Triumph Daytona

Two grand for a 68 Triumph 500 Daytona. I could hear the laughter and accusations of madness but it looked perfect, ran smoothly and the engine sounded quiet. Oh, there were no oil leaks! The vendor had owned the bike for ten years and went on for two hours about all the engine mods he’d made. He soon lost me on the technical side after about five minutes but I figured anyone who could build a smooth, oil tight Triumph twin must know what he’s doing.

The Daytona was really a late sixties kind of bike, by the seventies the sophisticated Japs had made it obsolete. Even now, there are few 500 twins that can match the Daytona’s compactness nor its 350lbs of mass. The vertically split crankcases, the OHV top end and the chain primary drive mark it out as a period piece. Twin carbs and stronger cams helps the Daytona develop 40 horses, good for 110mph.

None of this illustrates the sheer charm of a well put together 500. Up to 5000 revs there’s the kind of grunt that lets you potter along at quite reasonable speeds. I could mumble through town using second or third without any effort, the useful engine braking almost making the excellent drum brakes obsolete.

Hard power comes in at 5000 revs. The exhaust note changes, the tacho needle shoots around to 8000 revs and I have to be careful to check out the traffic ahead so as not to end up some cage’s backside. Electronic ignition and refurbished Amals (which can wear out in 5000 miles) are essential aids to good running, and also result in first kick starting.

Economy was variable. Kept below 5000 revs, the bike gave 65 to 70mpg. Used above those revs only 50mpg was possible, a little disappointing. As was the oil. The Triumph has a dry sump system with a separate tank. I'd had to promise the past owner to change this every 750 miles! My initial idea was to fill it up as it was burnt off, just like a two-stroke.

Handling was excellent. The bike as small as most 250s, at once stable and chuckable. The front end was a little bit remote but the large wheel, shod with an Avon tyre, was reassuring in that if the road surface turned slippery it’d react slowly rather than let loose rapidly. A sure sign of its excellence was that I could maintain a rapid pace in the rain.

Equally good in the wet were the brakes, a TLS front and SLS rear drum. They were powerful in the dry as well. On the 650 twin they were probably pushed and prone to fade due to the greater speed and acceleration but on the Daytona they were perfectly matched to the chassis and speed. With the strong engine braking, the shoes will probably last for over 20000 miles.

That's part of the point of the Daytona, Triumph twins have evolved over a couple of decades to the point where they were well integrated, just had something about them that got into my soul. Rather to my surprise I soon found myself giving the bike a polish every day and a weekly service, an indulgence that would never happen with a Japanese bike.

I mentioned that the Daytona was smooth. The only time any vibes came in was at 8000 revs, when the pegs would grind away. I’ve ridden two other Daytonas since buying this one. They looked beautiful but, hell, they churned out enough vibes to make me feel sick. The owners were amazed at my bike's smoothness and wanted to know the secret. I don’t know what the past owner did but it shows the difference between a first class rebuild and a reasonable one.

I've owned the Daytona for 18 months, done 7500 miles and enjoyed myself immensely. I was offered £3000 by one guy who was impressed by the smoothness and oil tightness. I didn’t think twice about turning him down. A reasonable Daytona can be had for as little as £1000 but don’t expect it to be as nice as mine... you can also pay £3000 for something that will turn out naff!

Steve Levitt