Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition

India

Price: £15,765 (or Rs 15.4 lakh) in the UK

Configuration: In-line three, liquid cooled

Valve-train: 12 valves, DOHC

Displacement: 765 cc

Bore x Stroke: 78 x 53.38 mm

Compression Ratio: 12.9:1

Fuelling: Multi-point sequential electronic fuel-injection with SAI. Electronic throttle control

Maximum Power: 130 hp @ 12,250 rpm (claimed) Maximum Torque: 80 Nm @ 9,750 rpm (claimed)

Clutch: Wet, multi-plate, slipper

Transmission: Six-speed, chain final drive

Type: Aluminium, twin spar

Front Suspension: Öhlins NIX30 43-mm inverted fork, with adjustable preload, rebound and compression damping, 120mm travel

the triple delivers more than enough mid-range torque to rapidly accelerate past slow-moving traffic; you only need to tap back one gear for a brisk overtake. but who wants brisk? that is like going to the pub and drinking sparkling ice water. i want fun, which is why i opt to make the engine scream for sheer enjoyment. revving hard, into second gear, third and fourth — getting close to the red-line, having ridiculous fun while still feeling in control. You’d never ride an unfamiliar b-road hard on a 1,000-cc production bike unless your name was John mcGuinness, but you can on the moto2 Daytona. make no mistake, it’s a super-quick bike but anything but intimidating and a quick brush of the radial brembo stoppers quickly brings the pace down to legal speeds should you spot the boys in blue in those small mirrors.

the lightweight chassis copes with everything i throw at it, from painfully bumpy unclassified roads taken at speed to humpbacked bridges that launch the Daytona into the unknown. again, like the engine, the suspension is there to be used and transmits perfectly to the rider what’s happening. the feel is excellent, the ride is plush, bordering on soft when pushed hard, but that might be down to my weight and aggressive riding. the rear sits down more than expected when exiting slow corners hard on the power and the manually adjustable suspension will need a tweak to reduce the laden sag a little before a track-day.

overall, the set-up is forgiving and extremely stable for a short-wheelbase bike that allows you to ride with such confidence on unfamiliar roads. the Daytona is accurate and easy to steer, lets you attack corners with confidence, and gives immense grip from its sticky pirelli rubber. it flicks between turns with ease, lets you carve up the lanes like an expert, and rolls over its 180-section rear effortlessly. the chassis flatters the rider, it’s that simple.

TECH HIGHLIGHTS

Derived from

Triumph’s

Moto2 bike and now producing

130 hp at 12,250 rpm and 80 Nm at 9,750 rpm. The Moto2 bikes produce around 140 hp, depending on the conditions.

Similar to the old Daytona R, which won many domestic Supersport championships in Europe, taking three championship wins in the UK (2008, 2014, and 2015). For 2020, the chassis is now lighter and is the same as the test mule used to develop the Moto2 engine.

With a limited run of only 765 motorcycles for the US and Canada and an equal number for Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world, the new Daytona Moto2 765 Limited Edition won’t be a regular sight on the road and some will, unfortunately, go into private collections.

The Daytona receives five new riding modes ― Rain, Road, Rider Configurable, Sport, and Track ― all of which adjust the throttle map, traction control settings, and ABS settings to suit the riding style and road conditions, enabled via ride-bywire. TC and ABS are conventional and not lean-sensitive.

Superbike-spec lightweight Brembo Stylema brakes, gripping twin 320-mm discs up front and a 220-mm disc on the rear. The Brembo span and ratio adjustable levers are a nice touch as is the MCS radial master cylinder.

New lightweight full carbon-fibre bodywork, plus other weight-savings such as the sporty five-spoke 17inch cast aluminium, means the little Daytona tops the scales at a featherweight 165 kg dry. £15,765 (or Rs 15.4 lakh) in the UK.

the stylema brembo stoppers are strong, it only takes one or two fingers on the span and ratio adjustable lever to bring the dangerous riding competition to a close. the abs is a little intrusive when you brake hard over imperfections. the lack of cornering abs was never an issue; in fact, i spent most of the ride with the traction control deactivated to make the most of the Daytona’s other trick, wheelies, which it does with nonchalant ease. the old 675 Daytona loved a long and precise wheelie and, now with more torque, the new Daytona is more willing to loft the front wheel in the first few gears than ever.

our test was blessed with a perfect weather and dry, warm roads. in fact, it was almost too hot at times, which is why the traction control was deactivated for most of the ride. With a manageable 130 hp, perfect fuelling, and feel from the sticky 180 rear pirelli, i’d argue whether tc is even needed. however, in the colder, darker months i’ll certainly flick into rain mode, which reduces the power and adds more tc.

the Daytona isn’t going to be for everyone and, as a supersport fan, i might be a smidge biased. Yes, it is on the small side, while around town it will become a pain to live with. the mirrors aren’t the best, the switchgear is like jumping into a porsche and finding it has VW switchgear. there’s no room for a pillion and we’ve not even mentioned the price. in the uK, it’s nearly £16,000 (rs 15.7 lakh), which is a lot to ask, and nearly £6,000 (rs 5.8 lakh) more than triumph’s own street triple rs at £10,300 (rs 10 lakh) — and that is a bloody good bike.

if we look across the market, it’s seemingly not good news for triumph. Kawasaki’s ZX-10r is cheaper at £14,499 (rs 14.2 lakh) and Ducati’s stunning panigale

V2 is £14,999 (rs 14.7 lakh). ouch. but, in the

Daytona’s defence, it’s good on fuel, has a decent tank range, and is comfortable at speed while the ride is plush on the motorway. and who wants to take a pillion, anyway? they only upset the handling; get them to take the bus (and blame it on social distancing).

the elephant in the room is the Daytona’s price. this is a special motorcycle, one dripping in carbon-fibre and quality components with the cache of being a road-legal, limited-edition moto2 replica. i enjoyed thrashing triumph’s Daytona, almost the perfect summer sports bike for the road, and in that context it’s hard to fault.

how do you put a value on enjoyment? it does feel special and it is fun to ride. on some track-days you might crave for more power, but everywhere else in the world, this poised and beautifully built bike is more than enough. but, please, triumph, can we have a non-carbon version with a slightly lower spec that brings it in at just a few bucks more than the street rs?