2009 Triumph Daytona 675 launch – Triple joy, second edition
At the super technical Cartagena race track in the South of Spain I find myself in the saddle on the second edition of D675’s. In a somewhat uneventful way, this is a historic moment because Triumph as the sole European manufacturer is playing with the big four. The Daytona 675 is a very good sportbike.
Words: Tor Sagen/Photography: Jason Critchell & Paul Barshon
I say uneventful because the launch is about a fairly minor update, the track action is everything but uneventful. -Historic because Triumph with the 09 D675 has firmly established itself in this most lucrative and challenging of segments. The Daytona 675 is one of the most accessible sportbikes ever built.
I keep mentioning this when testing the Daytona 675, but it’s still worth it. Triumph had to take a hell of a beating after launching first the TT600, then the Daytona 600/650 before finally arriving to the Daytona 675 Triple I have ridden today. It’s by no chance that the Daytona 675 is the success that it is today.
So what have we then in the 2009 version of the D675? Lighter, faster and more stylish were the R&D department’s goals. First of all the 09 has a new more powerful top end and more revs to play with. A redesigned cylinder head and modified exhaust solutions has increased the maximum power output from 125 to 128 horsepower. There’s also no loss whatsoever in torque, in fact the D675 has gained a little and smoothened out the curve even further as a result. The rev ceiling has been raised from 13.500-13.900rpm. I had the privilege of also getting a go on a Daytona 675 fitted with Triumph’s quick shifter and Arrow exhaust. That was a revelation!
Then you have the new higher spec suspension from Kayaba featuring high/low compression adjustment. Cartagena is also the circuit Triumph spends a lot of time testing new things on the Daytona. The new suspension most of all provides more precision. The D675 also benefits from Nissin’s new and more powerful Monoblock callipers.
The Daytona 675 also has a new rear wheel that saves a full one kilogram in weight contributing to the overall 3 kilo weight reduction (162kg).
First I grabbed a bog standard D675 and swung my leg over in the pit lane. It strikes me straight away how the narrowness contributes to the feel of lightness. 162 claimed dry weight is good in itself, but the feel is also there. The ergonomics of a race bike are there, but surprisingly comfortable as such. I have also got an ideal amount of space from the foot pegs and up to my knees squeezing the well shaped fuel tank.
The wait is over and I set out on my first few laps on Cartagena. My last track experience was testing the mighty Ducati 1198 at Portimao, but still I caught myself being surprised at how much torque there is available from the early midrange and up in the 675. Other things surprised me as well compared to the big Duc (relevant as the 675 should be a well rounded competitor for 848 sales) such as how quick the steering is. Not a few times did I turn in too early in the corners! So it was time to recalibrate my brain for extreme agility and also high corner speed.
Pinning the throttle from third gear out of the fast left/right chicane onto what essentially is a straight turned long right hand corner really gives both chassis and tyres a good challenge. Emptying fourth and clicking into fifth for a very short while, and then hard on the brakes whilst still leaning, three gears down for the second gear uphill right hander. -Full throttle, into third hard accelerating up into fourth and the down to second again for a tightening left hander. On the standard bike I often felt a resistance gearing up from second to third causing a couple of awkward shifting moments. Later in the day I sampled Triumph’s quick shifter which is part of Triumph’s new race kit. It’s not my first time using a quick shifter, but definitely the best moment on track using it. On the Daytona 675 the quick shifter allows for a vast improvement in lap times and smoothness around Cartagena. Imagine just shifting up at above 12.000rpm without clutch and without blipping the throttle. No loss, just pure and hard acceleration that takes you from corner to corner in no time. Coupled with the soundtrack from the open Arrow slip-on I had a very exciting time on the technical circuit. You will shave seconds off your lap times with the quick shifter. There’s also a significant gain that I could feel in the top-end using the Arrow slip-on.
The 2009 model comes with a new wiring harness and software to simply connect the electronic quick shifter without any additional fuss. The Triumph quick shifter is not compatible with the older models without adding the new wiring harness. Triumph also introduced its in-house developed TRACS system that will benefit race teams wanting to programme the ECU for various conditions. The connection is ready in the new 09 wiring harness.
The chassis remains the same as on the old bike and that’s not a bad thing. The D675 handles pretty much anything you can throw at it. There’s some movement from the suspension as soon as I really went for it around 12.000rpm, but I rode with soft standard settings and all I would have needed to do would be to increase the pre load a bit to suit my unique weight distribution better. I like to ride with a bit of movement, but on the D675 you need to ride very hard to get any. The new Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP’s come in a 120/70-ZR17 front and a 180/55-ZR17 rear. They are basically slicks when leant over providing massive amounts of grip when dry, and nothing much should it be raining. On Cartagena the tyres took a serious beating as there’s loads of second gear full throttle acceleration whilst leant over. When the rear did start sliding a bit it was in a very controllable manner. The front tyre also had lots of work cut out for it but along with a progressive feel from both the 41mm fork and Nissin Monoblock brakes this front tyre really has both grip and feel to match. You hardly use the middle of the tyres at Cartagena so we saved that part for the road ride.
Down the fairly short, but fast main straight you reach something over 200km/h by the end of it. Being me I usually ended up doing third gear power wheelies down the straight instead of aiming at maximum top speed. Triumph have tested the top speed themselves and claims the 2009 Daytona 675 can do 161 mph (257km’h) under favourable conditions. On the standard bike I couldn’t quite hide myself from the wind, but with the double bubble accessory screen it was possible to get my head out of the wind. At this point it’s worth mentioning that the front end of the bike has received a redesign this year.
At the press conference Simon Warburton (Product Manager) told us that the change from the previous model is a result of the massive success Triumph has had with the 675. Due to the mass production needs the built quality and fit for the windscreen has been increased a notch on the 09 to make the fitting process faster. The accessory taller windscreen also benefits from the same injection moulding process as the original item. The cockpit, screen and headlights have been redesigned for the same reasons and also to make it stand out from the first edition. When it comes down to overall built quality and finish Triumph gets better and better, but you’ll find certain manufacturers are still better. Triumph has in any way priced the Daytona 675 right as it’s not the cheapest and not the most expensive.
We did a short road ride as well which frankly was a bit boring after all the track action. But still, the Daytona 675 excels at areas where an in-line four often struggle. Such as that meaty midrange that actually allows you to have some fun without going completely monkey bonkers. We rode some beautiful mountain roads near the coast where the Daytona 675’s agility really was needed through the hairpin corners. You don’t actually tire quickly and I wouldn’t hesitate doing longer journeys on the Daytona 675. Some journalists used the Gel seat on the road ride, but that’s cheating. The standard seat is good enough, but for longer European trips the Gel seat may well be one of the best accessories.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that the 2009 Daytona 675 looks like a minor update on the paper, Triumph have actually changed 50 parts. What really makes the 09 a better bike than previous models are the extra power with an even smoother curve more powerful in any revs than the old model. Then the new suspension that brings the precision up to the next level. I feel that the Daytona 675 is one of the best supersports you could possibly buy for road riding and it’s one of the fastest on track too! The triple engine in its narrow chassis really makes the 675 a special motorcycle and it does stand out from the rest just like Triumph intended it to.
+
Engine with both top end and midrange
Handling is superb
More adjustability and potential for the track day fanatics
