Triumph's Knockout Middleweight
TRIUMPH’S KNOCKOUT MIDDLEWEIGHT
ROUNDUP
IS IT JUST US, OR DOES TRIumph's new middleweight sportbike look remarkably like Honda's CBR600F4?
It isn’t, and it does.
The long-awaited TT600 made its international debut at Britain’s annual NEC show in Birmingham last November. Response to the bike was positive, and its specification sheet points toward class-leading performance.
“The TT600 is designed as the ultimate supersport machine, capable of matching the very best on both the racetrack and the road,” said a company spokesman. “It is the first Triumph to have been primarily developed on the track, using not only our own highly experienced test riders but also riders drawn from the world of Grand Prix racing.”
Triumph is best known for its modular Triples and Fours. But unlike those earlier designs, the TT600 shares nothing with existing models. Confirmed the spokesman, “The engine is designed solely for this machine and no other.”
Same for the chassis. Every aspect of the first prototype was adjustable to help establish basic geometry. This ethos continued in wind-tunnel testing. As a result, the TT is the reborn bike-maker’s most slippery offering to date.
Yet similarities to the Honda remain. And for good reason. For example, with a wheelbase of 54.9 inches, the TT is identical in length to an F4. Whereas the Honda tips the scales at 407 pounds, though, the Triumph is alleged to weigh just 374. Target engine output is 108 crankshaft horsepower at 12,750 rpm (redline is 14,000 rpm). Discounting for typical driveline losses, that’s right on par with the CBR’s rearwheel 93 bhp.
The similarities don’t end there. Both bikes boast twinspar aluminum frames and swingarms. Both employ conventional, 43mm cartridgetype forks that are adjustable for spring preload, compression and rebound damping. Ditto the rear shock. Both bikes have large ram-air intake nostrils protruding from their full-coverage fairings (though the TT’s are more cylindrical and point slightly inward). And both are powered by liquid-cooled, dohc, 16-valve inline-Fours with 4into-1 exhaust systems. (Triumph will offer a slip-on muffler that, besides boosting power by a reported 3-5 bhp, is said to be 11 pounds lighter than stock.)
Displacement (599cc), compression (12.0:1), redesigned transmission (six-speed) and ignition (digital) are also identical, though the TT uses a Imm-larger bore (68mm) and a 1.2mmshorter stroke (41.3mm) to obtain slightly more oversquare cylinder dimensions. And whereas the Honda is carbureted, the Triumph is fuel-injected. Designed by Sagem, the system is similar to that which is standard equipment on the 955i Daytona. The Triumph also has bigger front brake rotors (31 Omm vs. 296mm) and a lightweight aluminum gas tank.
While performance will no doubt be outstanding, some show observers thought the TT’s cosmetics left something to be desired. “The graphics look a bit rushed,” noted one attendee. “Pretty bland, I’d say. For a bike this important, you’d think Triumph would have pulled out all the stops.” Stateside, there will be two color choices: the yellow/black combination pictured here, and a blue/silver mix. Suggested retail is $8499, making the TT the world’s most expensive middleweight inline-Four.
Unfortunately, racing remains a non-issue. Explained the spokesman, “Triumph doesn’t have the human or financial resources to make a full factory race effort. We would rather use the money to reinvest in new models for the future.” Too bad, we say. The TT’s reputed top speed of 165 mph would likely acquit itself well around Daytona’s high banks.
-Matthew Miles
