Bike that makes you proud to be British

published 30 January 2013

Four years ago, Triumph began developing a replacement for its Daytona 675 and 675R bikes. The British bike maker predicted that sales of the supersport class of bikes would have picked up by now, says Kevin Ash in The Daily Telegraph. It was wrong sales remain "desperately bad", but, because the main chunk of investment was made in the earlier stages of development, it was a case of "we've started so we'll finish".

That is good news for supersport bike fans the new 675R is "an exceptionally good machine", says Ash. It's "immensely fast" for a bike of its class, and it rides well: "think about turning into a corner, and the 675R is already doing it, flicking on to its side with a speed that would be shocking if it wasn't so easy to control". The engine is impressive, the chassis a phenomenon, the stability amazing, the handling response electric. "It makes you proud to be British."

"The already legendary handling of the Daytona is now an astonishing combination of agility and stability," agrees Geoff Hill in The Sunday Times. The bike has lost none of its race credentials, but it's now more comfortable to ride. "I'm not sure how it's possible to improve on this one."