MOTOFOODIE

The Triumph Daytona 675 R is the first middleweight sports motorcycle to be sold in India, a segment which is hailed as the ideal mix of usability and sports performance.

Having clocked over 28,000 kms on my 2015 Triumph Daytona 675R, here is my ownership experience to help you decide if this is/isn’t the motorcycle you want to live with.

Let me bring this upfront – this ownership experience touches upon the two most significant things a regular motorcyclist does – ‘city commute’ and ‘highway touring’. If you are a track junkie you already know what the Daytona 675R represents.

City Commute – It’s possible!!

Honestly this was a surprise – it is such a beautiful thing to putter around the city and the heat from the engine and radiator is actually manageable (in bumper-to-bumper traffic) and one wouldn’t burn his/her inner thighs since the frame of the motorcycle wouldn’t be in contact with the rider’s legs (unlike the 2008 R1).

Would I use this as a daily commute to work – definitely

Pillion Comfort – Exists for a sports bike

This is an ‘out-and-out rider’s motorcycle’ – however pillion comfort is far better on this than the litre class supersport motorcycle (the grab-rails on the motorcycle does provide some support for the pillion to hold on).

Braking – Precise

Thanks to the front & rear Brembo discs, the motorcycle can brake on a dime. The ABS-ON is the default mode which can be switched off completely.

My personal favorite is the Race-ABS that deactivates the ABS to the rear-wheel (say hello to rear-wheel slides :P)

Touring: – hell yeah!!

Touring on any sports bike is harsh on the back and wrists of the rider and the Daytona 675 R is no exception – in fact the riding posture is more aggressive than the 2008 R1.

• Fuel – Lack of availability of premium fuel is one of the biggest inhibitors to tour on sports bikes – the stock Daytona 675R bridges that gap – runs like a charm on regular octane fuel. Aftermarket exhausts on this would demand premium fuel (97 octane)
• Suspension (Fully adjustable front and rear Ohlins suspension) – the comfort offered by the plush suspension makes this one of the easiest sports bike to tour – on even bad roads.
• Tyres – The stock Pirellis are brilliant on tarmac and wet but are a lost cause in slush or in gravel.
• Luggage – Even a simple backpack with a bungee cord does the trick – I personally use the Kriega US-series that worked well on the R1.
• Tank Range – A good 240 to 270km on a full tank on the highways is a reasonable and a welcome/mandatory break for the rider from the aggressive riding posture. (One can expect an average of 16 to 17kmpl while touring on highways)

Things I love about the Daytona 675R:

• Intoxicating Engine & Exhaust Note – I am huge sucker for the engine & exhaust note from an inline4 motorcycle, but this is absolute music to hear in any RPM (Whistling Nirvana!!) unlike most inline-4s that need to rev beyond a certain RPM
• Low & Mid-Range Power – What a delight to ride in the lower RPMs!!  unlike the rev-happy inline4 supersport motorcycles. The ample torque between 3000 to 6000 RPM removes the possibility of shifting down to 1^st gear in stop-go traffic or to counter the road humps.
• Fully-Adjustable Front & Rear Ohlins Suspension – This is what makes the R – ‘tune it for your purpose’ – Set it for a Racetrack or Street riding or Touring
• No Premium Fuel – Oh it is such a relief to just fill regular octane fuel (unlike my previous R1) while touring finding premium fuel on the highways is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
• QuickShifter – the throttle open shifts puts a smile every-single-time 🙂

Niggles:

• Riding in rain – Due to the clearance between the fork assembly and the side panels, the heat from the radiator & engine fogs/clouds the helmet visor of the rider, windscreen bubble
• No 4-way hazard lights
• Mirrors – Absolutely useless with a Riding jacket +pillion limiting the complete visibility
• Excessive chain spray sticks on the catalytic converter of the exhaust system, the heat from the cat con seals the chain lube onto the surface rendering the chain clean spray useless
• No extension to the side stand to pull it down – but one gets used to it after a bit
• Instrument Console
  • Reading the console during broad daylight (mid-day) is a challenge
  • The total odo reading is visible only while starting the motorcycle
  • The fuel gauge gets activated (upon a refill) only after the motorcycle is in motion and not instantly ( I still don’t understand the logic behind this)

If you love touring on sportbikes – the Triumph Daytona 675R is the best bet, the sweet low and mid-range power to ‘soothe the commuter /tourer‘ and the ‘ferocity to give goose bumps for the racetrack aficionados‘.