Incomparable. That’s the word Triumph used to describe its new Daytona 675 on its debut back in 2006, as the first three-cylinder Supersport contender created under the FIM’s new class rules equating 600cc fours with 750cc twins and 675cc triples. But that turned out to be a double entendre, as this unique triple systematically laid waste to its four-cylinder Japanese rivals in successive comparison tests, carving out a solid slice of middleweight sportbike sales for the British manufacturer. Truly incomparable.
But seven years on and 29,406 examples of the Daytona 675 later (counting both the standard version updated in 2009 and the uprated 675R variant launched the following year), the Triumph triple is no longer unique.
Triumph admits the new three-cylinder MV Agusta F3 launched 12 months ago actually outsold the Daytona 675 this past year – although winning the British Supersport title with Aussie Glen Richards might have provided some consolation. But Triumph had its retaliation already planned, and it has arrived in 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.
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http://cyclenews.uberflip.com/i/102325/50
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