Test Drive – Test Triumph Daytona 675 2013: triple impact! – Raw pleasures …

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2013 Triumph Daytona 675 test: triple impact !

Test Drive - Test Triumph Daytona 675 2013: triple impact! - Raw pleasures ...

Lighter, more powerful and even more efficient, the 2013 Triumph Daytona 675 literally charmed us on the circuit in its sublime R version. On the road, is the standard version of the English Supersport also convincing ? Test.

Raw pleasures…

Despite the half-handlebars set 5 mm higher, the driving position imposed by the 2013 Daytona 675 is hardly less radical than before. The legs are folded back and the weight of the bust is directly supported by the wrists. On the handlebars of the Englishwoman, the expression "nose in the bubble" takes on its full meaning !

The saddle, thin, hard and narrow, gives the pilot the impression of being seated on a piece of black tape stuck to the battery, while the tiny bubble offers more or less the degree of protection of a soft top. , of course) holey … Unsurprisingly, the suspension tuning is of the firm kind, but the excellent progressiveness of the rear element provides a relative – and unexpected – comfort.

Finely calibrated, the magnificent mono-shock absorber with separate cylinder absorbs shocks with an efficiency imbued with welcome delicacy. Of course, its lively reactions and its "sporty" rating painfully recall your fond memories on wrinkled surfaces: notwithstanding its qualities, this Kayaba shock absorber is above all designed for performance rather than comfort! But some competing systems are much more intransigent, especially on the Bologna side (read our)…

Confusingly light, the Triumph also offers a correct turning radius for a sports bike, two valuable assets in built-up areas. At low speed, turning it requires little effort, despite the presence of a steering damper under the lower yoke. U-turns, however, require more attention: on the one hand because of the saddle height (820 mm), on the other because the wrists then the hands quickly come into contact with the tank.

Demanding, the English nevertheless deploys some appreciable good manners such as a coded key and bent rim valves (as on practically all recent Triumphs). In addition, its mirrors are quite effective and fold easily to facilitate parking or transport. Finally, its instrumentation includes a gasoline gauge, two trips, a gear indicator engaged and engine temperature. Not bad, for a motorcycle of this category !

On the other hand, it ignores the controls on the handlebars, warnings and a gap adjustment on the clutch lever (five positions for the brake). Likewise, its tiny trunk can only accommodate a small disc lock and its non-adjustable footrests are not covered with rubber. Fortunately, the Triple only lets out tingling from 7000 rpm. No luck: this regime corresponds to a small 130 km / h in sixth…

Thanks to its flexibility and availability, the engine allows you to get out of traffic jams without suffering too much: it is possible to descend to 25 km / h in fourth gear – the tachometer needle then indicating 1500 rpm -, then leave without a hiccup. Admittedly, a 4-cylinder of medium displacement is shown just as available, but the comparison stops there: from low revs, the acceleration of the "three-legged" of 675 cc is much more vigorous. !

The landscape then begins to scroll very quickly, to the sound of the deaf vocalizations of this completely redesigned block (read our Technical point). Too bad Triumph did not take the opportunity to eradicate its annoying whistle and the slight jerk in the transmission perceptible on the go-around. Conversely, the progress made on the clutch is obvious: the left lever is exquisitely soft, making it possible to take full advantage of a quick and rather silent selection for a sports car..

Always so playful and lively to take its turns, the British mechanics have an incredible force in the mid-revs: well helped by its featherweight, the Daytona 2013 offers times to make some big cars pale! Controlled with your fingertips through injection as precise as it is responsive, this passion is gradually reinforced before transforming into an exciting surge of raw power from 8,000 to … 11,000 rpm.

In France, it is indeed at this moment that the clamping is felt: while it seemed to want to literally throw itself on the stopper, the tachometer needle then begins to stagnate and climbs more and more. more slowly the last graduations up to 15,000 rpm of the breaker. However, even in 106 hp, the range of use remains formidable: a YZF-R6, for example, can not say the same…

But it is not only for this charming engine and as full as the trunk of a minivan on the holiday highway that we fall for the Triumph Daytona 675: its chassis is just as pleasing, or even more so. proves formidably effective !

As sharp as a scalpel, the front axle offers a direct connection to the asphalt. The work of the 41mm fork is perfectly noticeable and predictable, both in compression and rebound, which immediately puts you at ease. And this is one of the main qualities of the Daytona 675: despite the cadaverous rigidity of its aluminum frame, no special instructions are necessary to have fun on its handlebars..

Intuitive, she seems to guess the intentions at the same time as they take shape in the mind: a glance at the rope and the "Hinckley ball" rushes there! Thanks to the better mass centralization obtained via the abandonment of the exhaust under the saddle, it is imperial when entering curves. And, as the braking is up to par (power, feeling and endurance: everything is there!), We quickly take pleasure in using and abusing what appears to be one of the best fronts in the category..

Extremely slender, the Englishwoman offers her pilot a lot of mobility: fans of "swaying piloting" can move around the tank without restraint and use the footrests to steer it. However, adopting the "Marquez attitude" is not an obligation on this fine motorcycle like a 250 cc: the Dayto 675 responds very favorably to orders given only by the handlebars, its featherweight and directional precision facilitating the exercise..

This impression of docility – relative, we are talking about a sportswoman, not a 125 cc scooter! – also comes from the irreproachable stability of the motorcycle, even when a bump tumbles in full re-acceleration on the angle. While a certain "nervousness" was to be feared in view of its ultra-short wheelbase (1375 mm) and its very closed caster angle (22.9 °), the Triumph maintains its course without the need to fight with her.

On bumpy roads, the only limit will actually come from your ability to withstand the very sharp reactions of its racing motorcycle chassis. A constraint that can quickly turn out to be exhausting on poorly paved small roads, as its solid teak saddle and its radical position are already straining the buttocks, lower back and wrists….

Verdict: better than better, so it was possible !

At the end of this test, Site can only congratulate Triumph for daring to move forward with the sole objective of improving a motorcycle without any real fault. In view of the economic context and the state of the sports market, this quest for the "always better" is the best expression of the daring and passionate state of mind put forward in the communication of the British manufacturer..

However, this successful mutation does not mean that the 2013 Daytona 675 has arrived at perfection: the Englishwoman is familiar with it very closely, but as perfection is not of this world, MNC still found some flaws. Well, I might as well admit it, the exercise was not easy … Especially since the long list of its qualities is added a quality of realization and an irreproachable finish. All at a "reasonable" price and with a disconnectable ABS offered at a bargain price (+ 400 euros).

However, some die-hards will never forgive it for the "Japaneseization" of its lines (the pointed rear shell inevitably evokes the Yamaha R6), nor the abandonment of its silencer under the saddle. Of course, this arrangement was not the best solution from a dynamic point of view, whereas placing the outlet in a low position, near the engine, allows the masses to be refocused and the weight to be reduced by using shorter exhaust ducts. And that is excellent for the agility of the motorcycle !

But this exit under the saddle was one of the distinctive signs of the Daytona 675, as well as the rocky sound of its 3-cylinder: the beautiful has gained in efficiency what it has lost in visual originality..

Finally, if Triumph ensures that it does not need traction control (read the Electronic section on the penultimate page), the Motorcycle Journal on the Internet is not quite of the same opinion: this electronic kickstand developed for the circuit has, in our opinion, become a real active safety tool for road use, just like ABS.

Because if it is true that the traction offered by the excellent chassis and the no less excellent Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP is almost impossible to fault, this only applies on dry roads and with gums in good condition. In town on a "greasy" passage or on a wet departmental road with tires at the end of their life, the conclusion will be less "triumphant"…

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