TRIUMPH DAYTONA 650 (2003 - 2005) Review
At a glance
| Owners' reliability rating: | |
|---|---|
| Annual servicing cost: | £30 |
| Power: | 110 bhp |
| Seat height: | Medium (32.1 in / 815 mm) |
| Weight: | Low (364 lbs / 165 kg) |
Overall rating
Next up: Ride & brakesThe Triumph Daytona 600/650 is lighter, smoother, faster and infinitely prettier than the TT600. What’s more, Bruce Anstey won the Junior TT on one in 2003 which goes to show what improvements Triumph made to their 600cc sports middleweight contender. The Triumph Daytona 600/650 is a beauty: an involved ride with excellent handling, amazing brakes and it’s good value.
Latest news: Triumph Daytona 660 fully unveiled for 2024
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: EngineTaking the excellent handling and brakes from its predecessor, the Triumph Daytona 600/650’s road manners are hard to fault. Suspension’s a treat too: sharp enough for the track yet smooth enough to deal with any potholes. The gearbox is a bit snatchy, though. Comfort’s better than you’d expect given the Triumph Daytona 600/650's bigger (for a sports 600) dimensions.
Engine
Next up: ReliabilityAfter the injection problems that let the TT600 down, the Triumph Daytona 600/650's Keihin system is much better. There’s still a bit of a flat spot in the midrange, but it’s bearable and the bulk of the Triumph Daytona 600/650's power is still very much up top. The power band’s wide and accessible for most riders though and has a smooth delivery.
Reliability & build quality
Next up: ValueWith a selection of decent components, the Triumph Daytona 600/650’s beautifully put together. Show it some bad weather and it’ll suffer a bit with corrosion, the paint’s not great either. Triumph Daytona 600/650 mechanical parts are sound though.
Value vs rivals
Next up: EquipmentWhen new, the Triumph Daytona 600 was sensibly priced against its rivals, coming in at nearly a grand under Yamaha’s R6. Triumph Daytona 600/650s keep their value pretty well, too, and aren’t quite as ubiquitous as the Japanese fours. Some owners pay a premium for buying British.
Equipment
The Triumph Daytona 600/650 dash includes a digital speedo, clock and trips, analogue rev counter and a fuel light. Head lamp and mirrors are good but pillions will suffer on a high perch with no grabrail. A seat cowl was included with the bike. The standard Daytona screen is low and won’t provide much protection on the motorway.
Specs |
|
| Engine size | 599cc |
|---|---|
| Engine type | 16v inline four, 6 gears |
| Frame type | Aluminium twin spar |
| Fuel capacity | 18 litres |
| Seat height | 815mm |
| Bike weight | 165kg |
| Front suspension | Preload, rebound, compression |
| Rear suspension | Preload, rebound, compression |
| Front brake | Twin 308mm discs |
| Rear brake | 220mm disc |
| Front tyre size | 120/70 x 17 |
| Rear tyre size | 180/55 x 17 |
Mpg, costs & insurance |
|
| Average fuel consumption | 35 mpg |
|---|---|
| Annual road tax | £84 |
| Annual service cost | £30 |
| New price | - |
| Used price | - |
| Insurance group |
15 of 17 How much to insure? |
| Warranty term | Two year unlimited mileage |
Top speed & performance |
|
| Max power | 110 bhp |
|---|---|
| Max torque | 51 ft-lb |
| Top speed | 160 mph |
| 1/4 mile acceleration | 11.58 secs |
| Tank range | 140 miles |
Model history & versions
Model history
2003: Triumph Daytona 600 takes over where the TT600 left off… But with better results. Morphed in to the Triumph Daytona 650 in 2004 (see Other Versions).
Other versions
Triumph Daytona 650: The engine was bored out to 646cc, it got a new silencer and clutch, improved gear linkage, more power, more torque and revised fuel injection. Cosmetic tweaks too. Discontinued after a year to make way for the Triumph Daytona 675 triple.
Owners' reviews for the TRIUMPH DAYTONA 650 (2003 - 2005)
8 owners have reviewed their TRIUMPH DAYTONA 650 (2003 - 2005) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.
Review your TRIUMPH DAYTONA 650 (2003 - 2005)
Summary of owners' reviews |
|
| Overall rating: | |
|---|---|
| Ride quality & brakes: | |
| Engine: | |
| Reliability & build quality: | |
| Value vs rivals: | |
| Equipment: | |
| Annual servicing cost: | £30 |
Year: 2003
I've owned my Daytona 600 for fifteen years and, if I'm honest, I've never had that 'laugh into your helmet' fun I used to have on my old Yamaha Fazer. Unfortunately, someone wrote that one off for me. It is faultless, but I find you have to ride at some fairly questionable speeds to really get the best out of it. The pull in the higher rev range is more than enough to overtake anything that gets in your way, though you have to keep it high in the rev range to make it do anything. Fairly typical for a 600. What I do find is that you have to ride it; you can't just sit on it like a sack of spuds. You have to keep your weight on the footpegs, not the seat, and force your elbows down into the tarmac to really make it corner, which it then does beautifully but you're not going to tootle around on it and anything more than three hours in the saddle is exhausting!
The clutch is really snatchy at low speeds, especially when the engine gets hot, which it does very quickly at low speed. It is not fun to ride in town or in traffic but that's not what it was built for. Stop at bikers' cafes, not in the town centre! Even the standard brakes are vision-narrowingly effective without and hint of instability. Only take a pillion if you really don't like them. With no grab rail and the height and angle of the rear seat even thinking about touching the brake with a passenger causes them to slide forward and ram your crotch into the tank. Keep the cowl on and tell people it doesn't have a back seat.
