Which is why, from the very first stages of planning, designing and building the revolutionary Daytona 675, Triumph decided to expand and build on that difference and one single word was chosen to inspire the whole project: 'Incomparable'.

The Daytona 675 stands alone in the hotly contested sports bike arena and while others might compare it to a myriad of motorcycles, it's very much a statement of how a pure Triumph sports bike should look and, just as importantly, feel. In one single stroke it has redefined just how a middleweight sports bike should perform, packing as it does a large amount of power and torque into a small, nimble package.

In the sports bike market many machines are seen almost as disposable by their owners and treated accordingly. In contrast Triumph's wish for the 675 Daytona was to create an exciting bike that owners will never tire of looking at, cherishing and above all else, riding. Added to this was a desire not only to build the most exciting and useable sports bike that's ever left the Hinckley factory, but also to steal the crown for the most beautiful sports bike in the market.

The first three-cylinder middleweight, the Daytona 675 stands apart immediately with its inimitable, spine-tingling sound and feel. Integral to this is the triple's inherent advantage of masses of bottom-end torque, linked to a heavy mid-range punch that's topped with a searing burst of peak power.

Alongside the desire for a strong, torquey engine, a key part of the design brief for the brand new 675 cc power plant was to make the water-cooled, three-cylinder, 12- valve unit extremely compact and narrow, contributing to the overall slimness of the bike. The stacked six-speed gearbox considerably shortens the engine and is the first from Triumph to feature a truly close ratio set-up for all six speeds, maximizing the engine's power and torque perfectly. Bore and stroke is 74.0 mm x 52.3 mm and peak power of 123 bHP is delivered at 12,500 rpm, with 78 lbs. ft. torque at 11,750 rpm.

A great deal of work went into refining the Daytona 675's new engine without removing any of the triple's innate character and while it may perform like a racing thoroughbred there's typical Triumph toughness engineered into every part – this motor's meant to be used, and used hard again and again.

The Daytona 675's Keihin closed-loop fuel-injection system uses a trio of 44 mm throttle bodies and three 12-point multi-spray injectors. Air is drawn from a port between the headlights and passes directly through the headstock to the airbox. An electronically controlled flap in the front of the airbox optimizes both acoustics and performance at low, mid and high rpm ranges. The free-flowing exhaust features an underseat exhaust and also utilizes a secondary valve to boost torque low down. The engine meets stringent Euro-3 emission regulations.

Designed around the Daytona 675's engine the spars of the fabricated, open-back, aluminum cast frame wrap over the top of the motor, accentuating further the benefits of the narrow three-cylinder design. Rake is set at 23.5°, trail at 86.8 mm trail with a wheelbase of 54.8 in. The Kayaba 41 mm upside down forks are fully adjustable for spring preload and rebound and compression damping, as is the Kayaba piggyback reservoir rear shock. The aluminum swingarm itself is a twopiece casting and measures 574 mm from rear wheel spindle to pivot point, greatly improving suspension and rear wheel control. Dry weight is 363 lbs.

The front brakes use a radial master cylinder as well as twin radial four-piston calipers and the fully floating 308 mm front discs are matched by a 220 mm rear. The new wheels are a lightweight five-spoke design and wear super-sticky Pirelli Dragon Super Corsa Pro tires. Front tire size is 120/70 ZR17 while the rear is 180/55 ZR17. The Daytona 675's digital instrument console has the usual trip functions as well as displaying average fuel economy. Also featured is a 99-lap memory timer – useful for comparing successive laps on a track as well as average and maximum speed for each lap. Gear position and programmable gear change shift light indicators are also included. Stylish twin projector beam front headlights (one for high and one for low beam) give an excellent spread of light and are matched with a lightweight LED (Light Emitting Diode) rear light unit.

Color options for the Daytona 675 are Scorched Yellow, Tornado Red and Graphite Grey. A full range of accessories will be available for the 675 Daytona, including carbon fiber front fender, infills, heel guards and exhaust cover. A non-restrictive Triumph exhaust muffler will be available (for off road use only) and racing specialists Arrow Exhausts are producing a full titanium system that saves 13.2 lbs. in weight and adds 5 bHP, again for circuit use only.

Also, while the Daytona 675 is very much a premium product with top quality components, exceptional attention to detail and high quality finish, its final retail price has been deliberately pegged at an affordable level.

With the Daytona 675 Triumph aimed to create an exciting bike that owners will never tire of owning and, above all else, riding. It sits within a class of one, delivering an incredible performance with its exciting, powerful engine and intuitive, razor-sharp chassis. It also looks and sounds like nothing else. All quite deliberate and driven by that one solitary word; 'incomparable'.