[Ricci]

2000km update:

Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking, just 2000km up?
Excuse my aging body, but this is a supersport with racy ergonomics and not a sport-tourer or tourer. As such my longest trip yet is around 280kms to and fro.


I observe that I have used up nearly all my rear tyre's contact area, almost zero chicken strips. Now I don't believe I was riding really hard or leaning in a lot. Maybe the high footpegs impressed upon me that illusion that I am not leaning much, or the tyre profile is such that it's easy to get to the edges.

Front tyre on the other hand, looks pointy in profile and has a lot of unused tread at the sides. So while everyone's gaga on the Pirellis, I think their profiles are a bit mismatched. Maybe that's the cause I find it steering too sharply , when I'd like a slower response. Maybe the steering damper needs adjustment to slow it down?

I also got the ABS kick in a few times, I think there is more room before it should - that is, it seems it kicks in a little earlier than I'd like.

[Ricci]

I was planning to increase my ride distances slowly in anticipation of riding to Goa. As the proverb goes, the best made plans fail so was it in my case.

So by the time it was IBW-time, I hadn't done any ride longer than 150km one way, and the ride to Goa was 450km one way. Triumph BU Bhandari did all the logistical work of scouting for accommodation and reservation, as well as a support vehicle carrying luggage. There were also support technicians but that was more because they were needed to setup the bikes for display at IBW, loading and unloading from the flat-bed and fitting accessories etc.

I bought a cheap tank bag to use as saddle-bag. I already had the bungee cords, and a magnetic tank-bag for water and documents. The magnetic tank-bank was pretty useful, though not as steady as I would like. The saddle-bag was a bit tall and made getting on and off a bit tedious, so I dumped it in the support van.

15 riders on an assortment of Triumphs started around 6:30AM, 3 others joined later next day. Mine being the only Daytona, I expected to be the weakest link in the chain but the ride to Goa was largely uneventful, maintaining decent pace on NH4 to keep my wrists happy. We reached our destination around 2:30PM , it was the frequent stops to ask for directions and slow speed in the last 15km that really tired me out.

Although I went both days of IBW, we didn't spend much time at the venue, the rest of the gang feeling bored and not in awe of the hot, dusty venue. I was hoping to meet other BHPians but in the crowd and the very little time spent there, of course that didn't happen.

I was even more comfortable on the return leg. Although we halted more this time, to sync up and let the ones behind catch up, but reached around 3:30PM after departing at 6:30AM.
I was in my 2 piece leather suit, and crouched over in a supersport hunch is hardly the most comfortable seating position. I was however, quite comfortable in the leathers , didn't feel too hot or sweaty. I was wearing my Dri-fit Nikes under the suit though, that must certainly help. I do recall being more stuffy in my Cramster K2K textile jacket however. I guess I can manage wearing leathers for 4-5 months of the year ( November to February, maybe a bit of March). The marketin material states it has a heat reflective coating , it must work despite being all black, I was quite comfortable and wasn't in any urgency to remove them even after getting off at the destination.


So how is the Daytona for touring?
Not terribly bad as long you can maintain a speed of 60+km/h. I guess the wind pressure takes the load of your wrist when you ride at good speeds. An hour of riding on NH4 is way more comfortable than 10 minutes in slow traffic.

I didn't find any excessive heating issues so far, but the worst of summer is yet to come.

On smooth tarmac, the mirrors hold steady but I can't find a way to adjust them, the RHS one seems be angled a little outward. The mirror stem and rear mudflap are the only poor fitting parts that rattle on rough surfaces. No issues with ground clearance, at least riding single and I'm fairly heavy - 82kg , and with all gear probably 95-100kg.

Engine operation is very smooth, and you're hard-pressed to detect any vibration. The only time I did feel any was at idle specifically looking for any vibration, so when people say inline 4s are even smoother, I wonder how much better can it get?

Suspension is a bit on the stiffer side but manageable.

Fuel consumption is a decent 19.6km/l , not bad but I reckon even litrebikes will do 19-20km/l in touring mode. A Street Triple rider reported 22-23 on the same trip.

For touring, three things that are needed :

1. hard/soft luggage options - none , soft luggage needs to be tied down but cords could damage fairing paint finish.
2. bigger fuel tank
3. better lights

Oh there are the ergonomics, but then it wouldn't be a Daytona anymore!


Last weekend, went to Lonavala and suffered my first puncture, on the rear tyre. Tyre treat is still very deep, I think it will go at least another 3-4000 km.

Sorry for lack of pictures, I took very few on my phone, and wasn't carrying my DSLR.

