Traditionally, Triumph has always shied away from building dedicated racing models, arguing that it has little to do with production models and it diverts important finances away from models that actually make money for the company. That philosophy lasted throughout the glory years of the British motorcycle industry from the 1930s through to the 1970s, and then in the modern era from 1990 onwards. Then, in 2018, Triumph announced it would be the engine supplier for the Moto2 World Championship from 2019 onwards. While this stopped short of producing an actual racing motorcycle, it signalled a shift in policy for Triumph and, luckily for the man in the street, gave rise to the glorious Daytona Moto2 765 limited edition road motorcycle.
10 Origins Of The Triumph Daytona Moto2 765
The Daytona name has been used by Triumph since the 1960s, at that time being attached to a mildly tuned version of the 500cc Triumph parallel twin engine in a standard roadster chassis. When ‘new’ Triumph arrived in 1990, the Daytona name was resurrected for fully faired sports bikes, using either the 750cc, three-cylinder, or the 1000cc, inline four-cylinder engines. While at last here was a British sports motorcycle that could potentially compete with Japanese offerings in the same class, in reality, the Triumph Daytonas were more expensive and not as fast, even if the quality was excellent. After making the decision to concentrate on quality rather than out-and-out performance, Triumph had a motorcycle that was well-liked by riders who appreciated real-world practicality as opposed to ultimate performance.
9 The Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Came With An Iconic Engine Supply Deal
In 2018, Triumph made the astonishing announcement that they had signed a deal to supply its inline three-cylinder engine as mounted in the 675 Street Triple RS model to all Moto2 race teams for 2019 onwards. It was suitably modified for racing use, with high-specification internals raising the power output to at least 140 horsepower, up from the road-based engine’s output of around 120 horsepower. While the move was far away from fielding its own Moto2 racing team wearing Triumph badges, it will have cost Triumph a lot less (although still a not inconsiderable investment) but the exposure for the quality of its engineering is something that no marketing strategy could ever replicate.
8 Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 Is Different From Real Motor2 Race Bikes
What is the point of going racing if there is going to be no attempt to capitalize on the effort? In 2020, Triumph released the limited edition Daytona Moto2 765 which, while not a full Moto2 replica (it never could be as Moto2 bikes have non-Triumph chassis) is infinitely better for everyday use on the road. Very likely the nearest thing you will get to a road-legal race bike, the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 marries a near-perfect chassis - long hailed as one of the best - to a near-perfect engine, giving incredible real-world performance on both road and track.
7 A De-Tuned Moto3 Race Bike Engine
The Triumph Street Triple RS 765cc engine is only slightly detuned from the Moto2 version. Compared to the Daytona 675 engine, the inline three cylinder 765cc version gets new titanium inlet valves, high compression pistons, DLC-coated gudgeon pins, hotter cams, new intake trumpets and modified con rods, intake ports, crank and barrels. Power rises from 121 horsepower at 11,750rpm to 128 horsepower at 12,250rpm and torque is reduced by just a single foot-pound to 58.6. While all this might sound tame compared to a 200 horsepower, 1000cc superbike, it is absolutely more than enough and every last horse can be used without getting yourself into all sorts of trouble, either on the road or at the track.
6 Arguably The Best Chassis & Suspension Available Today
If Triumph has dialed back the race harshness for the road version, that is only to be expected - and appreciated - but it doesn't mean they've dialed back the quality! The Street Triple steel tube chassis has long been acknowledged as one of the best in the business and the 765 Moto2 changes that not one bit. Coupled with the top-spec Ohlins suspension, with full adjustment, the chassis pulls off the trick of being friendly and stable and full of feel but never harsh or too stiff and uncompromising. The ultimate limit of its abilities is so high that no mere track-day warrior will ever reach its limits, and you’ll simply never find them on the road. It’s so intuitive, it’s as if it's plugged directly into your brain, every single element blending into one seamless sensory overload.
5 ABS And Traction Control, But Without Limits
Normally, electronics are present on a bike to reign in excessive power and weight, but there is a convincing argument for leaving them well alone on the Daytona 765 Moto2. When a chassis is this good and not overburdened with too much power, the rider can make all the difference without having to resort to electronic interference. However, electronics there are in profusion, from the sublime bi-directional quick-shifter to adjustable power, traction control, and ABS. The traction control can be turned off - thankfully as it prevents you from taking the bike as far as you can (even if it’s nowhere near where it can go) - but the ABS cannot, which might be a good thing as panic braking can happen as you can’t quite believe the corner entry speed you can hold.
4 Triumph Daytona Moto2 765: Brembo Stylema Brakes
Naturally, only the best will do for the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 and that means Brembo’s finest, the Stylema - two in the front and one in the rear. These are the calipers that are fitted to the very best motorcycles on the planet, so it’s no surprise that they should be fitted to the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765. They not only offer huge stopping power but all a level of control that you simply wouldn’t expect from a brake this powerful. Initial bite is huge but is is easy to modulate and you will be able to stop on the proverbial dime, no matter what speed you were travelling at when you applied the brakes. Rarely has a motorcycle achieved such a harmonious blend of performance, m handling, and braking.
3 A Limited Sportbike But Surprisingly Practical
What on earth are we doing talking about practicality on a sports bike? It has been built to do one thing and do it extremely well: go fast. However, even if the idea of one of these limited edition bikes being used as an only bike and, therefore, having to be used for everything from the daily commute to heading to the shops, is rather outlandish, that’s not to say that it couldn’t handle it. No, there’s no provision for luggage, but it will take the mundane in its stride without complaint, overheating, or being simply unpleasant. It’s not excessively noisy, won’t cook your lower body in traffic, and is even remarkably comfortable. There is even a fuel gauge and self-canceling indicators. Are we sure this is a race-derived bike?
2 Triumph Daytona Moto2 765: Equipment and Build Quality
Ohlins and Brembo aside, not to mention the full suite of electronics controlled through the full-color TFT dash, the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 is also dripping in carbon fiber - the whole fairing, seat unit, front fender, and rear wheel hugger are made from the material. The top yoke has been machined from a solid block of aluminum and is numbered (765 examples for the U.S. market and a further 765 for Europe and Japan), there is new switchgear, five riding modes, and a free-breathing and remarkably quiet (but never uncharacterful) titanium Arrow muffler.
1 Triumph Daytona Moto2 765: Rivals and Price
Does the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 have any direct rivals? Certainly, there are similar-displacement models like the Ducati Panigale V2 and the track-only Yamaha YZF-R6) but, really, there is no bike on the market today that can match the Triumph for race-bred technology and performance, certainly in this class. Because of its nature, it is not only expensive but also rare, with only 765 coming to the U.S. and, as people know how good they are, you’ll have to look hard and quickly to find one, if any are still available. While the ‘base’ Street Triple 765 R costs $9,999 and the Street Triple 765 RS $12,595, don’t expect to get too much change out of $20,000 for a Daytona 765 Moto2.