Look at that—right on schedule, Triumph has released its new Daytona 660 sportbike, as predicted back in December.
We’ve already seen a couple of models in the 660 series, the Trident naked bike and the Tiger adventure bike. Like those machines, the Daytona is meant to compete against Japanese bikes in the twin-cylinder 700 range. However, Triumph upped the new Daytona’s horsepower so that it might actually out-muscle some of the competition here; depending on pricing, that could make it a very appealing option in this growing class of less-expensive middleweight sportbikes.
The horsepower gains came from a top end overhaul combined with intake/exhaust changes. The 660 Daytona has a new cylinder head, camshaft, crankshaft, exhaust, high-compression pistons and throttle bodies. The bottom end appears to be unchanged, although there are changes to the final drive gearing. The result of it all? Now, the bike revs higher than the older Trident, all the way to a 12,650 rpm redline. Max power kicks in at 11,250 rpm, where the updated triple makes 94 hp. The torque curve tops out at 51 lb-ft. of torque at 8,250 rpm.
Those numbers are all gains over the Trident’s figures, so you might think that the updated bike is peaky. Not so, says Triumph—their PR basically says the machine makes the same power down-low as a Trident, but where the Trident tops out, the Daytona keeps on going. In other words, it should be very usable at lower rpm in the real world, but with more high-end zip for trackdays, etc.
Like the other 660s, the Daytona does not have an IMU. Traction control and ABS are standard, but they’re not leaning-sensitive. The bike comes with Road, Rain and Sport riding modes; a new LCD/TFT gauge helps you sort between electro-options (ABS and TC are switchable) while also offering turn-by-turn navigation via Triumph’s app that connects your phone to the bike. LED lights are standard, of course; a quickshifter is optional.
Like the engine, the frame is similar to the Trident, but not exactly the same. The Daytona’s steel tube frame is revised to fit around the new intake system. It has the front end geometry changed for sportier handling; the revised triple tree means the wheelbase is lengthened. A steel swingarm returns, which might bring the weight up a bit, but keeps the price down.
That swingarm connects to a preload-adjustable Showa fork, with a non-adjustable Showa SFF-BP fork up front. And speaking of weight, Triumph says the bike weighs 200 kg at the curb.
Michelin Power 6 tires come standard, on five-spoke wheels. The front brakes use 310 mm discs and radial-mount calipers to slow you down.
We understand this machine will come to North America in coming months, asking price will be $11,295 in Canada.