[ebonho]

Ricci and I had a short and sweet ride together to Lonavala and back Sunday morning. Other enthusiastic Team BHPians were to have joined as well but man proposes, sleep disposes!

Left Pune with a bunch of Bulleteers, my old Roadshaker pals Baljeet and Ismail, and a couple of other new riders. Some tea and biscuits later we were ready to move .....



Ricci, not working on Bulleteer time but on hypersonic Daytona time, meanwhile had already reached the rendezvous point on the highway (Dehu Road-Bypass junction). I was enroute with the Bullets manfully screaming at top whack of 120-125 kmph (105-110 kmph on the KTM speedo). Reached Dehu Road and found from a group of bikers waiting there that a black Daytona had just left hardly 5 minutes ago.

Waited for the Bullets to catch up, told them that I am chasing after my friend, and was off after Ricci. Finally caight up with him just a little before the small solitary ghatlet on the road to Lonavala. Rode together from there on and stopped over at RK's for a nice leisurely breakfast and chai.







Thought of putng this up on Ricci's dedicated Daytona thread rather than have it get lost in the huge 390 thread. The Daytona has presence on the road with its huge fat rear tyre. The rear view mirrors flap like a bunny's floppy ears on rough patches. One of the times Ricci twisted the throttle in anger to overtake me, the sound was just awesome! Loved it.

Just wish you keep her cleaner Ricci. Its a lovely machine, a very costly machine. Definitely deserves some elbow grease from your side. Like the sparkling red one we saw pulling up at RK's!

[Ricci]

4000km update

I admit the running's a bit lower than I expected, 4000km in 10 months is 400km/month average, I estimated 500.

Got the R&G radiator guard fitted. For 15k (upper radiator guard , 9.5k, downpipe protector 5.5k) , it seems rather flimsy. I expected a very sturdy aluminium sheet , but upon getting it in my hands, I felt rather underwhelmed. For the price paid and the name that R&G has , I expected better.
The Evotech radiator guard for similar price then seems better going by the images and descriptions I have read. Anyway, it's been bought and paid so not much point lamenting on price to performance expectation.


Since IBW in February, all the rides have been short/local , the last two being to Tamhini ghat , Lavasa, and then Lavasa again for Motoday.


Tamhini ride was mix of pleasure and pain. Some parts of the road were patchy and uneven, and I had done the same stretch on the Pulsar few weeks ago. But on the Daytona, the same stretches were punishment. Literal punishment. The suspension is stiff so I could feel every little bump and trough, probably even a coin over which the tyre went. For the same reason, I dread riding on concrete roads. They're so poorly surfaced in India, the rear suspension apparently passes all the minor undulations and that gets tiring real soon. Or maybe it's my age. The smooth sections were real fun.

Nothing much to say about the Lavasa ride, it's sort of routine. Motoday was the big event for this month though. Funny thing is that June 21 as World Motorcycle Day is fine for Europe, the Americas , Australia. But in India, it's bang when monsoon is on the rise. Dreadful times for many a biker. I was hesitant about riding on 21st especially with the heavy rains forecast.


But anyway, shrugged off the hesitation and went for my wettest ride to date. The tyres on MotoGP bikes for wet races have more treads than the Pirelli Diablo Super Corsas the Daytona comes shod with. So speed and lean angles had to be kept in check, and within that , the tyres performed well enough.

Upon getting home, had tea, dried up and then went to wash the bike, the first time doing so myself with bucket of water and good old microfiber cloth. Followed it with a coat of Collinite, and although it was dark, under the tube light I could see my reflection in the freshly waxed fairing. Still to take out out in good daylight , post-wax session, so no pictures to show. Finished off with Motul chain cleaner and chain lube.

Hopefully next ride will be dry.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Ricci

the first time doing so myself with bucket of water and good old microfiber cloth.

You cannot imagine how happy and chuffed I am feeling right now.

You surely can teach an old dog new tricks!

Loved the "love" and "flower power" photos as well. Must have been a proper mela up there.

[pratap.pratu]

Originally Posted by Ricci

4000km update

am sure triumphant enthusiasts would really appreciate if dayatona owners keep updating their experience.

[Ricci]

1 year up, 2nd service

Clocking 4300 odd kilometres to date, got the 2nd service done as per time schedule, running-wise it's far below the 10000km recommended interval.

