Triumph Daytona 955i
Triumph tuned the Daytona’s 955cc three- cylinder engine with new valves, increased compression ratio and a revised intake system.
The Daytona was a good-looking bike, and retained Triumph’s unique frame design of twin aluminium tubes, but was visually less distinctive than its predecessor.
Ever since its launch in 1997, Triumph’s three-cylinder Daytona had earned a reputation as a fast and stylish sports bike. But the British triple had always been slightly more of an all-rounder than a cutting-edge super-sports machine, and the pace of superbike development made this even more true by the end of the decade. Triumph’s response was the Daytona 955i: a new- generation triple that was more powerful, lighter and more competitive than ever before.
This was Triumph’s best sportster yet, but it was not as distinctive as the old model because, in being revamped to meet the challenge from Japan and Italy, the triple had become a little more conventional. Its bodywork was reshaped and the original model’s single-sided swingarm was missing. The new bike’s twin-sided replacement was lighter and allowed a shorter wheelbase, but lacked the style of its predecessor.
The Daytona’s 955cc, 12-valve motor was tuned with new valves, reshaped ports, higher compression, lighter conrods, revised fuel injection and a bigger airbox. Cooling and lubrication systems were more efficient, and noise was reduced. Peak output was an impressive 147bhp at 10.7()0bhp. That was 19bhp more than the old model, and made the triple Europe’s most powerful production motorcycle.
The tubular aluminium frame w'as one of few parts that was retained, and even that was fitted with a new subframe and was raised at the back to steepen geometry and improve ground clearance. Showa of Japan provided suspension, as before: the forks’ internals were revised, and the shock unit was slimmer and lighter, helping to reduce dry weight to 4141b (188kg).
The revitalised Daytona was a very rapid motorbike, and one that revved right to its 11 .OOOrpm limiter in the lower gears, heading for a top speed of 170mph (274km/h). The fuel injection's throttle response w'as very direct, there was plenty of midrange torque, and the engine was pleasantly smooth. The six-speed gearbox was rather notchy, but in every other respect this was a superb powerplant.
And the Daytona’s chassis was every bit as good. Although even this tweaked Triumph was still slightly more of an all-rounder than a pure race-replica, it was very much an agile, quicksteering and impressively stable sports machine. Firm, well-controlled suspension added to the triple’s pace, as did its generous ground clearance. And the Daytona also upheld Triumph's reputation for superbly powerful brakes.
When the stopwatch was running, even this revamped Daytona did not quite match the fastest of its four-cylinder rivals for pure speed. But the British bike was close enoush to be in contention on road and track. And for many riders its blend of style, performance, versatility and three-cylinder character made the Daytona a very appealing alternative.
Triumph made some changes to enhance its appeal in the following years, too, notably by bringing back the old T595’s single-sided swingarm for a more distinctive look. The 2006 Daytona, w'hich also incorporated new gearbox internals, was the last of the line. With the launch of the all-new Daytona 675 middleweight, Triumph opted to halt production of the 955i, ending the story of the marque’s most successful model.
Sports-touring Triple: the Sprint ST
Triumph used its 955cc three-cylinder engine as the basis for several other models, the best of which was arguably the Sprint ST sports-tourer. This was introduced in 1999 with a detuned, 110bhp version of the 12-valve engine, plus a new twin-spar aluminium frame, and was competitive with the world's best sports-tourers. Several updates later, Triumph introduced the 2005-model Sprint, featuring a 1050cc, 123bhp powerplant, striking new bodywork and shorter, sharper-steering chassis. It was a superb all-rounder that combined 160mph (257km/h) performance with fine handling and impressive long-distance comfort.
The Daytona’s reduced weight, sportier chassis geometry and uprated suspension combined with its rigid frame to give excellent handling. Triumph insisted that the Daytona was built for the road and not the racetrack, but the triple acquitted itself very well on a track. It was agile, yet also very stable at speed.
Specification Triumph Daytona 955i (2001)
- Engine Liquid-cooled dohc 12-valve triple
- Capacity 955cc (79 x 65mm)
- Maximum power 147bhp @ 10,700rpm
- Transmission Six-speed, chain final drive
- Frame Tubular aluminium perimeter
- Suspension Telescopic front; single shock rear
- Brakes Twin discs front; disc rear
- Weight 4141b (188kg)
- Top speed 170mph (274km/h)
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