MOTO2 RACER FOR THE ROAD
Top secret new Daytona 765 spied
‘It’s proof that a new Daytona 765 is imminent’
Triumph have developed an all-new Daytona using the 765 engine first debuted in their Street Triple, an evolution of which will be used in Moto2 from this season onwards. While speculation has been rife that the Moto2 project would pave the way for the return of the Daytona, these pictures are the first proof that Triumph does have a road bike waiting in the wings.
The images, snapped in Spain last week, reveal a high-spec model, with numerous clues that this will be badged, as with its predecessors, as an R or SE model. It could even be the third in Triumph’s new line of TFC models, boasting high-spec parts, engine tuning work, carbon bodywork and available only as a numbered limited edition to coincide with Triumph’s arrival as the control engine in Moto2.
Have we met?
There’s no doubt that this is a new model, but there’s also no hiding the fact that numerous parts appear unchanged from the Daytona 675. Much of the frame and swingarm look absolutely identical, while the shape and contouring of all the fairing panels is so close as to be virtually indistinguishable from the old model. It does boast a new single-seat tail unit that has no scope for pillion duties, while the bright red subframe, a historical indicator of it being an R model, almost certainly retains the hidden pillion mounts that would be necessary for a base or S model. Despite much of the bike being Daytona-familiar, the engine is very clearly the 765 unit from the Street Triple, although it’s probable Triumph will have breathed on it with learnings taken from their Moto2 development programme. While the Moto2 engine shares most of the same architecture as the road engine, there’s little doubt that key changes to the valve train, cam profiles and the weight of key internals will be lessons that could pay dividends in a new Daytona.
A touch of gold
The fork appears to be a high-spec fully adjustable NIX30 unit, from which hang Brembo’s very latest Stylema radial calipers. Meanwhile, the TTX rear shock looks to be identical to the unit used on the Daytona 675 R. Flashy as they are, they’re clearly mechanical units, so don’t hold your breath for semiactive suspension hardware.
Tech revolution
Also visible is Triumph’s fullcolour TFT dash and associated switchgear. This means multiple dash layouts and rider modes which are likely to include Road, Sport, Rain and Track settings, and a User mode for tailored fiddling. We’d also expect a six-axis IMU, Cornering ABS and a bi-directional quickshifter for seamless shifting.
A slow burn
So when we will see the new Daytona 765? Triumph remain resolutely tight-lipped about this bike even existing, so there’s currently no confirmation available about when it might arrive, or how much it might cost. But with Moto2 kicking off on March 10 in Qatar, it would seem like a good time to admit the Daytona’s existence, while we wouldn’t expect a production model to arrive until late 2019 at the earliest.