Pirelli Diablo REAR TIRE 180/55ZRI7 Pirelli Diablo FRONT·WHEEL TRAVEL N/A REAR·WHEEL TRAVEL N/A FRONT BRAKE Dual four-piston calipers w/308mm discs REAR BRAKE..........Single-piston caliper w/220mm disc FINAL DRIVE Chain CLAIMED DRY WEIGHT 363 Ibs. 22 handling. The bike features a 1390mm wheelbase co mbined w ith 24.6-degrees of rake and 89 . 1mm of trail, which equates to quick yet stable handling. The fully adjustable fork on the Daytona 650 is the same as on last year's bike and features 43mm sta nchions w ith all-aluminum inter nals. O ut back is t he same fully adjusta ble rem ote -reservoir shock. A pair of fo ur-piston calipers squeezes a pair of 308 mm discs up front, and a singlepisto n caliper and 220mm disc handle braking duties out back. The brakes wo rked really well on the Vegas track , which has two hard braking areas . My only complaint would be that the lever span isn't adjustab le enough ; all of the adjustment happens a little too close to the lever for my liking. The Dayto na really impressed me in the t ight infield sectio ns of the track . Not on ly was the bike ve ry responsive to line se lection, but also, if I need ed to make a midco rner adjustment, it didn't hes ita te. I was also impressed with the consistent feel from the fro nt end , which communicated what the front tire was do ing very well. The bike's ergonomics fit me perfectly; I was completely co mfo rtabl e all day in the saddle , wit h a comfortable reach to t he bars and comfortable footpeg placement . The seati ng position isn't so radical t hat it would be uncomforta ble for long st reet rides, but it's aggressive enough to provide a solid attack pos ition for the track . DECEMBER 15, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS I'm not crazy about t he tinte d w indscreen on the track , althou gh I do think it looks pretty cool fro m a styling standpoint, as does the blacked-o ut exhaust silencer. Other than those styling alterations, the bike remains largely unchanged - but the Dayto na definitely has an ide ntity of it's own and stands out from the rest of the middleweight pack. As far as the tires are concerned, the OE tires for the Daytona 650 are the Pirelli Diablo "T" specification, w hich are street tires and not a track tires . The tire did an excellen t job of providing grip up to the point tha t it was to tally shred ded . Over the co urse of the day, I we nt through three front and two rea r tires. Th e positive side was that I didn't eve n realize that the tires were street compound tires until the end of the day. They rea lly did an excellent job of fooling me into thinking they we re the stickier Diablo Corsa trac k tires. The "T ' spec tire has a different con struction from 40th Anniversary t he res t of the Diablo range, including a softer carcas s and a different ru bber co mpou nd. In hindsight, this explains why the Dayto na was chewing up the front tires so easily on the track, as a lot more hea t was being generated w ith the softe r sidewa lls. It should be a perfect t ire for str eet duty. The Daytona 650 may not be eligible for Supersport competition anymore, but it should make an excellent middlewe ight streetbike. As far as I know, there aren 't any displacement rules for streetbikes, so I doubt you'll ever get to rn down by the tech inspector at you r local motorcycle hangout on a Dayto na 650 . 50 w hy not take advantage of the extra torque that 47ccs provide and make that street ride a little mo re enjoyable? The Daytona 650 is available in Racing yellow and Tornado red , and comes standard w ith the co lor-matched seat cowl. The Daytona comes with a 24-month, eN unlimited-mileage vvarranty.