[cycleworld.com] - 2024 Triumph Daytona 660 First Look

[Ninjette Newsbot]

The rise of street-biased, more affordable sportbikes continues with the announcement of the new Triumph Daytona 660.

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Triumph jumps back into the fully faired sportbike market with its 2024 Daytona 660. (Triumph/)After years in the doldrums, there’s something of a revival underway in the market for middleweight sportbikes as manufacturers rediscover the recipe for cheap thrills with a side of practicality. Now Triumph is out to snatch a slice of the action with its new Daytona 660, and on paper at least, it has all the ingredients to be the best of the bunch.

The last couple of decades have been a rough time for sportbikes. Having been the bestselling range-toppers across the globe in the ‘90s, they suffered a spectacular fall from grace in the new millennium as riders turned their backs on a new generation of increasingly extreme 600cc four-cylinder machines.


Triumph’s 2024 Daytona 660 in Carnival Red. (Triumph/)Motorcycle manufacturers were caught up in a red-hot battle for spec-sheet supremacy and racing success that seemed to blind them to the very usability that had made the ‘80s and ‘90s middleweights so appealing. Instead of making racing more relatable, regulations forcing the use of minimally modified streetbikes in the 600cc Supersport category led to the development of generations of machines that were simply too track-focused to appeal to the customers who’d previously made the class such a success. Bikes like the Honda CBR600F which were happy commuting during the week, touring during vacations, and visiting the track at weekends, allowing riders to have one reasonably priced bike that fulfilled all their needs, were replaced with expensive racers-for-the-road that, while impressive feats of engineering, were far less usable on a day-to-day basis.

Fortunately, motorcycle companies appear to have rediscovered the joy of a practical, affordable sportbike, even if it means sacrificing a few horsepower or fractions of a second of lap time. The new category includes bikes like Yamaha’s YZF-R7, Honda’s CBR650R, Kawasaki’s Ninja 650, and the Suzuki GSX-8R. However, the new Triumph Daytona 660 looks poised to be more appealing than any of them thanks to a character rich three-cylinder engine, class-leading performance, and a competitive price tag. The Daytona starts at $9,195, sliding just below the $9,199 Yamaha R7 despite offering an extra cylinder and another 22 hp. It’s also less expensive, lighter, and more powerful than the $9,439 GSX-8R and has an even bigger price advantage over the $9,899 Honda CBR650R.


The Daytona 660 has been reinvented as a practical, affordable sportbike that is focused on street performance before racetrack capability. (Triumph/)We first saw the bike on test last August and it was immediately clear that it was nearly production-ready and heavily based on the Triumph Trident 660—sharing many of that roadster’s components. However, the official unveiling reveals that Triumph has done much more than simply bolted some bodywork to the Trident, as the Daytona 660 has some deep-rooted changes including a heavily revised version of the Trident’s 660cc engine.


The engine is based on the same triple in the Trident, but has been heavily revised for this application. (Triumph/)While the Trident’s 81-hp triple would have been enough to put the bike on a par with the new Suzuki GSX-8R and to beat Yamaha’s R7 in the horsepower stakes, Triumph has opted to raise the bar further, creating a 94-hp version of the engine for the Daytona 660. The bore, stroke, and capacity are unchanged, but there’s a new cylinder head, different camshafts, a new crankshaft, a new 3-into-1 exhaust system, and most notably a new triple throttle body arrangement in place of the Trident’s single throttle body.

Together, these changes help push the redline to 12,650 rpm, with peak power 17 percent higher than the Trident’s and arriving at 11,250 rpm, 1,000 rpm higher than the roadster. There’s more torque, too, with a 9 percent increase to 51 lb.-ft., peaking 2,000 rpm higher than before at 8,250 rpm. It drives through the same assist-and-slipper clutch and six-speed transmission as the Trident, but with a revised final-drive ratio to suit the engine’s higher-revving nature. A quickshifter is optional.


The 3-into-1 exhaust is revised from the Trident. (Triumph/)But don’t let the higher revs fool you into thinking Triumph has sacrificed low-down performance in pursuit of higher peak numbers; more than 80 percent of the maximum torque is available from 3,125 to 11,750 rpm. Despite the extra revs, the engine’s service intervals are as long as the Trident’s, with dealer visits required once every 10,000 miles, or annually.


The front end includes a Showa fork, and a pair of radial-mount calipers and 310mm discs. (Triumph/)Like the engine, the chassis is Trident-derived but with some notable changes to suit the Daytona’s faired styling and sportier intentions. The head angle is steeper, moved from 24.6 degrees to 23.8, and the trail figure is reduced from 4.2 to 3.2 inches. Meanwhile the wheelbase is lengthened from 55.2 to 56.1 inches thanks to increased offset from the new triple clamps. The suspension is like the Trident’s, with a nonadjustable 41mm Showa SFF-BP upside-down fork, and a preload-adjustable Showa monoshock at the rear attached to a fabricated steel swingarm.

