Triumph Daytona 660 Assessment | Motorbike Check

Triumph Daytona 660 Assessment

Check by Rennie Scaysbrook

The supersport class is lifeless. Lengthy reside the supersport class! That could be a barely melodramatic technique to begin an article, however there’s a component of fact in it.

The bikes that have been classed as supersport, are being phased out by producers, or morphing into mainly something below 1000cc (Ducati Panigale V2, Triumph Road Triple 765 RS, Suzuki GSX-R750, Kawasaki ZX-6R 636), which is an entire new class of motorcycle. Type of.

Just like the film character, Derek Zoolander, the twin-cylinder mid-capacity class is “so sizzling proper now”, all of the world’s producers are attempting to get the brand new woman’s consideration. It’s so sizzling it may well’t bear to have one other two-potter within the ranks, so thank God Triumph has come into the sport with the one three-cylinder motor within the class to this point.

The 2025 Triumph Daytona 660, additionally obtainable in a lowered energy LAMS mannequin, marks a big departure in Triumph’s strategy to the sportsbike phase.

In accordance with Triumph’s Chief Product Officer, Steve Sargent, “Supersport bikes of the final 15 years have basically priced themselves out of relevance. The price of these bikes was getting nearer and nearer to these of litre bikes, however with out the efficiency to again them up. We’ve taken a unique strategy with the brand new 660 in that we’re specializing in on a regular basis street-performance however one which’s financially accessible to most individuals.”

For these attuned to subtleties, there are a few underlying messages right here. Riders anticipating a conventional Daytona supersport expertise may must readjust their expectations. The emphasis on affordability, as acknowledged by Sargent, implies just a few design compromises have been made, which we’ll get into shortly.

The brand new Daytona 660 attracts its design ethos from Triumph’s mid-size bare, the Trident 660, and it steps into the ring alongside contenders just like the Yamaha YZF-R7 and the Aprilia RS 660.

Nonetheless, in comparison with the Trident, the Daytona has a claimed 17 per cent enhance in energy and 9 per cent extra torque. The Triumph boasts a strong 69 kW at 12,250 rpm and 69N m of torque at 9250 rpm for the Daytona, with a formidable 80 per cent of that torque obtainable at 3125 rpm.

The LAMS mannequin involves the sport with 42 kW and 62 Nm of torque, with its redline lowered to 6750 rpm. To realize these figures, Triumph has applied a number of key upgrades to the 660cc three-cylinder in-line engine.

These embody a redesigned, forward-mounted consumption, three new 44 mm throttle our bodies (the Trident solely runs a single 38 mm unit), an up to date cylinder head, an exhaust camshaft with longer carry and better length, revised pistons, a unique crankshaft, and bearings.

Moreover, the six-speed gearbox has undergone modifications, with first and second gears now taller whereas third, fourth, fifth, and sixth gears are shorter to facilitate attending to the highest pace sooner.

Given these motor enhancements, the Daytona 660 proves to be an exhilarating companion on twisty roads. Whereas the precise horsepower output might hover across the early 80s on the wheel, fairly than the 93 hp Triumph says the motor produces, the three-cylinder engine delivers such spectacular efficiency, you swiftly turn into engrossed within the trip. So, neglect the precise numbers and simply relish the enjoyment of wringing the life out of the little three-pot.

The Daytona 660 provides three ECU modes, Sport, Highway, and Rain, and though I briefly performed round in Rain mode to examine its impact on energy supply (trace: it considerably neuters the bike), I believe most riders will discover themselves spending all their time in both Sport and Highway modes.

Highway mode is ample for on a regular basis driving situations, however Sport mode is the place the actual enjoyable is at. Sport mode has a barely jerky throttle response, nevertheless it unleashes the complete potential of the triple, which, with simply over 80 real-world rear-tyre horsepower, is greater than adequate for many driving conditions.

Regardless that it’s the smallest triple within the Triumph vary, the Daytona 660 delivers spectacular top-end energy. The motor eagerly builds revs rapidly via the vary, and like a great efficiency engine, the extra you rev it, the higher it goes.

Nonetheless, this efficiency sadly isn’t mirrored within the suspension — a subject we’ll contact on shortly.

Though the Daytona lacks a standard-fitment quick-shifter, the gearbox is so good on the Daytona 660 it hardly requires one. Shifting gears with the inventory Triumph gearbox is a seamless affair — simply be good by gently rolling the wrist ahead to take the load off the gearbox, snick the subsequent gear and off you go. No clutch required.

