Life With the Triumph Daytona 675

Finding One

On March 26, 2007 found that Second Wind BMW out of Merrimak, NH had a Daytona 675 in stock. Three of them, actually, one in each color, although the red one was already spoken for. I took the opportunity to put a deposit down right away and it's good that I did as two others called looking for the same bike within a day.

I wasn't sure if I wanted gray ("graphite") or the mustard ("scorched yellow") but, in person, gray was much more appealing. A test ride clinched it, I returned with a huge smile on my face, although even in just a few miles it was obvious that there were going to be some character traits to live with.

I picked the 2007 Daytona 675 (a.k.a. the Babytona and Tabitha) on March 28. Whenever she was around it was like there were no other bikes in the room. I've never really been smitten by a motorcycle before, it was odd.

Here she is, posing in my neighborhood:

Good Things

• It is the spitting image of a Ducati 748, except for the nose, where I think the Daytona is an improvement. I was always a huge fan of the 748, which perhaps explains why I like the Daytona so much. I hope it doesn't also mimic the Italianesque habit of being broken a lot of the time. Compare the two:

• Oh. My. God. what a terrific engine sound. Gear whine and throaty rumble. It's like nothing else.
• Wick up the speed and the bike comes alive. It loves to dash and corner.
• Engine has useful torque down to about 3000rpm and doesn't lug until below 2000. It's very easy to ride around town.
• Brakes have excellent feel, strength and modulation. Front brake is easily adjustable.
• Electronics controls are fairly straightforward and perform many useful features, including miles driven, miles to empty, current clock, oil temperature meter, 99 lap timers.
• Chassis feels solid.
• Seat is pretty comfortable.
• Programmable shift lights are useful during engine break-in.
• Girls stop to stare and wave.

Bad Things

• Riding position is very far forwards. There is a lot of weight on your hands, and a tendency to push you right up against the tank.
• You need a meat thermometer for your right leg to tell you when you're done riding. It gets Very Hot.
• The paint and clearcoat are not very durable. The tank in particular was scratched down to the primer from the zipper on my Aerostich suit in just 50 miles. I added tank protectors to help limit the damage.
• On the second day of ownership something on my boot, or perhaps the zipper on my pants, caught on the seat and tore a small hole in it. I will need to repair and reinforce the seat cover.
• Suspension might be great for racing, but a rough road will really beat you up.
• No hard bag options.
• Difficult to find the sidestand without looking for it. The obvious place to push on it is directly underneath the footpeg.
• Difficult to reset the trip odometer with gloves on (requires two simultaneous button pushes).
• Headlight is a single projection beam unit. I believe that automobiles notice you better if the vehicle has a pair of headlights.
• "Tool kit" encompasses a small reversible screwdriver and a 5mm allen key. Period.
• About six cubic inches of additional storage. I'm not sure what I could even use it for.
• Spare key is $48 from the dealer (but $12 uncut).
• It whispers in my ear that I want to wheelie. I don't know how to wheelie.
• Mirrors are small and do not provide a wide field of view. They have a clear image, but it is difficult to see anyway.
• Automobiles want to race. I just want them to try to avoid killing me by mistake.
• Girls stop to stare and I am married.

Options

• I added GSG frame sliders, a pretty easy job. Remove plastic, remove four engine bolts, replace bolts with longer ones and some extra parts. The only hard part of the whole operation was figuring out how to get the socket up behind the radiator to hold the nuts on the forward bolts. See pictures.
• I bought a ProGrip tank protector (faux carbon fiber!) which seems to work just fine at preventing further scratching of the rear of the tank.
• Triumph soft luggage. Fairly generic, but it works well enough so long as it doesn't rain. The rain covers hold the rain in much better than they keep it out.

Reviews

...if there's one place the Triumph completely outclasses the Japanese competition it's with that lovely triple. -- "A Comparison of the Suzuki SV650S and the Triumph Daytona 675", Jim Frost

By blending the grunty low-end of a twin with the more eager appetite for revs—and compact build—of a triple, the British manufacturer has created a super-middleweight of sorts; one with more performance than current 600 supersports and the lean build of a V-twin. -- [[http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/firstrides/122_0511_2006_triumph_daytona_675/index.html]["2006 Triumph Daytona 675"], Motorcyclist

This is not only the best sportbike to roll out of the Hinckley plant, but one the most enjoyable sporting machines I’ve ridden to date. -- "Three-peat! Triumph's all-new triple is a breakthrough bike", Cycle World

Massimo Tamburini got it right on the Ducati 916 in 1994; the 748, two years later, was even better. To this day the latter is the standard by which sportbikes are measured – or it was. That position has now been taken by the Triumph 675 Daytona. -- "Triumph Daytona 675 - balancing act", Motoring.co.za

Daytona 675 review by Driving Television.
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