Triumph has given the brakes an upgrade, replacing the axial-mount, two-piston Nissin front calipers used on the Trident with a pair of four-piston radial-mount calipers, gripping 310mm discs. These are made specifically for Triumph and wear the company’s own logo but look very much like the J.Juan calipers used by several other brands including KTM and CFMoto.


A preload-adjustable Showa shock resides out back. (Triumph/)In terms of ergonomics, Triumph suggests it took inspiration from ‘90s all-rounder sportbikes like the Honda CBR600F, creating a stance that’s sporty but not back-breaking or wrist-wrenching like many of the more dedicated supersport machines (think Yamaha YZF-R6, Kawasaki ZX-6R, and Suzuki GSX-R600). Compared to the Trident, the bars are 2.3 inches narrower, 3.7 inches farther forward, and 4.3 inches lower, as well as being tilted downward and backward by a few degrees. The footpegs, meanwhile, are raised 0.4 inch and moved back by 0.6 inch.

While the rear bodywork is borrowed from the Trident, there’s a new two-piece seat with a raised passenger section, and the rider’s seat is a fraction higher than the roadster’s, sitting 31.9 inches from the ground. A lowering kit can bring it down to 30.9 inches if desired. The fuel tank is also from the Trident, with the same 3.7-gallon capacity, but the addition of bodywork means the Daytona weighs 443 pounds, an increase of 26 pounds compared to the 417-pound naked roadster.


The rider and passenger seats are tiered with the standard rider seat height measuring 31.9 inches from the ground. (Triumph/)In the cockpit, there is a similar set of instruments to those on the Trident, with a white-on-black LCD display for speed, revs, gear position, and fuel level, plus a tiny color TFT display that includes other functions like the app-based turn-by-turn navigation that’s available with the optional My Triumph Connectivity System, which also adds phone and music control. This lower display will also show which of the three riding modes you’ve selected from the Road, Sport, or Rain options. There’s switchable traction control and ABS as standard, but the rider aids are simple, straight-line versions rather than the six-axis IMU-connected cornering systems used on more expensive bikes.

All lighting is LED, and there’s an automatic emergency-stop warning system that flashes the hazards during hard deceleration. You’ll be able to upgrade the Daytona 660 with additional options including a quickshifter, which is among a list of more than 30 other extras including heated grips, luggage, and cosmetic add-ons.


A similar dash to the Speed Triple R is used on the Daytona with a mix of LCD and TFT screens. (Triumph/)The Daytona’s specs suggest that its rivals will have a tough time beating it. Yamaha’s R7 might be lighter at 414 pounds, but it’s substantially less powerful as well (66.3 rear-wheel horsepower on the Cycle World dyno), and even Suzuki’s new GSX-8R can’t equal the British bike for horsepower. Honda’s CBR650R is the closest match in terms of power (80.1 hp on our dyno), and just slightly heavier (445 pounds) than the Daytona.

Although other competitors are on the horizon, including the intriguing CFMoto 675 SR triple, at the moment the Triumph is the only sportbike in this price bracket to have a characterful three-cylinder engine. Want one? Bikes are due to arrive in dealerships starting this March, which at the same time Cycle World will be attending the world press launch for the bike and provide a full report.


Rear three-quarter of the Daytona 660 in Satin Granite. (Triumph/)
Front three-quarter of the Daytona 660 in Satin Granite. (Triumph/)
Left-side view of the Daytona 660 in Snowdonia White. (Triumph/)
Right-side view of the Daytona 660 in Snowdonia White. (Triumph/)
Left-side view of the Daytona 660 in Carnival Red. (Triumph/)
Cockpit view. (Triumph/)
Close-up of radial-mount calipers. (Triumph/)
Left menu control pod is very similar to the Street Triple R’s unit. (Triumph/)
LED rear taillight. (Triumph/)2024 Triumph Daytona 660 Specs

MSRP:$9,195Engine:DOHC, liquid-cooled, four-stroke inline-three; 4 valves/cyl.Displacement:660ccBore x Stroke:74.0 x 51.1mmCompression Ratio:12.1:1Transmission/Final Drive:6-speed/chainClaimed Horsepower:94 hp @ 11,250 rpmClaimed Torque:51 lb.-ft. @ 8,250 rpmFuel System:Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection w/ electronic throttle controlClutch:Wet, multiplate slip/assistEngine Management/Ignition:ElectronicFrame:Tubular steel perimeterFront Suspension:Showa 41mm inverted separate function big piston (SFF-BP) fork; 4.3 in. travelRear Suspension:Showa monoshock, preload adjustable; 5.1 in. travelFront Brake:4-piston radial-mount calipers, 310mm discs w/ ABSRear Brake:1-piston caliper, 220mm disc w/ ABSWheels, Front/Rear:Cast aluminum; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in.Tires, Front/Rear:120/70-17 / 180/55-17Rake/Trail:23.8°/3.2 in.Wheelbase:56.1 in.Ground Clearance:N/ASeat Height:31.9 in.Fuel Capacity:3.7 gal.Claimed Wet Weight:443 lb.Contact:triumphmotorcycles.com