1996 TRIUMPH Daytona 1200
CYCLE WORLD TEST
BRITAIN'S BIG BRUISER
WHAT’S THIS, YOU MUST BE THINKING. HAS CYCLE World lost it? Didn’t we already see this very same bright-yellow Triumph Daytona featured on the cover of the March ’95 issue, with a full road test, to boot? Nope, you didn’t. It’s simply a case of Triumph modular madness.
Triumph has made the most of its inline-three and fourcylinder engines, its spine-frame chassis and numerous other common bits that turn up on various models in its product line. The British company’s theme of parts commonality is taken to the extreme with its pair of Daytona sportbikes. From 50 feet or 50 mph, trying to distinguish a Daytona 1200 from its 900cc sibling could drive you nuts. Fact is, both bikes share much more than a passing resemblance. Aside from the additional cylinder and 16 pounds the 1200 carries, there are no discernible differences in chassis, ergonomics or aesthetics between them, right down to the fat, low-profile Bridgestone radiais they both wear.
While the Triple provides enough peak power and torque to serve any sane man’s needs, the 1200 Four has an addictive midrange kick and top-end rush that only liter-plus bikes can provide-truly an intoxicating effect. With 113 rear-wheel horsepower on tap, the big Daytona’s liquidcooled 1180cc inline-Four falls well short of many literclass sportbikes in peak power, although few match its torque output.
Sharing the same 76.0 x 65.0mm bore and stroke figures as the 885cc Triple, the Daytona Four has a higher compression ratio of 12.0:1 —the same as that of the limited-edition Daytona Super III. Carburetor size is the same, as well; a bank of 36mm Mikuni flat-slide CV carburetors provide a good balance of flow and velocity for crisp response throughout the rev range. Even so, the engine has a split personality. Below 5000 rpm, it’s Dr. Mellow Yellow, with ample yet not earth-shattering grunt off the bottom and very little drive-lash or engine vibration. As the tachometer needle passes 5000 rpm, however, you had better prepare to meet Mr. Screaming Yellow Zonker.
Not only does vibration flow freely through the rubbercovered footpegs and bars, but horsepower is quickly on the
rise with a mountain of torque casting a shadow long and wide. With maximum engine revs set at 9500 rpm-relatively low for a modern Four-pouring the coal to it in low gear will quite often result in bumping the ignitioncutout rev limiter. The tach needle simply doesn’t keep pace with the quickly rising engine speed in the lower two gears. Shifting into second at an indicated 8500 rpm is a good rule for uninterrupted sprints off the line.
The well-spaced sixspeed gearbox has a tactile feel and requires very little movement of the shortthrow shift lever. Shifting action is very good, with changes up or down achieved smoothly and quietly. The hydraulic clutch required a moderately heavy pull at the lever but it delivered good feel and smooth engagement under normal use. Repeated high-rpm dragstrip launches caused the plates to chatter, making the clutch increasingly grabby. Once cooled, the clutch returned to normal and remained so throughout testing.
Acceleration is only useful if accompanied by an ability to stop. Triumph has you covered with a pair of four-piston Nissin calipers up front acting on 12.2-inch floating rotors. While a firm squeeze gets the job done, producing betterthan-average stopping distances from 30 and 60 mph, initial bite is minimal and lever travel excessive.
While the Daytona 12 is quite capable of sprinting the quarter-mile in well under 11 seconds, topping 150 mph, then stopping on a dime, carving through high-speed sweeping turns is its first calling in life. At 590 pounds with a full load of fuel, carrying a 59.0-inch wheelbase, and with conservative steering geometry of 27.0 degrees rake and 4.1 inches of trail, the Daytona is not exceedingly nimble. Quick side-to-side transitions require a bit more muscle than with many Open-class sportbikes.
Overall stability rates high, yet isn’t quite as rock-solid as the wheelbase and steering geometry would suggest. Leaned over into a 60-mph comer while keeping a relaxed grip on the bars allows the neutral-steering Daytona to hold a steady line without fuss. Ditto faster comers. Things aren’t quite as fluent in slower turns, however. The Daytona exhibits a slight tendency to stand up and run wide while cornering in the 35-to-50-mph range. Worse, it wants to wag its head slightly while cornering within this speed range. Tightening the steering-head bearings alleviated the problem, but the tendency remained.
For the most part, though, the Daytona always felt composed, shaking off the worst bumps the road threw at it. Backing off the rebound-damping adjuster to its lightest setting gave the KYB cartridge fork, revalved and fitted with shorter stanchion tubes for ’96, much improved response over bumps and ripples. The KYB rear shock has also been upgraded for ’96, with a much broader range of rebounddamping adjustment, along with a ramped spring-preload adjuster in place of the former’s remote adjustment knob located under the seat.
