Is Triumph Motorcycles bringing back the Daytona?
Full-fairing sports bikes seem to be having a renaissance and the latest manufacturer to jump on the wagon is Triumph Motorcycles with what could be the return of the legendary Daytona nameplate.
Triumph’s Daytona nameplate has sat dormant since the 675 R went out of production in 2017. While we saw a brief glimmer of the name making a comeback in the 765 Moto2, that was a limited edition affair that sadly didn’t translate to a full production model. And so fans wanting an obtainable Daytona have been left waiting.
That looks set to change with Triumph potentially bringing the Daytona nameplate back in 2024 with Triumph teasing a new faired sportbike via social media today.
While Triumph is keeping things pretty close to their chest, we know the new bike will build upon the brand’s 660 triple engine rather than the 765cc unit found in the Street Triple. That could mean potentially a full power and LAMS version for the New Zealand market if Triumph makes both available. Currently, Triumph's other 660 models, the Trident 660 and Tiger Sport 660 are only available here in LAMS-spec.
While using the 660 platform would be a departure from Triumph's sport bikes and Street Triple lineup being closely linked, it does make a lot of sense considering the growth in the sports bike market is in sub-660cc bikes.
However, with changes in tastes and a trend towards the 660cc market evident, it seems Triumph is aiming for the likes of the Aprilia RS660 and Yamaha R7 with what we're assuming is going to be called a Daytona 660. With the Daytona name still having plenty of cache with the riding community, it would make sense for that to be the bike's name rather than the older Sprint nameplate which was more closely associated with sports touring.
Details on the bike’s actual specs are yet to be released. However, Triumph has scheduled a full reveal for early January so we'll know all there is to know in just a few weeks.
Regardless of whether it is called a Daytona, Sprint or a completely new moniker, it will be great to see another Triumph triple with a full fairing once again hitting the road for the first time since 2017. Watch this space.
