What’s new on the 2001 955i

ENGINE: Essentially the new Daytona’s three-cylinder is the same basic lump as the old engine but there’s quite a lot of detail changes.

It breathes better and is more efficient than the old engine which adds up to an extra 19bhp making it Europe’s most powerful production bike.

The cylinder head is redesigned with 1mm larger inlet valves and 1mm smaller exhaust valves set at a narrower angle. The inlet and exhaust ports are redesigned to improve flow and machined for closer tolerances.

New pistons with lighter con-rods are stronger and lighter and the compression ratio is upped from 11.2:1 to 12:1. It revs faster and higher with the rev-limiter set at 11,000rpm compared to the old bikes 10,500rpm.

On the intake side a larger airbox is also reshaped for improved air flow and larger 46mm Keihin injector bodies get fuel in faster. They’re now made from die cast instead of sand-cast so they’re lighter.

The exhaust system has new headers and balancer pipes to boost midrange output and there’s a new silencer which still meets emmisions and gives a deeper tone.

The bike’s revised cooling system now includes cooling jets for the pistons and more oil now passes through the cooler. The radiator uses a thinner core which increases its cooling efficiency without adding size or weight. Power is up but troque stays the same at 75ft at 8200rpm. In total the engine is 2.5kg lighter than its predeccessor.

CHASSIS: TRIUMPH junked the faithful and very sexy single-sided swingarm in favour of a lighter and stronger double-sided swingarm. It weighs 3.3kg less than the old single-sider. The frame is essentially the same but there’s a few different engine mount castings which means the frames are not interchangeable. There’s also a new aluminium subframe.

To help the bike turn faster the wheelbase is reduced by 14mm to 1417mm. Turning faster was obviously a high priority and the geometry has changed from a fairly lazy 24 degrees and 86mm of trail to 22.8 degrees with 81mm of trail.

To help steering even more the rear tyre has been changed from a 190-section rear to a 180-section tyre. At the front the bike uses a new lightweight 17-inch front wheel which saves 450g and helps the unsprung weight.

The Showa forks are still 45mm but are revised internally to give slightly less rebound damping on standard settings. At the rear a new aluminium-bodied shock with a narrower diameter spring saves 1kg. Not much but it all helps and adds up to 10kg lighter than the old model with a total weight of 188kg

BRAKES: There wasn’t much wrong with the 955i’s brakes as they were so they’re basically the same but use five rather than six-mounting bolts. They remain four-piston Nissin calipers with Triumph logos. At the rear the disc is the same 220mm diameter but there’s a new caliper changed from twin-piston to single-piston. The pedal force is also modified to improve feel.

BODYWORK/OTHER: Triumph designers and the world basically liked the look they had with the original Daytona but knew they could build on it. They seem to have done the job well apart from some criticism of the slightly fat rear end.

This is partly due to the bikes bigger rear pillion seat. But it’s a fine line between comfort and style. The rest of the bike has been restyled for a leaner, more aggressive look.

The bodywork itself, built in Hinckley, is thinner than on the old Daytona and save 1.2kg in total weight. The headlight is replaced with a bigger twin style headlamp with a stronger, wider beam.

Other weight saving improvements are a digital console that’s 2kg lighter and includes two trip meters, a clock and a lighter aluminium bracket.

So you can sit in the saddle longer Triumph has taken feedback from owners and the handlebars are designed to be slightly higher. The footrests are the same as ever but the knee cut-outs in the tank are narrower despite it being up from 18 litres to 21litres. The seat is also narrower.