Very flat in the mid-range. Triumph were clearly aware and bored the engine out for the 2004 model. Keep it above 6000 revs and drop down at least two cogs if you want to overtake anything in anger. 30mph seems to an awkward speed for it. You feel like your revving needlessly in third but riding right on the bottom of the throttle in fourth. Just adds reasons to avoid towns.
I've not has any real problems with corrosion, but I look after it and don't ride it all year round. I had to replace the front brake discs as the factory ones had some play. The mechanic suggested this was a problem with the model but I've never heard anyone else mention it. Give them a wiggle with your hand if you're not sure! The alternator gave out and I had to fit an aftermarket replacement. The genuine Triumph replacements would have meant re-mortgaging my house. What was irritating was the coolant pipes prevent you removing one of the bolts for the alternator cover, meaning you have to drain the coolant just to access the alternator, which was only a pain as I'd only changed the coolant 500 miles previously! The seat is an absolute arse to get on and off with stupidly inaccessible bolts. Wedging a spanner down between the seat and the body work makes to too easy to scratch the paint!
I do most of my own work so it's the cost of filters, oil and coolant. Service intervals are every 6000 miles. Bleeding the coolant system is fairly simple, and the tank comes off really easily once you get that stupid seat off. I wonder if the man hours of removing all the panelling to access anything might put up service costs at a garage, though that could be the case with any supersports... you can't get to anything without removing the plastic wrapping!
Weirdly, you can see the road through the bottom of the under-seat compartment... I had to squeeze a small net bag in there before I could confidently put anything under the seat. Apart from the front brakes, everything on it is standard, even the exhaust. I've never seen a reason to change it. No complaints. In retrospect I'd have fitted some tank protectors as my knees have worn the paint thin on the sides of the plastic tank cover. Could be personal preference but never got away with dual-compound tyres with it. The feel is so good you feel when you lean off the harder middle section of the tyre and it causes an uncomfortable twitch just when you don't want it. Change the front tyre if you find this problem!
Buying experience: Private. Off e-bay, which was weird 15 years ago. Maybe more normal now. Paid £3000, and the bike's probably still worth a little less than that. Knock off inflation and it's pretty much kept it's value.
Year: 2005
Bought my Tornado red Daytona 650 in Feb this year. This is the second one I’ve owned. It had spent over 10 years in storage and only had 2000 miles on the clock. Starts and rides like a new bike, handles brilliantly and more than enough power for U.K. roads. Pillion pad and extra seat cowl is a nice touch. If you want something a bit different to all the Japanese sports bikes out there then this is a brilliant choice if you can pick one up with low mileage in good condition. It’s comfortable, quick and easy to ride plus looks absolutely beautiful. For me it’s the best looking of the mid-2000’s sport 600s. My single gripe is removal of the seat to fit a trickle charger to the battery pack was a real pain but this is only a one off. I wouldn’t have bought a second if it wasn’t such a great bike! If you’re looking for a sports bike which will get envious looks for reasonable price and you don’t want to follow the crowd and buy a Japanese bike then keep your eyes open for a Daytona 650.
Fuel warning light is adequate but if I’m being fussy a fuel gauge would be useful but this wasn’t such a common thing 15 years ago
Buying experience: Paid £3300 for a 2005 mint condition with 2000 miles on the clock. Sold a yellow 2005 in 2018 with 9000+ miles on the clock For £2900
Year: 2005
Sized like a big 1ltr bike and very comfy. Very cool angular styling that doesn’t look dated. ALWAYS pulls good comments!
Very comfortable as you don’t lean too forward and the seating position is fairly low. Suspension and brakes perform well
If I was being ultra picky it vibrates more than some but a great unit
Never let me down in 5yrs of ownership
Buying experience: Bought privately with super low miles and so so cheap compared to the mass of Jap bikes
Year: 2004
great bike very fast many extras as std never had a triumph before very happy with it so far
Year: 2005
Annual servicing cost: £30
Definitely
Great performance
Built well no problems
Do own sevicing so just mot costs
Lovely looking bike
Buying experience: Dealer
After passing my A2 licence test i was struggling to find the right bike for me. I was having to restrict the bike to 33bhp, i was lucky that Triumph made this for the bike when it was released. The bike is amazing, i have a set of pilot roads on it and they work a treat! they heat up pretty quickly but last quite a long time! (i have done about 1500 miles now and they have only just got the shine off them!) Engine is fantastic even restricted, its free flowing all the way round the rev range with a slight dip in mid range however i have the 600 model and the 650 apparently has solved this. The only issue i have found is that it overheats alot when in traffic or at a standstill. this is normal of a sports bike but this will heat up to 120 degrees and as a result cut out on me when i tried to pull away. Apart from that this is an amazing machine, both for the new riders and for more experienced. i managed to pick mine up for £1900 with 19,000 miles on the clock and it doesn't batter an eye lid. i will make sure it has the major service at 24,000 but i have not had any problems with it so far. (touch wood!)
i got my daytona 600 in may and have not looked back since. it is my first big bike. the power is great and the handling is truely outstanding. whould recommend to anyone how is after a sports bike that you wont see many of.
Bought an 04 daytona 600 last week, after letting it stretch its legs a bit i can honestly say that I'm in love. Awesomely fast for my first big bike yet still as comfy as the gs 500 I part exed to get this baby. Brakes are great, handles beautifully and sounds gorgeous. Plus it gets all the love when you stop. My only real gripes are the slightly clunky gearbox and the fact theres nowhere to put my gps. Otherwise, BUY ONE! Preferably in yellow cos thats the fastest colour
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Front view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Riding
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Riding
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Riding
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Brakes
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Exhaust
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Front view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
Triumph Daytona 600/650 motorcycle review - Side view
