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Triumph Daytona 675 Test Ride
I had to go to Action Motorbikes to get my service book stamped and get them to look at a smoking radiator.

While they were looking at the bike, I asked if the keys to the Red 675 demonstrator were available? They were.

After being shown the flashy controls, including lap timer and top speed record (the last rider had clocked 139 mph!) I climbed aboard. Straight away you realise just how narrow the tank is; it feels as if your knees are touching. The seating position is a little strange. The pegs were further forward and not as high as my pegs, but I’ve got Gilles Rearsets on the D600. It’s a decent reach to the low handlebars but it’s not uncomfortable. The seat is reasonably wide and obviously tapers towards that tank.

The readout from the digital display is clear enough. The rev lights aren’t uncommon on bikes but the gear indicator is a nice and welcome touch. Although the display has a number of features, I found it difficult to change the settings whilst on the move as the there’s not much room due to the low screen.

The bike whilst idling doesn’t sound too special. This is a bike which needs an aftermarket can. The bike pulls away cleanly and the revs rise rapidly. The fuelling is spot on. I did a few roll on roll off tests with the throttle and the bike replied instantly and without hesitation. Once you’re on the go the carefully crafted noise from the induction makes you want to keep the bike at about 8,000 revs, which, by no mere coincidence I’m sure, if where the secondary power band seems to be.

Once you’ve appreciated just how user friendly the engine is, there’s a dawn of realisation that you’ve not had to think about steering the thing. The bike is more fire and forget than point and shoot. Once it’s rolling it goes where you want it to go without effort. Because I’ve altered the geometry on my bike and put on after market clip ons, I’m used to a large amount of feedback from the bars. To me the handling felt positive but there was a lack of feedback which made me feel removed from the riding experience. The bike does have a steering damper as standard so it might have been that. but I’ve got a damper on my bike and the same tyres and I know that the supercorsas keep you informed of events on the ground.

The riding position is reasonably comfortable. You are pitched forward but no so much as to put too much weight on your wrists or make you feel as if you’re on a magic carpet. It’s easy to move from side to side on the seat and getting your knee down on this bike is a piddle of pee, thanks to the seating position and the sure footing. However, and it might be down to my fat arse, I didn’t find too much room between the pillion seat and the tank.

So what else can I say about this bike? Triumph, as usual, have produced a real world bike which more than copes with every day road conditions. The light weight and superb triple engine make it easy to hustle about and I’m sure it’s a delight on the track. Looks are subjective. I loved the looks when I saw the photos but the more I see it in the flesh the less impressed I am. Off all the colours, red suits it best, but that’s just my opinion.

So would I have one? Yes, if I was looking to get into the middleweight sports biker market, or wanted something other than the usual offerings from Japan. But for me, the answer has to be “no”. The bike didn’t engage me. I was riding it but felt distanced, as if I wasn’t really riding the bike. Whether it’s the torque of the triple making it easy to ride, or the assured handling, I really don’t know, but I couldn’t find myself falling in love with the bike. In fact, I reminded me of so many Hondas I’ve ridden in the past. They do such a good job of making a bike that they lose the one thing I look for – character. I’ve been fortunate to ride a wide range of bikes, from big fat tourers to fresh out of the factory Ducatis or from retro replicas to run of the mill day to day commuters and I have to say I’ve had more fun on the bikes I’ve had to think about riding than those that seem to do it for you.

Don’t get me wrong, I think Triumph have hit the nail on the head with this bike, and I can see why it’s sold so well and is heaped with awards and praise, but it’s not the bike for me.
posted by kwacky at 1:50 pm