Service cost : INR 6020
Includes
service charge INR 2200
oil filter INR 605
washer/seal INR 56
engine oil 3.1 litre INR 2160
chain clean/lube INR 300
+ VAT + service tax INR 698

Between the manufacturer, dealer and me, the government has zilch to offer but I still have to pay the gubbermint INR 700 for doing nothing (nice employment scheme - create new taxes, use collected taxes to pay salaries to close and distant relatives - translate into Hindi to get the context - of high up officials and ministers, who otherwise would be jobless. )


Rant mode off.
The bike has bit of a seat problem a while ago, the seat wouldn't stay affixed. Found a broken plastic loop where the seat is attached to frame via 2 bolts, so re-joined with Araldite, put a washer in place to spread the force over a wider area, but no cigar. The real problem, it turned out was the threads were worn off. The service staff drilled/re-threaded the sub-frame, using a size larger bolt.Then the same problem replicated to the other side of the seat. Duh. Same solution , drilled new thread, larger bolt. Now my Daytona has 2 M8 bolts instead of M6.

The axis of the bolt is slightly inclined, it looks vertical so they open the seat using the tool also vertical. Over a few sessions, this caused the threads to wear out. So prevention is to use the allen key at the correct , slightly tilted angle. I wonder if similar has been case for others, since bad/negative feedback of any sort is typically suppressed.

Nothing else besides cleaning air filter, usual minimal lubing done. I was told an estimate of INR 10k , with a throttle body balancing to be done which takes a bit of time and effort , but the plugged in diagnostic tool reported all were in tolerance, so no adjustment required for now.

Brake pads too will do for 1500-2000km more.

Another issue was I felt the bike feel unsteady on corners, initially I thought I was over-cooking the corners, but I found the same shimmy when I rode much below the limit, so asked the tech guy to check the headstock steering play. Said that was ok, but loosened the headstock bolt and re-tightened it to specified torque, saying a Street Triple owner has the same problem and this fixed it for him.

I couldn't test if that is fixed, there being an uncanny link between me getting my bike for a service/wash and rains. Yep, it doesn't rain or barely rains for weeks on end, and the day I take the 675 to be serviced and washed, bam - it rains !

So no wash, I gingerly ride back home, luckily no rain closer home and roads are starting to dry, so got the wash done at a car wash place close by. Still a bit of mud re-splattered as road wasn't fully dry all over. Wiped the wet splatters with microfiber. First off, coated the drive chain with fresh spray of Motul chain lube, then began the wax session.

First, a coat of Collinite 845. 3 uses ,once for the Linea, twice for the Daytona, and I'm already nearly halfway through the bottle. Unlike the popular "use sparingly" , the wax doesn't want to come out sparingly, for one - and the thin layer feels , too thin. So I apply it a bit more generously, with the bottle itself not helping being miserly.

This bottle has a character of its own. Let's call him "Splot". That's the sound it made when it ejected itself out of the bottle and onto the sponge pad, but not before deciding that my T-shirt too needed a coat of wax. A deed I strongly protested to, but Splot wasn't in the mood to listen.



Well, a few more "splots" on the pad, spread over the bike and buffed. Then a coat of Meguiar's Black wax. Maybe it's the lighting or maybe it's me, but the black wax did impart a nice gloss to the painted plastic bits - fairing, mudguard. I gave the black wax no name, for he was as silent as a Chaplin movie. I think I might order another tube of the Meguiar's.

And the result - not very photogenic if you ask me, taken on cellphone (N8) but the lousy weather didn't help with lighting.

[Ricci]

After a less than generous monsoon that still managed to keep weekends wet and dirty, a dry forecast for the weekend was a boon. Pune weather is unpredictable, and even if the city weather is bone dry, the places we like to go to, are invariably drenched. So the monsoon months leave a lot of riding backlog.

Come Sunday, the informal RAT chapter decided to hit Alibag. After a dry spell of riding, I thought this was going to be fun.

Bad idea.
The Daytona hates bad roads with a passion, and lets you know without any sugar coating. I haven't tried softening the suspension yet, so that's still on the to-do list, but the main reason I prefer not to, is - this is a supersport, won't softening the suspension ruin the handling ? Given that my overweight self weighs about as much as Mr Smith or Herr Braun - the median European rider, I suppose the factory setup should be the best compromise. Maybe it isn't, but I'll find out later.

Terrible roads and thick traffic meant I was baking and aching soon once off the main NH4 highway. State highways in MH are an unpredictable lot. Some roads are so smooth you wonder why you don't go often, only to find few months later it now looks like a moonscape. All those road taxes we pay, and MH is probably the highest tax state along with KA, and you get this.

Past a point I regretted not turning back from Lonavala as some had; I could have been home and watching the MotoGP live instead. The roads got no better, save for a few patches, and the traffic only got worse as did my aches.

