Sporty – The Supersport that makes Japan tremble! – Face to face with a 2006 675 Daytona: the seven mistakes game!

The Supersport that shakes Japan !

Sporty - The Supersport that makes Japan tremble! - Face to face with a 2006 675 Daytona: the seven mistakes game!

The Triumph Daytona has been terrorizing the Supersport category since 2006, thanks to its rigorous chassis and its enchanting 675 cc three-cylinder engine! Refined in 2009, the English sportswoman has not lost any of her charm and raises the level of a notch… Test !

Head to head with a 2006 675 Daytona: the seven mistakes game !

The 2009 Daytona technical side

In order to keep its laurels, the British has undergone slight aesthetic and mechanical changes. The famous "3-legged" 74 mm stroke and 52.3 mm bore gains three horsepower (128 instead of 125), its torque – already generous for an average displacement – goes from 72 to 73 Nm, and its engine extension is increased to 13,900 rpm (+400 rpm). Improvements due to the adoption of completely new valves, exhaust camshaft and hydraulic chain tensioning system. Without forgetting the optimization of the gas flow offered by the new silencer which loses a kilo in the process! Also participating in the hunt for weight (-3 kg in total), the collector melts 500 g while nibbling 0.4 mm on its thickness and the new cylinder head cover passes to magnesium to scrape 282 g. Keihin injection has been recalibrated for smoothness and first gear pulls longer (135 km / h).

The efficient aluminum frame with double spars is renewed in its functions while retaining its main dimensions: the caster angle of 23.9 ° favors agility, as does the wheelbase of 1395 mm and the dry weight of 162 kg. To meet the expectations of the finest developers, Triumph has adopted fully adjustable Kayaba suspensions with separation for compression at high and low speeds..

Already a good brakeman, the 2009 Daytona is now adorned with one-piece Nissin calipers that would provide 15% more power and 5% more attack on paper. The discs are improved to dissipate heat more quickly and the elegant braided hoses are renewed. With such fittings, the Triumph had to use tires up to the task: this is the case with the formidable Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP fitted as standard. !

Faced with the failure of the 600 TT and other Daytona 600 and 650 in the disputed Supersport category, the Hinckley company reacted with the manner by marketing in 2006 a brand new sports car equipped with the engine dear to Triumph: a three -cylinders cubing for the occasion 675 cc (read our). .

A relevant and strategically based choice, so much to compete with the Japanese "stars" on their own ground with an in-line four-cylinder engine proved to be delicate and undoubtedly counter-productive for the image of the European manufacturer … Charismatic, original and Devilishly effective, the 675 Daytona immediately rose to the benchmarks, shamelessly shaking up the "screaming" Japanese with its "3-legged" as expressive as it is effective !

Packed with torque for the category, ultra light (165 kg dry) and capable of extending the stride up to 13,500 rpm, the Dayto has perfectly fulfilled its contract: to eat the R6, ZX-6R, 600 CBR and other 600 GSX-R on the track! The bike even won the French Supersport title in 2007 (read), then in the English and German championships the following season. !

Admittedly, the 675 Daytona struggles to shine in Mondial Supersport – for lack of a real official commitment – while on the road, it charges dearly for its character of tracker … Regardless for Triumph: the machine is undoubtedly well born and its commercial success prove! Better: the English can boast of being one of the rare European motorcycles to have broken Japanese hegemony while forging its own path !

Three years after her release and as gifted as she is ("the Daytona 675 had no real shortcomings, whether on the road or on the track", affirms Triumph!), the British Supersport had to evolve to stay in contact with Japanese women improving each year. However, there was no question of upsetting the fine balance, nor of completely revising the general line: despite fifty changes made to the vintage 2009, Triumph chose the card of evolution and not of revolution.

Crutched next to the 2006 model of Stephane, a loyal Site reader who accompanied us during a good part of our test, the Dayto ‘2009 indeed requires good eyes to detect its aesthetic and technical modifications … Moreover, with their same bright red color, the first and the last vintage could almost merge in a parking lot !

An asset or a weakness, depending on whether you like the original lines or not: some will see it as a lack of daring on the part of Triumph, others a desire not to follow the Japanese and their incessant aesthetic redesigns. : after all, English women are often appreciated for their propensity to stray from the beaten track !

Regardless, the slender line has not aged a bit and the 675 still gives the impression of contemplating a 250 cc! "I like the arrow-shaped turn signals and the black tint of the engine", notes Stephane – Fanfan for close friends – who never stops revolving around the two motorcycles:"the front redesigned at the level of the optics and the screen, just like the small Triumph cover placed on the air intake, do not inspire me in particular. It’s rather discreet and it will please or not! On the other hand, the screen seems shorter and on the 2006, it was originally tinted", continues our reader.

Handlebars in hand, the "Game of Seven Errors" continues: the position is still tilted on the wrists and despite a saddle height – filled with peach cores – of 825 mm, a 1.75 m pilot easily touches both feet. on the ground thanks to the narrowness of the mill. The general ergonomics are unchanged and the controls fall well to hand, despite a clutch of which only the cable guard is adjustable.

As usual with Triumph, the finish is flattering and the gaze wanders readily on the perforated triple tree, the front brake control – adjustable – with radial master cylinder and the very beautiful footrest plates placed at a height reasonable and remote without excess.

Sweating the track with its new fully adjustable Kayaba suspensions, the 2009 675 Daytona unfortunately overlooks certain practical aspects such as warnings, a coded key, a pin on the crutch (Grr!) And a fuel gauge. As for the space under the saddle, its volume is roughly equal to the tolerance of the tax services !

"Well, we don’t buy a sports car for its practicality !", laughs Fanfan."And then, it is true that the wrists are put to the test, but you end up getting used to it and that did not prevent me from doing nearly 30,000 km with !". Not wrong … But at Site, we can’t help but cut our hair in four: after all, it’s our job !

The 675 Daytona also reveals charming details: the angled valves on the rims and the small oil gauge located at the bottom right of the engine allow the levels to be easily checked. The instrumentation is readable – except for the kilometer trips – and complete: hour, speed and average consumption, two trips, a led shift light, a gear indicator engaged and reserve. Undoubtedly, the Triumph is strong! Too bad resetting, requiring you to press two of the three tiny buttons, is so tedious.

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