RealClassic TRIUMPH T100R DAYTONA
Nearly the end, then. Although the final fling of Triumph’s 500 unit engine was the TR5T Adventurer (aka the Tiger Trail; I’ve never really understood the differences, if a ) the last of the dedicated roadburners to use this engine was the Daytona, seen its final for-sale form. OK, there were maybe ten examples of the T100D Daytona, complete with its Bonneville disc-anchored front end, but I’m unsure whether any of those were actually sold to the public. That said, I’ve ridden at least a couple, but memory is blissfully cloudy when I cast it back to trawl for actual facts.
And of course nostalgia is a many-jewelled thing, not least in the case of cosidering ancient Brit designs which attempted to hold back the rising tide of imports from Japan. Somewhat thoughtlessly, Honda launched their CB450 twin in 66, and at a stroke made Triumph’s Daytona obsolete. And of course the Triumph refused to lie down, even going so far as performing spectacuarly at Daytona in a last ditch attempt to drag the gaze of the potential punter away from the Honda, despite its overwhelming technical superiority.
Have you ever ridden a CB450 Bomber back to back with a 500 Triumph from the same year? It is a worthwhile exercise, although – be warned – it can be difficult to be honest