At one point where we'd stopped, I swapped bikes with the Triumph manager. The Tiger 800XC is a very different animal, pardon the pun. The 800cc motor is much quieter, the suspension cossetting. With another 25km to the destination, it was quite a relief. Still, the bars were too high and my arms, not accustomed to this position started aching again. Not having to slow to a crawl over marred roads is such bliss. The Tiger does lack the punch, and the roar, of the Daytona though. Lack of ear catching audio is not entirely a bad thing, on long rides the quietness is appreciated too.

Finally at the destination, a drink of cool water and a little packet to nuts to replenish energy for the ride back.




The ride back was even more excruciating, now the heat was in full strength. My neck, wrists, shoulders and lower back were all aching, and did throughout the ride. To make things worse, the traffic split up the group and I got caught behind last, some trucks causing me to be held up way behind the rest. Due to the bad roads and traffic, I couldn't safely speed up much either. For most part, the ride back was hard, lonely and painful, and after catching up with the others at Lonavala, I decided to carry on alone and get home ASAP. Barely after Lonavala, I hit a spot of rains. I was in my leathers (pants), but had my rainsuit along as I know how unpredictable the weather around/in Pune is. Rode on in rain for a while, caught up with another Tiger rider who left the group at Lonavala earlier as he had prior commitments, before splitting up to go home.

I did the Goa IBW ride earlier this year, and it was cakewalk in comparison. Even though by the time of reaching Goa , circa 2 PM, I was exhausted, it was more due to the heat (and slow speed, frequent stops) to ask for directions that wore me out, with no aches and pains (except intermittent, which got cured in a short while due to changing body position or rest halts). The ride back from Goa was even better, I was pretty peachy when I reached the regroup point (the Triumph showroom), since we had a bit longer rest/regroup stops.

So lesson learnt - stick to known routes with reliably good road surfaces as long as I'm on the Daytona, or any supersport. For anything else, beg borrow or steal a Tiger .

[Sheel]

Congratulations!!

I hadn't commented and this post made a reason to comment & know your POV.

Originally Posted by Ricci

For anything else, beg borrow or steal a Tiger .

If you were asked to reconsider, would you have picked up a Tiger? Its ability to ride everywhere & everywhere is

Tiger to Daytona - You might be faster, but I can go anywhere

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by Sheel

If you were asked to reconsider, would you have picked up a Tiger? Its ability to ride everywhere & everywhere is
Tiger to Daytona - You might be faster, but I can go anywhere

There are different types of bikers - the cruiser guy, the off-road/dirt tripper, the tourer, the corner junkie. I'm more of the last two, and of those more of the latter. We do have our pretend-to-be-Rossi wishes, don't we?

I gravitate towards supersport and sport-tourer type of steeds, and some standard/naked bikes that can also be termed sportbikes, depending on context. Most of the roads in the 1st world, these bikes can do without a hiccup. It's in our great subcontinent that roads that can dislodge a remora from a shark that the adventure type of bike makes sense.

Yours is a difficult question to answer.
In the ideal world, I'd have several of each type - supersport, standard, sport-tourer, adventure, cruiser.

In the real world, I had money only for 1 bike, and I chose what my heart desired. I hadn't even thought of the Tiger at that time. If I hadn't bought then, I'd still pick the Daytona - or the CBR650F/Benelli 600 now that it's an option. All the while I assume I haven't had any extended rides on each in varied roads, which is true as of now - I don't know how the Honda and Benellis do on our non-roads. The supersport thing was a bucket-list item after all.

After a few years, when my back can no longer do the sportbike crouch without protest, I do think I'll trade the Daytona for a Tiger if I still have the financial bandwidth.

For anyone in such a quandry - the question you have to ask yourself, if majority of the roads you will ride on are in good shape, and you do fancy yourself as more of a speed/corner junkie, and not much into touring, the Daytona (or supersports/hypersports) will provide the thrill sought.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Ricci

In the real world, I had money only for 1 bike, and I chose what my heart desired. I hadn't even thought of the Tiger at that time.

For anyone in such a quandry - the question you have to ask yourself, if majority of the roads you will ride on are in good shape, and you do fancy yourself as more of a speed/corner junkie, and not much into touring, the Daytona (or supersports/hypersports) will provide the thrill sought.

This is my post on Mohan's thread

Originally Posted by Sheel

Once you shed the inhibitions to own/ride a faired bike or a low slung car, you can really discover places, ride/drive to any destination and take any route at your will.

I have migrated to a chassis based 4WD SUV just because of this & I hope, I can save enough to buy an ADV. Something like this Tiger which will cruise at ~100 on smooth blacktop and I go through all kinds of roads by standing on the pegs.

