Triumph Daytona 660 (2024 – ) review

Using the hugely popular Trident 660 as its base, the Daytona 660 is built around an adapted version of the same steel frame and swingarm combo, and is styled very much with its much-loved 600, 650 and 675 predecessors in mind. Purists may sniff that its foundations are nothing like as serious and the new-school Daytona isn’t deserving of this iconic name. But for young buyers or relative newcomers looking for their next step on from a sporty naked like the Trident or Yamaha MT-07 the bikes in this growing class combine sporty looks with sub-£9,000 affordability and, with the necessary restrictor kit fitted, the option of A2 licence compatibility. As such it’s a great first rung on the sports bike ladder, the Daytona 660’s sharp looks, sensible spec and screaming triple all ticking the right boxes.

If perhaps not quite as hardcore as true supersports bikes like the Honda CBR600RR or Kawasaki ZX-6R the Daytona 660 feels pretty sporty for those switching from more upright nakeds or roadsters. Where the Trident it’s based on can feel a little titchy for taller riders the sporty riding position offers room to stretch out, the balance between on-the-nose focus and all-day comfort nicely managed. Put it this way, after a long day on some pretty intense Spanish roads we were able to hop off the Daytona without the cricked back or aching wrists you might expect of a proper race rep. Whether you’d want to commute on it or us it every day is a question for another day but, once we got used to the riding position, the Daytona reveals itself to be surprisingly rookie friendly and accommodating given the looks.

While sports bikes obviously prioritise speed and cornering ability over practicality and comfort if you’re willing to pack light the tucked down riding position and fairing do at least offer a bit more cover from the wind than a naked. While you’re not going to be sticking panniers or a topbox on it Triumph does at least offer an official accessory tank bag for longer trips out as well. There is a pillion seat and pegs for a passenger as well but it’s never going to be the most comfortable option for two-up riding.

While it shares its roots with the engine on the Trident the Daytona 660’s triple has had some major upgrades to hit that class-leading 95 horsepower output. These include revised internals, a new cylinder head, triple throttle bodies and a bigger airbox. Only the four-cylinder Honda CBR650R can match the Daytona for sheer rev-happy horsepower, the parallel twins on bikes like the Yamaha R7 and Suzuki GS8-R all running out of puff long before 10,000rpm, even if some of them look a little stronger in peak torque output. Saying that the Triumph has huge mid-range stretching all the way into five figures, and the crescendo of noise as you head towards the 11,250rpm peak power output feels way more sporty and exciting. Which is what you want out of a bike that looks like this. Brakes have also had an upgrade over the Trident, now being radially mounted and four-pot up front with a reassuring bite to the lever.

As you’d expect for the price the Showa forks and rear suspension are relatively basic, the only adjustment available being preload at the back. That’s fine for the target audience, given the track-focused fettlers will probably be happy spending the considerable premium for a more focused machine like that CBR600RR. And the idea of messing about with damping settings is unlikely a priority for the less experienced and more road-biased riders the Daytona is playing to. At the speeds we were going there seemed reasonable support from the Showa upside down forks, and impressive overall compliance for such a sporty looking bike, even around town. True raceheads may find it a bit too soft and may prefer the sharper handling and greater adjustability of the R7, but you get the impression Triumph is playing to a slightly wider audience here. For a relative rookie the handling feels very confidence inspiring as well, the way your weight is put on the front wheel meaning you can lean on it into the corners way harder than you might on a more upright roadster or naked. Once you’ve swallowed that brave pill the way the Daytona carves the turns is properly addictive, though it never loses that sense of friendliness and, for the kind of speeds you can safely and responsibly carry on the road, it’s bang on the money.

The sub-£9,000 starting price looks competitive against similar bikes, and the Daytona 660 feels good value given the power and emotional pull of that signature triple motor at its heart. That price can rise if you start adding things like the quickshifter some rivals include as standard but even with a few choice extras you’ll still be the right side of £10,000. Given the power output and fact it’s not as highly strung as a true sports bike running costs should also be a little more reasonable, whether that be in terms of fuel, insurance or general upkeep.

Obviously, this is a new bike with a significantly upgraded version of the familiar triple from the Trident so there will be a degree of wait and see when it comes to reliability. But Triumph seems to have a generally decent reputation for reliability, and there’s a reassuring sense of quality to every aspect of the Daytona 660. For now we’ll say fingers crossed!

Triumph is proud of its long service intervals, and once run in and through its initial once-over you only need book it in every 10,000 miles. That’s probably further than most people would usually ride a sports bike over a typical year, but the Daytona is comfortable and usable enough that you might be tempted to.

Triumph will argue you’re paying for the quality of the engineering and bragging rights of having one of the most powerful and charismatic engines in the class. Which is fair enough. But when you compare the Daytona against others in the class the relatively basic display looks a little lacking in pizzazz against the full colour TFTs on others, and while there are Rain, Road and Sport settings nor do you get the configurability or custom rider modes buyers might expect of a modern sports bike. Compared with rivals the Suzuki GSX-8R includes the quickshifter that Triumph makes you pay extra for while the Yamaha R7 gets tricker, more adjustable suspension for a comparable price.

While truly hardcore sports bikes have seemingly died a death for all but a committed few this new category of relatively mellower, more easygoing middleweights looks to have successfully reinvented the formula for a new generation. Accessibility in terms of price and the option to enjoy in A2 trim until such time as you graduate to a full licence is also very attractive, and in an already talented field the Triumph arrives with both an evocative name and – arguably – the best engine. If you’re looking to graduate to your first proper sporty machine it looks an absolutely blinding choice!