Triumph Stirs Up Some Horsepower

TRIUMPH STIRS UP SOME HORSEPOWER

ROUNDUP

TRIUMPH CELEBRATED THE third anniversary of its rebirth in appropriate fashion. It chose the Birmingham Motorcycle Show to debut its new 147-horsepower Daytona 1200 sportbike.

The machine, billed as Triumph’s “ultimate expression of road sports,” is based on the same tubular/backbone frame as the rest of the line, and on the same modular engine design. But the 1180cc engine gets racier cams, higher compression, improved cylinder head porting, and revised ignition and carburetion. More sporting bodywork and a harder-edged riding position top off the package, which has a claimed dry weight of 503 pounds.

Production is scheduled to begin in March, after the factory completes its run of restricted,

100-horsepower Daytonas for the German market.

The Daytona 1200 represents a gauntlet across the face of Eurocrats who continue to press for mandated 100-horsepower limits for the European Community. Rather than restrict its bikes for the EC market, Triumph is instead emphasizing the importance of rider training and other factors in reducing accident statistics.

-Alan Cathcart