Two short years ago, Triumph dove into the hotly contested middleweight sportbike category with the Daytona 660. Triumph’s Daytona 660 put a unique 659cc triple-cylinder-powered spin on the increasingly popular “sportbike for the road” segment. The stacked category includes the likes of the Honda CBR650R ($9199), Yamaha YZF-R7 ($9399), Suzuki GSX-8R ($9699), and Aprilia RS 660 ($11,749), all promising to be more approachable performance and practical alternatives to traditional supersport motorcycles on the road and competition to the updated 2026 Triumph Daytona 660.
Before we get started, this is how Triumph Motorcycles’ Chief Commercial Officer Paul Stroud positions the 2026 Triumph Daytona 660: “The Daytona 660 was introduced in 2024 with the vision of growing the middleweight sport bike scene. Using what we’ve learned from our Triumph Factory Racing program, we are introducing specific upgrades which have been carefully crafted to enhance the Daytona’s characteristics and light, agile, sporty feel. Our goal is to ultimately attract new, younger riders to the Triumph brand, and these 2026 updates reinforce the Daytona 660’s position as one of the most exciting and cool sport bikes in its class.”
The updated bike arrives at dealers in April 2026 with a $9395 MSRP. For those curious what all the fuss is about, we’ll get on with the Fast Facts.
The Showa fork now features damping adjustment. The headline upgrade for 2026 is that its 41mm Showa SFF-BP fork now features adjustable compression and rebound damping, allowing riders to dial-in their settings. During our initial test of the Daytona 660, we noted that its non-adjustable fork was a shortcoming when in the hands of more experienced riders who needed additional support when riding aggressively. Hopefully, being able to adjust damping will be a handy workaround. Meanwhile, the basic spring-preload-adjustable Showa shock returns.
The quickshifter is now standard equipment. As was the case with technologies such as ABS, TFT displays, and other electronic niceties, we are at a point where bi-directional quickshifters are nearing ubiquity — what a time to be alive. That’s good news, as it saves us a little money at the dealer and we can row through the six-speed gearbox that much more easily. It’s a win for buyers.
Metzeler is in, Michelin is out. By choosing the Metzeler Sportec M9 RR, Triumph is opting for sportier rubber more befitting the Daytona name. Sizes remain 120/70 ZR17 front and 180/55 ZR17 rear. If there is any trade-off between the Metzeler Sportec M9 RR and last year’s Michelin Power 6 tires, it’s that the Metzelers are a step in the sportier direction, so overall mileage will take a hit. Given the Daytona 660’s status as a relatively lightweight and modestly powered sport bike, we expect riders to get a decent run out of this gripper rubber.
The tried-and-true engine remains unchanged. Triumph left the triple alone for 2026. That’s not a bad idea, considering it has also found its way into the Trident 660 and Tiger Sport 660 motorcycles. The 659cc powerplant delivers 94 horsepower at 11,250 rpm and 51 lb-ft of torque at 8250 rpm as it pulls through to a 12,650 rpm redline. With 80 percent of peak torque on tap throughout the rev range, the delivery is linear and tractable in real-world riding. The three riding modes — Sport, Road, and Rain — carry over unchanged, as do traction control and switchable ABS.
The frame, rider triangle, and brakes remain for 2026. The tubular steel perimeter frame and J.Juan brake calipers are carryover components from the current generation. We still enjoy steel-braided brake lines, which is a class rarity. One minor change the deployment of a clear-anodized aluminum brake pedal. The returning ergonomics mean we’re still dealing with a manageable 31.9-inch seat height, with a Low Seat (one-inch drop) and net-insert Comfort Seat available, each running $295. The simple TFT/LCD hybrid dash is also still part of the 2026 program.
New colors arrive for the new year. All three 2026 colors are new. The standard Sapphire Black keeps things sharp and blacked out. Each optional two-tone colorway sets you back an additional $150. You choose between Aluminum Silver and Sapphire Black, or Cosmic Yellow and Sapphire Black.
We’ll take any upgrades we can get with the $9395 MSRP for the 2026 Triumph Daytona 660. In this case, we’re gaining meaningful updates that should alleviate a few shortcomings. As we’re only being charged a $200 more than the prior generation, which is a small price to pay for fork damping adjustability, a bi-directional quickshifter, and sportier tires.
2026 Triumph Daytona 660 Specs
ENGINE
Type: Inline-3 w/ 240-degree firing order
Displacement: 659cc
Bore x stroke: 74 x 51.1mm
Maximum power: 94 horsepower @ 11,250 rpm
Maximum torque: 51 lb-ft @ 8250 rpm
Compression ratio: 12.05:1
Valvetrain: DOHC; 4 vpc
Transmission: 6-speed w/ quickshifter
Clutch: Wet multiple w/ assist and slipper functions
2027 Suzuki GSX-R1000R + BTR Build Off Winner + Brian Bentley and the Ducati 916
byMotos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle
Hello and welcome again to the Motos and Friends Podcast. This episode is brought to you by Leod Escapes. My name is Arthur Coldwells.
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Have you ever wanted to ride a real MotoGP track? Well, here’s your chance! Leod Escapes does all sorts of amazing European tours, including the incredible Munich to Mugello tour at the end of June, or you can try the Core of Catalunya or the Portimão Andalusia trips, both in October. These are incredible touring experiences with the very best that Europe has to offer, as well as riding these amazing tracks on brand new BMW S1000RRs. So for the trip of a lifetime, visit LeodEscapes.com, now!
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In our first segment, Nic de Sena tells us all about his recent trip to Spain to ride the new 2027 Suzuki GSX-R1000R. Suzuki did a slightly different spin on this particular launch where they split the journalists into teams of 3, and had a 6-hour endurance ‘race’ to see how well everyone fared. Nic gives us the lowdown on what it’s like to the new Gixxer and for such long track sessions!
Rider Market from just outside Orlando, Florida, is the winner of the recent Royal Enfield BTR Build-Off competition in the Road Race category. Brian Koster is the Parts Director at Rider Market and he tells us briefly about the machine and parts he selected that made this retro-looking Royal Enfield stand out and take the trophy.
Our guest for this episode is Brian Bentley. A few years ago, just prior to Covid, Brian had a chance to buy a Ducati 916. He’s always been a major fan of the bike ever since it launched in the early nineties. He’d actually been looking for a 748 for a while, but when this great example came to his attention he couldn’t resist. The only snag was that it was completely disassembled. So, Brian did what any reasonable bike-fanatic would do: he loaded all the endless boxes of parts into the trunk of his SUV, headed home to Daytona Beach, and started the build. Brian recounts the story of this incredible machine and what eventually happened to it in the end.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
Don’t forget to leave us your comments on our social media—we’re on all the usual platforms at Ultimate Motorcycling. We love hearing your feedback… so good or bad, please let us know what you think. If there’s something you’d like us to cover, we’d love to hear those ideas too!
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