Driving report Triumph Daytona 600

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Driving report Triumph Daytona 600

No more fun

No more half measures. Triumph remembers its roots, is committed to sport and wants to cause a sensation with the Daytona 600 on and off the racetrack. A first driving report from Spain.

No sports was the philosophy of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Triumph internalized this maxim with the TT 600 presented in 2000. It was almost defiantly said in Hinckley that success in the fiercely competitive 600 Supersport league was possible without racing and the associated high development effort. Ergo, the British decided not to officially participate in professional racing, only the German importer had organized a Triumph Challenge, which has unfortunately been discontinued in the meantime. That in turn fits in with the not exactly intoxicating sales figures of the conservatively designed four-cylinder. Despite all their talents, their start was anything but happy. Lack of engine power, wrong name choice. TT 600, that always harbored the risk of confusion with a Japanese Enduro that was no longer completely fresh.
And now the U-turn in Hinckley. As if the factory’s fire had literally stifled old thinking last year. The new Daytona 600 presents itself as a phoenix from the ashes. It has already passed its baptism of fire in the British Supersport Championship, and next year they want to venture into the World Cup together with the Valmoto team.
Respect for this achievement, for this decision. How much the English dare with the Daytona can be seen from the outside. The 600er has a clear, aggressive and independent design, so it doesn’t want to be everybody’s darling. But on the contrary. You polarized, has ?? literally ?? over corners and edges. Outside, mind you.
In the engine, on the other hand, corners and edges in the form of tolerances reduce performance, which is why the combustion chambers of the short stroke engine are now machined by CNC machine in order to minimize the manufacturing tolerances (see box on page ??). And Triumph is also treading different paths with the injection system. They separated from the French manufacturer Sagem, allied themselves with Keihin and jointly developed a complete solution that celebrates its premiere in the Daytona 600: a new manifold injection with double throttle valve and the electronic control unit from the Japanese.
And the British have imported something else from Japan: If you want to be successful in the 600 class, you have to be well trained. Sushi instead of fish and chips. The Daytona 600 has slimmed down a lot, should it ?? according to triumph ?? With a full tank, weigh less than 200 kilograms. So it does not quite reach the values ​​of the Kawasaki ZX-6R or the Yamaha YZF-R6, but beats ?? from the paper form? the Honda CBR 600 RR, with which it has one thing in common: the G-Kat. Very commendable.
Which would list the fiercest competitors, all new products for 2003, whose first MOTORRAD tests only allow one judgment: the bar for the Triumph is damned high. With its price of 9,990 euros, the Daytona is on a competitive level, but otherwise?
Triumph gave a first impression at the driving presentation in Cartagena, southern Spain. The first part: a one-hour tour on country roads. The ergonomics of the Daytona are all-round successful, even though the tank is significantly wider than the TT 600, which does not have a negative impact on the knee. Handlebars above the triple tree and a relatively high seating position make it possible to place the footrests so low that the knee angle is not perceived as uncomfortable by tall pilots and at the same time the freedom of leaning is not impaired.
The chassis, already praised on the TT 600, has gained even more thanks to its revision. The Daytona swings casually, very handy and precisely over the country road, but it always wants to be kept busy by its driver, because the extremely short-stroke engine is still not a prime example of pulling power. The engine starts perfectly when cold and works in a cultivated manner, from 2000 rpm it starts without grumbling, purrs with little vibration, no trace of the phlegmatic nature of the first TT 600 engines. However, the Daytona only shows real life above 8000 rpm.
In terms of performance, Triumph follows the industry-typical optimism. It can be doubted whether the four-cylinder really has the specified 111 hp. This may also have something to do with the fact that the engine on the race track in Cartagena, part two of the presentation, does not impress with its explosiveness or aggressive sound, but with its linear performance development. The Triumph is somewhat reminiscent of the current model of the Yamaha R6.
Nevertheless, the Triumph is well armed for the hunt for fast lap times. Only here, on this technically demanding route, do three ?? Unfortunately ?? Turns that are far too short can guess what potential lies dormant in the Daytona 600. It doesn’t take anything away from you and the driver can easily correct mistakes in the choice of line. A thoroughly honest motorcycle with an excellent chassis, which was also demonstrated during two unforgettable laps as a passenger of TT legend and Triumph works driver Jim Moodie: The 600 is full and safe, and even the most brutal braking maneuvers do not disturb it.
It is always a pleasure to see how easily and neutrally the Triumph can be angled down to the deepest slopes, how playfully it follows the desired line. The first tire, the Pirelli Diablo “T”, was specially developed for the Daytona. An effort that was worth it. The Pirelli have a phenomenal grip and show their limit area good-naturedly. Righting moment when braking hard in an inclined position is not an issue for the Daytona. The front brake system no longer acts as brutally hard as that of the TT 600, which makes it much easier to control.
Ob the Daytona is actually a really big hit, will only be shown by the following comparison test soon? The first impression from Spain is very promising. Well done, triumph!

All or nothing – Triumph Daytona 600

All or nothing: Triumph chose one of the most renowned teams for their comeback in the British Supersport Championship: Valmoto (formerly V&M Racing) has more than 20 years of racing experience and has achieved many TT victories and national championship titles. The factory-supported team relies on the Scottish racing legend Jim Moodie (37) and the promising, only 18-year-old youngster Craig Jones (photo). Moodie, eight-time TT winner and British Supersport Champion 2000, is to compete with the Daytona 600 this year at the prestigious Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. And that’s not all: Triumph and Valmoto are planning to enter the Supersport World Cup in 2004. More information about the team is available at www.valmoto.com

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