Low slung car & faired bikes to have a cup of coffee at a CCD can wait for further finances.

Thanks for sharing Mohan and please do continue to share your experience, may the tribe increase.

You know Ricci, even I am really confused, confused because I have been riding Sports Bikes till now, wish to shift to an ADV but cornering, braking and that kick in the pants feel of a Sports Bike is of supreme importance.

Moreover, unlike a car, there are not many places which a Sports Bike won't be able to do [not with utmost ease as of a dedicated off-roader/ADV] But then, at majority of times, your riding [because of infrastructure, the lack of it] demands a vehicle with long travel suspension.

I don't want a very fast bike, a bike which is a 2X faster than the R15 with same dynamics/braking is what I lust for. Would rather ride a scooty than hop on a RE.

Lets see how things pan out, thanks for taking out time to reply In the same boat as you, if I had the $$ to buy multiple bikes, I wouldn't even have thought or maybe would have got the RSV4 Factory, an HP4, & '16 ZX-10R & R1 You know, I don't even know as to how many models does HD make, but know the difference & years of a 916/999, 929/954. So...

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by Sheel

You know Ricci, even I am really confused, confused because I have been riding Sports Bikes till now, wish to shift to an ADV but cornering, braking and that kick in the pants feel of a Sports Bike is of supreme importance.

Moreover, unlike a car, there are not many places which a Sports Bike won't be able to do [not with utmost ease as of a dedicated off-roader/ADV] But then, at majority of times, your riding [because of infrastructure, the lack of it] demands a vehicle with long travel suspension.

I don't want a very fast bike, a bike which is a 2X faster than the R15 with same dynamics/braking is what I lust for. Would rather ride a scooty than hop on a RE.

Lets see how things pan out, thanks for taking out time to reply .

You've already had an R-15, so you know the sort of ergonomics on supersports. Couple that with stiffer suspension. Though the better/high end models have all the settings adjustable , it needs to be done right if the range of settings is wide enough. That's one thread I intend to look for or start soon.
So though you can tolerate the odd pothole or speedbump, supersport suspension isn't designed for broken roads. I can feel the back end chatter on our poorly surfaced concrete roads - I loathe concrete roads for that reason. I have not yet played with the settings, but some of that can be diminished at the cost of something else.

No doubt, an adventure bike suits our conditions far better. Way more practical than supersports. Once past a certain age, that is sort of bike most premium bike customers will end up wanting. I know some who've gone from Bonnies/cruisers to Tigers, and nearly all of them 35+. If time is on your side, buy a supersport and get your kicks, with a plan to trade it in for an ADV in a couple of years.

Of course, nothing like a long ride on both if you can manage to get them, to clear it out how much comfort you're willing to sacrifice for the wider grin when the conditions are just right. Your comment on Mohan's Tiger thread says you got a ladder frame SUV just to tackle bad terrain. If that's any indication of your travel conditions, an adventure bike will prove more valuable.

Though the joy the Daytona induces upon opening throttle is more than the Tiger, I can tell you I would definitely have clocked twice as many km in the same time span as the Daytona. At least. Maybe even 3-4 times. And with 94hp the Tiger isn't slow, a genuine top speed of over 200-210. So if the number of clicks on your odo is what you hold as a valuable pointer to how much fun you're having, the Tiger it is.

The difference is a bit like having a supermodel girlfriend who's great to take to the disco, great fun at times like that but won't do much else, vs girl next door who'll rub your back and bring you breakfast in bed, but not quite such a party gal. You don't get one who's perfect/great at everything.
Ideally, you want both !

[Crankpin]

I guess the Street Triple R would also be a good option if Triumph gets it to India. It has the better suspension and brake bits from the Daytona 675 and keeps the relatively upright position of the Street. Seat height is prefect for average height folks, its easy to throw around, great for commuting or exploring corners. And yes, bundle it up with a quick-shifter and a good exhaust, it's more fun then...!

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by Crankpin

I guess the Street Triple R would also be a good option if Triumph gets it to India.

As Street Triple is part of the offering already. May be they will offer R as well, soon.

Best Regards & Ride Safe

Ram

[emperorofindia]

One of the best bikes available on the planet right now. Hands down the sweetest handling machine out there. I reckon since it's lighter, handling will be more precise than the litre class ones. If i could, I'd buy this bike blindly.

But, the z800 is a lot of bike for a lot less money and that's why it's ever so popular. Then again, if you want a faired bike, you want a faired bike.. Isn't it?