It's called the Daytona 675R. A motorcycle they say is among the very best that you can
buy even if you have all the money in the world. It is powered by Triumph's revolutionary
inline three motor that makes the most torque you will experience on a 600cc motorcycle.
It is also one of the lightest motorcycles in its segment. And you don't have to be a
genius to put two and two together!
And with that being said the race track is the ultimate place to let such a thoroughbred
loose. But as this is a road test, we have come to next best thing - Lavasa.
Also known as State Highway 57, the serpentine road is not only breathtakingly beautiful it is among
the best motorable road in India. The 20kms long stretch treats you to every type of corner
there is. From high speed flowing corners, tight chicanes to technical hairpins, the
road to Lavasa tests the mettle of the best machines and riders. In other words, a fitting
challenge to put Triumph's racing prowess to test.
Wow! This is incredible. What an engine and what a smashing midrange. Can you hear it?
I sure hope so, cause it sounds so freaking sweet.
And as you accelerate hard, you have to look at the dial because it keeps lighting up like a christmas tree
in every gear, even before you realise.
This performance is thanks to an all new engine design which has pushed the redline to 14,400rpm
using a shorter stroke and larger bore. This ensures the top end is strong as ever and
the lower final gearing now sees you tear through the tarmac off the line.
Stronger and lighter components within the engine mean it can withstand higher compression pressure.
And that translates to more power and a gruntier mid-range.
And that's good enough to catapult this beast from 0-100 in less than 3.5 secs,
which is just as quick if not quicker than the Shelby GT500. Happy Diwali !
The real reason why this bike is special, the reason why I would sell my kidney to buy
this bike is for this small "R" that accompanies the 675.
Because that translates to fully adjustable Ohlin suspension, Brembo brakes, a slipper clutch, a quick shifter and of course
the Race ABS. In other words,
this is the closest you can are going to get to own a Works Supersport machine. And this is what it allows you to do.
It just cuts through corners like a hot knife in butter. I mean the revised geometry which
is more front biased, the sharper rake and of course the shorter wheelbase has given
the Daytona, has bestowed the Daytona with unbelievable agility.
The Ohlin suspension, they dampen out all the bumps and the undulations on the road and only transmit the information
that you require. Things like grip level and traction from the super sticky Pirelli Super
Corsa tyres. Information which will make you go even quicker.
And when you come down a straight, you can just bang down the gears because the slipper clutch will take care
of the rest. And once you have clipped the apex and pick up the bike at the exit, the
bottom end torque will see you rip out of corners with the throaty exhaust note reverberating
in the canyons.
The only things that I could complain about, if at all, was the throttle response maybe.
the On-Off throttle transitions could have been a little better, the stand could have
a rod which makes it easier to pull it down and the instrument cluster is not the easiest
to read in bright daylight. But then again, I genuinely think I am nitpicking because
this is by far one of the best motorcycles that I have ridden to date.
In fact, this is not a bike, this is a nuclear warhead- clinically precise and brutally efficient.
I mean this is everything that I had heard so much about and nothing like I have experienced
before. An experience so surreal, that you actually forget how good looking a machine
this is to look at. But as you expect from a full fledged Works Supersport, it is...it
is made with one aim and one aim only- To carve out corners and to set tracks on fire.
To break lap records. And when you go in that direction, obviously comfort takes a back
seat. This is no where as comfortable as any of its Japanese counterparts, the riding position
is very aggressive and it does tire you out. So perhaps it is not the best road bike. And
with all this equipment, as you would expect, it...it comes really close to some bloody
good litre class motorcycles. But if you can afford one and if you consider yourself as
a cornering junkie, there is one thing I can promise you. That the riding experience that
the Triumph Daytona 675R provides you, is second to none.