The harmonious interaction between the engine and gearbox enhances the general driving expertise, however what concerning the chassis? Nicely, it’s a case of potential, but room for enchancment.

You (and I) each want to recollect the one key phrase within the chassis: Value. Given the 660 ideas the monetary scales at $14,790, you possibly can’t count on race-bred springers. The suspension consists of unadjustable 41 mm Showa Huge Piston Fork models providing 110 mm of wheel journey, whereas the rear runs a Showa RSU with preload adjustment solely and 130 mm of wheel journey.

At common street speeds, the Daytona’s suspension might be as much as most duties you throw at it. Metropolis cruising via to the twisties in Alacante, Spain, confirmed a motorcycle completely able to deflecting the crappy street surfaces with out upsetting the chassis an excessive amount of. At this pace, the trip is totally nice.

Triumph is betting (and it’s most likely proper), that is the place the Daytona will principally be ridden, by riders who’re early within the their driving profession, and who aren’t as demanding when it comes to suspension tech.

Up the tempo just a little and the Daytona nonetheless holds its personal, providing agile steering and braking efficiency, however if you’re making an attempt to have a little bit of sporty enjoyable, you’ll attain the boundaries of the suspension fairly rapidly.

Throughout our final half of the day after the picture shoot, we actually began to screw it on, and the fork quickly reached its restrict, diving to the underside of the stroke and rebounding far too rapidly, thus taking the burden off the entrance Michelin Energy 6 tyre and making the front-end just a little slippery. Subsequently, the sooner I went, and the more durable I rode the Daytona, the extra it could protest (a minimum of when it comes to chassis). The engine, as talked about, liked a great thrashing.

It was throughout these…um, spirited runs again to our Spanish HQ once I must remind myself of the price-point the Daytona sits at, and thus just a few tough edges may be forgiven.

General, the Daytona 660’s chassis holds up adequately to most driving conditions you’ll end up in, albeit with a sure softness. Riders weighing below 85 kg, which sadly isn’t a gaggle I can declare membership in, are unlikely to come across many points.

If I have been to go for a Daytona 660, the very very first thing I’d do is put in a suspension package tailor-made for the 660. As Triumph’s most popular race-development workforce, Peter Hickman Racing has labored up an array of aftermarket elements, equivalent to race bodywork, a brand new subframe, a brand new exhaust, race seat, rearsets, clip-ons, race ECU, and the accompanying wiring loom.

Whereas a few of these upgrades could be tempting (and straight-up required in case you’re going racing with the 660), what I really need out of the 660 is a extra compliant (and adjustable) suspension package deal, in order that’s primary on my want listing, thanks, Hicky.

The rider sits barely ahead from centre however to not the extent of placing undue strain on the wrists, plus, you get the added bonus of taking a little bit of weight off the underside of your backbone. The ergonomics lend themselves properly to prolonged journeys, with handlebars mounted above the triple clamps, and the Daytona boasts a particular aesthetic that units it other than class competitor bikes just like the R7, which is an old-school clip-on racer for the street.

I’m not terribly enamoured with the sprint on the 660. It’s the identical as on the Trident, and though it provides me all the data I’m ever going to want, if you’ve bought the solar behind you it’s rattling close to unattainable to learn. There are a variety of various configurations you possibly can run on the sprint, so you may make issues like gear place or speedo larger than the remainder, however in comparison with the unit on one thing like a Road Triple (sure, I get it, value and all), the sprint seems to be a bit… underdone.

The Triumph Daytona 660 is a strong package deal, however to totally harness its potential, you’re going to want to delve into the suspension and make it a match for the prowess of its engine. Whereas the Yamaha YZF-R7 emerges as a purebred sportsbike in Yamaha’s true racebike type, the Daytona goals to convey a brand new versatility to the market in the identical trend because the Suzuki GSX-8R — half sportbike, half streetbike, half commuter, and half… no matter you want.

In actual Again to The Future type, this ethos is just about what the unique supersport bikes of the Nineteen Eighties tried to attain — bikes able to taking up varied roles and doing properly in all of them. It’s extremely seemingly we’ll see extra fashions following this pattern within the years forward, presumably even in bigger capacities (Triumph’s sort of, kind of, already accomplished this with the Road Triple 1200 RR that got here out just a few years in the past).

The 2025 Triumph Daytona 660 stands as a great base bike, however I’d like to get my arms on one with some first rate suspension to see what it may well actually do when the street will get twisty.

Head to the Triumph Motorcycles Australia website for extra data or to seek out your native Triumph dealership.

2024 Triumph Daytona 660 Specs