Triumph Daytona 660 – A Middleweight That Packs A Punch

The “Daytona” name in the Triumph Daytona lineage originates from American rider Buddy Elmore’s victory in the 1966 Daytona 200 race held at the Daytona International Speedway at Daytona Beach, Florida. It’s a great underdog story, look it up. Buddy raced a 500 cc T100.

The first road bike to wear the name was the Triumph Tiger Daytona in 1967 and since then, the name has adorned a long and distinguished line of Triumphs. 

The most recent bike in Triumph’s history to wear the Daytona name is the Daytona 660. It follows in the footsteps of the 675/765 but Triumph says it’s not a direct successor. 

Where the 675/765 was a razor-sharp supersports bike, this is more comfortable, softer and more accessible.

Power comes from a triple-cylinder engine that delivers a distinctive character with a strong mid-range and a powerful top end for its size; 94 bhp @ 11250 rpm and 69 Nm of torque @ 8250 rpm provides plenty of exhilarating acceleration. Personally, I’m a fan of the growing class of sub-100 bhp bikes. It’s more accessible, more fun and you feel like you can thrash it, without ending up in jail. 

It’s got a decent chassis too. Suspension is taken care of by Showa, with 41mm upside down Separate Function Forks – Big Piston (SFF-BP) forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. It’s not what you would call sharp but that’s kind of the point. The chassis is good and offers a fun riding experience and is more comfortable than you would expect. The whole setup is non adjustable, apart from preload on the rear shock.

The Daytona 660 felt neutral and safe, It’s fun and comfortable enough for your everyday riding and Is predictable through the corners. However, if you start pushing the bike really hard, you will find the limits of the suspension. 

If it was my own bike, I’d upgrade the suspension to make it a bit more capable. It was fine until I started to push it, then it didn’t particularly inspire confidence. When you really pressed on, the bike would move around over bumps, but not in a predictable, controllable way. I’m not a huge fan of SFF-BP forks, it’s a way to keep costs down, with compression in one leg and damping in the other. Showa says it allows for more precise tuning, but these are non-adjustable. Having said this, I’m not little and I made it work hard. For someone younger and smaller it probably would behave differently.

Brakes are Triumph branded with radial calipers and ABS which worked well. The ABS wasn’t intrusive and the breaking power was superb, it felt like it would stop in its own length. There’s no quickshifter as standard, although one is available as an option, but the gearbox is slick and precise. There is a slipper clutch so breaking hard into a corner, the rear wouldn’t lock or slide on downchanges. Triumph have fitted a decent set of tyres to the 660 too, Michelin Power 6 tyres. 

The Daytona 660 boasts impressive technology for the price point. Its ride-by-wire throttle system ensures precise and immediate throttle response, while also offering three distinct riding modes: Sport, Road, and Rain. Each mode tailors throttle response and traction control intervention levels to suit different riding conditions. Sport mode delivers the most aggressive throttle response and the least amount of electronic intervention. I left mine in sport mode. 

For riders who prefer a more direct and unfiltered riding experience, the traction control system can be completely deactivated through the instrument menu. With only 94 bhp I don’t personally feel the need for rider modes, but I think the audience for this bike might be younger or less experienced, so this kind of feature could help build confidence. It has a low 810 mm seat height which means it’s easy to flat foot plus, it’s very narrow.

There’s a full-colour TFT instrument cluster which provides clear and easily readable information, including speed, RPM, gear position, and riding modes. 

The Daytona 660 is also A2-license compliant and can easily be converted to meet the requirements of A2-license holders.

The Daytona 660’s design is a harmonious blend of modern aesthetics and classic sportbike elements. Its sleek lines, sharp angles, and aggressive stance exude a sense of confidence and power. The bike’s compact dimensions and well-positioned controls contribute to a comfortable and intuitive riding experience and the riding position, though slightly more upright than a full-on supersport, offers a balance of sportiness and comfort, making it suitable for longer rides. Yes, it’s a budget bike with a steel frame and swingarm, but it’s great fun and at just £8595 is great value too. 

You have to look at these things in perspective. Straight out of the box, this is a great-looking, fun bike that can be yours for £8595, that’s incredible value these days.

For my tastes, I would upgrade the suspension and add the quick-shifter, then this would be an excellent supersport bike.

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION

Type – Liquid cooled, inline 3-cylinder,12 valve, DOHC, 240° Firing order

Capacity – 660cc

Maximum Power – 70 kW (95PS) at 11,250 rpm

Maximum Torque – 69 Nm @ 8,250 rpm 

CHASSIS

Frame – Tubular steel perimeter frame

Swingarm – Twin-sided, fabricated steel

Front Wheel – Cast aluminium alloy 5 spoke, 17 x 3.5 in

Rear Wheel – Cast aluminium alloy 5 spoke, 17 x 5.5 in

Front Tyre – 120/70 ZR 17

Rear Tyre – 180/55 ZR 17

Front Suspension – Showa 41mm upside down separate function big piston (SFF-BP) forks, 110mm Wheel travel

Rear Suspension – Showa monoshock RSU, with preload adjustment, 130mm Wheel travel

Front Brakes – Twin 310mm floating discs, 4 piston radial callipers, ABS

Rear Brakes – Single 220mm fixed disc, single piston sliding calliper, ABS

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHTS

Instruments – Multi-function instruments with colour TFT screen

Length – 2083.8mm

Width (Handlebars) – 736mm

Seat Height – 810mm

Wheelbase – 1425.6mm

Rake – 23.8°

Trail – 82.3mm

Wet weight – 201kg  (@90% fuel volume)

Fuel Tank Capacity – 14 litres

Fuel Consumption – 57.6 mpg (4.9litres / 100 km)

SERVICE

Service interval – 10,000 miles (16,000 km) /12 months service interval, whichever comes first

PRICE – £8595

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