Amazing Motorcycle 2011 Triumph Daytona 675R

Triumph is guilty of not updating its supersport machine, the Daytona 675, for some time. Introduced in 2006, five years later and the bike is basically the same. Yes, it got a few minor upgrades in 2009, but hardly enough to call it a major revamp. Honestly, we’re not complaining too much. The era of the constant updates kept us on our heels trying to stay current on all the changes. And really, the Daytona 675 is a damn good motorcycle.

But there’s always room for improvement. Enter the 2011 Triumph Daytona 675R. Taking a page out of Ducati’s book, when deciding to upgrade the base 675 by adding the letter “R” at the end, the boys in Hinckley added a touch of exclusivity by turning to Ohlins for some top-shelf suspension components.
Instead of the 41mm Kayaba units on the standard bike, a 43mm NIX30 fork makes its way onto the R model — the same unit used by many AMA teams. Out back sits Ohlins’ top-of-the-line TTX36 shock, itself a similar unit used by a host of AMA and international race teams. Until now this was a level of suspension technology that was only starting to trickle down to exotic Italian literbikes.

To take it one step further, Triumph also hit up Brembo to make sure the new bike stops as well as it looks. The company’s four-pot monobloc calipers, which are starting to become the gold standard in stopping technology, are radially mounted and bite on 308mm discs. A Brembo radial-mount master cylinder replaces the standard Nissin unit and has an 18mm diameter (1mm smaller than the Nissin) for better feel from the stronger calipers.

Other than that the 675R doesn’t vary too much from the standard model. The same 675cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 12-valve three-cylinder engine remains, albeit with minor EFI tweaks to improve fueling. It’s mated to the same six-speed, close-ratio gearbox, only now the R model comes equipped with a quickshifter from the factory (It’s an option on the base model).

Other changes are purely cosmetic. Carbon fiber adorns the front fender, the rear subframe is powdercoated red, wheels get red pinstripes, and the bodywork gets a dynamic new paint job and graphics kit. We’ve always thought the standard 675 was one of the more eye-pleasing middleweights, and the R model takes the eye candy to another level.