With suspension rates well suited for both freeway and sporting duty, the Daytona hints at being a viable choice for sport-touring duty. But while the seat is comfortably shaped and deeply padded, the riding position is too severe for long-distance work. The main detractor is a long reach to the low-mounted clip-on bars, putting a strain on the rider’s lower back and wrists. Taller staffers also felt the footpegs were located too high, and the bulge in the tailpiece kicks your heels outward if you ride on the balls of your feet. In warm weather, another source of discomfort is engine heat toasting the rider’s legs. Our only other nit-pick is with the Daytona’s mirrors. Although free of vibration, their smallish round shape and forward location leaves a large blind spot at either of the rider’s flanks.
Even so, there’s much more to like about the Daytona 1200 than not. Fit and finish are top-shelf-the fairing innards, for instance, being treated to a finer coat of paint than many bikes wear on their exteriors. Likewise, the blackout treatment given the engine and chassis is nicely done. Kawasaki-clone switchgear functions very well, as do the four-position clutch and brake levers, adding a touch of convenience.
But quality never comes cheaply. And with bikes such as Kawasaki’s ZX-11 and ZX-9R dusting the Daytona 1200 in sporting performance while offering a broader mission base through more accommodating ergonomics, it’s painfully clear that this Triumph isn’t for everyone. So be it. But if the Daytona 1200’s $12,995 price tag doesn’t keel you over, and if you’re looking for a sporting 100-plus horsepower wrapped in a different kind of package, then you just might want to give the Union Jack a crack. □
DAYTONA 1200
SPECIFICATIONS
$12,995
EDITORS' NOTES
SPORTBIKES, ESPECIALLY ONES WITH ALL the proper credentials, ought to deliver some performance-oriented magic. While this big, yellow Four is competent, it’s no magician.
So far, Triumph’s calling card has been its Triples, which are torquey, smooth and different. The distinction is not shared by the Daytona. Sure, this Triple-plus-one has a wide torque curve, but a ZX-11, for instance, makes 20 extra horsepower, is 20 mph faster and is smoother, to boot.
Aesthetically, the Daytona’s got it goin’ on. The thing’s gorgeous, great black-out treatment, etc. But the 1200 is not a state-of-the-art sportbike, not by 1996 standards. Triumph knows this: That’s why it’s experimenting with a Saxon frame and alternate front suspension, that’s why a poweredup, pared-down Superbike motor is in the works. Now, that will be a Triumph worth waiting for.
-Eric Putter, Associate Editor
HAVE TO SAY THE YELLOW/BLACK TRIumph Daytona is one major attentiongetter. It drew more comments from the general public than any sportbike I’ve ever ridden on the street, including some pretty trick Bimotas and Ducatis. No sooner would I remove my helmet at the gas pump or supermarket parking lot, when some middle-age Joe strolls up asking about the bike or
Triumph’s revival. I never realized there were so many sedan skippers out there who either once owned a Triumph or knew somebody who did. Makes me wonder if the Daytona 1200 will earn as large a place in the hearts of a new generation of Trumpet riders as the old Bonneville seems to have left. Time will tell.
As much as I enjoy the big Daytona, it’s not for me. Not with several bikes costing thousands less able to match or exceed it in speed and handling, while offering better sporttouring comfort. That’s something neither my lower back nor my bank account can deny.
-Don Canet, Road Test Editor
TEN MONTHS HAVE PASSED SINCE WE sampled the first neo-Triumph to reach U.S. shores. That bike, a taxicab-yellow Daytona 900, impressed with its responsive three-cylinder engine, raspy exhaust yowl and top-drawer finish, but left us bewildered as to its mission. “Sportbike, right?” we inquired. “Yes,” responded Triumph. “Well, sort of.”
A mirror image of its three-cylinder sibling, the Daytona 1200 is equally puzzling. While an entertaining diversion, it’s not in the same league with hardedged equipment like Ducati’s 916 or Honda’s CBR900RR. Nor is it comparable to Kawasaki’s softer-focus ZX-9R, for example, which is more comfortable, makes more power, handles better and costs much less.
Bottom line? The Daytona 1200 is a fine-looking motorcycle with a broad powerband and respectable backroad manners. Buying one will likely reflect your appreciation for the unconventional-or maybe just the depth of your pockets. -Matthew Miles, Managing Editor
