TRIUMPH DAYTONA 650 (2003 - 2005) Review

At a glance

Owners' reliability rating: 4.2 out of 5 (4.2/5)
Annual servicing cost: £30
Power: 110 bhp
Seat height: Medium (32.1 in / 815 mm)
Weight: Low (364 lbs / 165 kg)

Prices

New N/A
Used £3,000

Overall rating

Next up: Ride & brakes
4 out of 5 (4/5)

The 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: Engine
5 out of 5 (5/5)

Taking 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: Reliability
4 out of 5 (4/5)

After 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: Value
3 out of 5 (3/5)

With 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: Equipment
4 out of 5 (4/5)

When 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

4 out of 5 (4/5)

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 £3,000
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: 4.9 out of 5 (4.9/5)
Ride quality & brakes: 4.6 out of 5 (4.6/5)
Engine: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Reliability & build quality: 4.2 out of 5 (4.2/5)
Value vs rivals: 4.9 out of 5 (4.9/5)
Equipment: 4.1 out of 5 (4.1/5)
Annual servicing cost: £30
4 out of 5
11 August 2023 by Dave Kirk

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!

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

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.

Engine 4 out of 5

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.

Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5

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!

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5

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!

Equipment 4 out of 5

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.

5 out of 5 Brilliant British Bike
18 October 2020 by Luke Wiltshire

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.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5

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

5 out of 5 Loved every minute of my 5yrs with my 650!
21 July 2020 by Paul DeAngelis

Year: 2005

Sized like a big 1ltr bike and very comfy. Very cool angular styling that doesn’t look dated. ALWAYS pulls good comments!

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

Very comfortable as you don’t lean too forward and the seating position is fairly low. Suspension and brakes perform well

Engine 4 out of 5

If I was being ultra picky it vibrates more than some but a great unit

Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5

Never let me down in 5yrs of ownership

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5

Buying experience: Bought privately with super low miles and so so cheap compared to the mass of Jap bikes

5 out of 5
25 November 2016 by james 600

Year: 2004

great bike very fast many extras as std never had a triumph before very happy with it so far

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 5 out of 5
5 out of 5 Excellent Bike
20 November 2016 by Peter Triumph Fan

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £30

Definitely

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5

Great performance

Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5

Built well no problems

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

Do own sevicing so just mot costs

Equipment 4 out of 5

Lovely looking bike

Buying experience: Dealer

5 out of 5 Fantastico!
21 June 2012 by matthewdaytona

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!)

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5
5 out of 5 truely amazing
05 September 2011 by mxtomb

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.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 5 out of 5
5 out of 5 A Little Gem
10 September 2007 by yournamehere

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

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5
Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5
Equipment 3 out of 5
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