Triumph Daytona 660 Reviewed! | Rewriting The Destiny

One of the hardest things that an automotive journalist has to do while reviewing a motorcycle, is to see the machine in a much wider perspective. You have to let go of all the notions you have conceived regarding it, even before firing it up. When the call came that we would be getting the new Triumph Daytona 660 for a brief duration of 3 days, I locked the inside Daytona fanatic in the basement. I had to do it since the previous Daytona used to be one of my favourite motorcycles and the new one? On paper, it is a sin. The overall demeanour of the motorcycle? Also toned down quite a bit. But then, the moment I saw her standing there wrapped in the pious shade of white, I wanted to give it a chance to win me over.

Looks better in person

And it did! In certain aspects, it really did. What’s wrong then? The company of other motorcycles in the same price bracket and the fabled tales associated with the Daytona moniker. (You are letting those thoughts run wild again, Anant! Focus. There’s a lot of people who have worked really hard to develop the Daytona 660!) However, there’s one thing for sure. In person, the Daytona 660 looks more gorgeous as it does in the pictures. It has a very clean design with none of the elements looking out of place. It does look like a big bike but we believe it could have looked more elusive. You see, when you’re shelling out close to INR 12 lakh to acquire a motorcycle, you want it to turn every head. The Daytona does turn heads, not every one of them though. The difference between the 660 and the 675R becomes evident as soon as you sit on the 660. The previous 675R was very hardcore with a single-minded approach with the new one bringing some comfort on board for the rider. It does get clip-ons but they aren’t willing to kiss the ground like they do on the 675R. Even the rearset footpegs are more forward set as compared to the previous generation. You could look at it this way. They haven’t downgraded their recipe, they have just made it more suitable for the masses. 

The Daytona genes. Retained or thrown out of the bin?

One of the main reasons behind Daytona’s legendary status in the world of motorcycles is because of its triple-cylinder configuration. Triumph struck gold with this layout and the 675R was a living, breathing, fire-erupting testimony to that. The Daytona 660 on the other hand, has borrowed its powerplant from the Trident and the Tiger Sport 660. Most motorcyclists out there frowned even at the idea of it because despite this 660cc triple-cylinder mill being potent in the real world, the sheer difference between the performance figures was a letdown at first. Things are better in the real world though.  For the Daytona, Triumph has deployed a new crankshaft, new pistons and wrist pins, a new cylinder head with larger exhaust valves, and a different exhaust cam that provides more lift than the unit in the Trident. To retain the signature triple-cylinder howl, Triumph has also utilized a revised exhaust system with tweaks made to the catalytic converter for better flow and sound. These changes have helped the Daytona in clocking better performance figures: 95hp at 11,250rpm and 69nm at 8,250rpm. The redline has also been bumped up to 12,650rpm. 

When you have a middleweight supersport parked in your garage with an iconic nameplate, it would be a cardinal sin not to take it out on a long ride. I took care of that itch and after clocking 300kms on the Daytona, I will be honest, this ‘downgrade’ makes sense in a lot of aspects. Let’s discuss the engine first which has a very bi-polar trait. Although there are three ride modes on offer: rain, road and sport, we found ourselves mostly in the sport mode itself because, duh! Below 5000rpm, the Daytona purrs like a kitten as it comes out as a very, very docile motorcycle. The light clutch adds to this feeling but after 5,000rpm, this little kitten turns into a roaring big cat as its demeanour also transforms apart from the aural drama that ensues after that. Grab a handful of throttle and the revs climb up pretty aggressively. The Daytona 660 remains smooth for the most part with only a few vibrations creeping in on you at certain rpms. The most impressive thing about this engine is this duality itself. It lets the rider enjoy the low-end grunt which is similar to that of a parallel-twin motor but the Daytona also kicks back in the higher revs, like a screaming inline-4. There’s one thing for sure, the new Daytona cannot hold a candle against the older one but when it comes to real-world performance, it has oodles of it.

The compromise

While the engine still tries to keep the Daytona moniker pious and worth worshipping still, it is a different story when it comes to riding dynamics. The 675R was blessed with top-shelf components bundled with a more sophisticated chassis. The new Daytona 660? No fancy componentry because at the front is a Showa SFF-BP fork without any provisions for adjustment, while at the rear is a Showa monoshock with preload adjustability. Where this suspension setup actually excels, is ironing out the bumps as it is supple and confident over rough surfaces. However, exposing the Daytona to what it was ‘initially’ destined to do, it will show you that it has a different destiny now, altogether. Around bends when you start pushing it, the wallowy suspension robs you off the clinical feel of the previous Daytona. While that was a surgeon, this one is a resident doctor. Same is the case with the braking performance too, which is adequate for fast sprints on the road but if you’re thinking of taking it out on a racetrack, both the brakes and the tyres need speccing up! 

Does it make sense?

For the masses? Absolutely yes. What you’re getting is essentially a very potent real-world motorcycle which wouldn’t mind playing multiple roles. So be it commuting, weekend runs, touring or racetrack rendezvous, the Daytona 660 will do it all. It makes sense for Triumph to go down this road because if they had retained the previous formula for the new Daytona, its price would have been alarmingly close to that of litre-class superbikes. And that is the reason, my friend, we have witnessed the demise of hardcore supersport motorcycles. You, me and every motorcyclist out there, are the reason why the Daytona 660 exists. There’s no blaming Triumph for that, because they have done a stellar job with the Daytona 660. However, its pricing puts it very close to something more menacing.