Triumph Daytona 660 vs Suzuki GSX-8R
The new middleweight affordable sports bikes on the market with the Triumph Dayton 660 and the Suzuki GSX 8R.
Now, both of them are hoping to become good sellers in this part of the market, but are either of them any good, or should you be looking at one of the many other options in this particular genre?
I’ll give you a few reasons to buy the Suzuki, a few to buy the Daytona, and then at the end, give you my verdict.
Torque
So let’s start with the Suzuki, and one of my favorite things about it is this new parallel twin, which was first seen in the GSX 8S naked.
It’s 776 ccs, a 270-degrees crank for a bit of that V-twin soul, and where I think it really excels with the low-end and torqueiness.
It makes 78 Newton meters down at 6,500 RPM, which is about 10 Newton meters more peak torque than the triple in the Triumph, and 2,000 RPM, lowering the rev range, so you really don’t have to work this engine as hard to get the most out of it.
It really does have plenty of that satisfying pull from down low, and it’s also got a bit of basiness and depth to the exhaust no, and so it’s definitely got this quite substantial feel.
Now, I guess the flip side is that it doesn’t really have a lot of top end. It makes 82 horsepower, a couple of thousand RPM above its peak torque figure.
And so it might not necessarily have that really sporty characteristic that you’d associate with a sports bike.
But the reality is for day to day riding and just getting about, actually this is quite usable.
Now, the other thing that I think makes this bike really pleasant to ride, and I found this with the ATS naked as well, and also the Vstrom 800, which also uses this parallel twin, is the fact that they’ve made it really balanced and smooth, and the engine feels very comfortable and refined.
Smoothness and Refinement
Now, that’s not necessarily to say that the 660 in the Daytona is particularly buzzy or aggressive in terms of the vibes, but this just has that slightly richer feel to it, and it’s the one that I think I’d probably find more comfortable all day.
Comfort and Riding Position
And I think it’s fair to say the same of the riding position as well.
Now, there are many similarities. So the seat height is 810 mill exactly on both bikes, so a little lower than perhaps what you’d expect on a truly sporty bike, but also a little more than a typical middleweight naked.
And the pegs are in a fairly similar position as well. But where I think the big difference lies is with the handlebars.
Now, they are both clip on style, but these bars on the Suzuki just seem to sit a little bit above where the Daytonas are and also further back and wider.
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That means, firstly, that you are set up a little more on this bike. So if you’re riding in traffic, you’ve got more view of the road ahead.
But also that width gives you a touch more leverage as well.
And although neither is really properly sports bike aggressive, I’d say this is the slightly more relaxed and slightly more comfortable.
Look, that’s three solid strengths of the Suzuki.
Power and Performance
Now look, while the Suzuki definitely has the talk side of things massively covered off, the big advantage of this 660 inline triple in the Daytona is that it’s got the extra revs to make quite a bit more power.
Now it’s derived from the same 660 as the Trident and the Tiger Sport.
But whereas those bikes make around 80 horsepower peak, this one makes 94.
And so that gives it about a 12 horsepower advantage over the GSX 8R.
But not only do you actually get more power, but they’ve also tried to increase the sensation of power, firstly, with the sport riding mode to give you a bit more of a direct throttle response than the Trident and the Tiger Sport.
But also they’ve moved the air box. So previously it was under the seat, whereas now it’s up here between the tank and headstock.
So there’s more induction sound when you’re on the throttle, and a good soundtrack always increases the sensation of speed.
So if you’re the rider who likes to hold onto the gears and take advantage of those top-end revs, And whilst it still does have a decent mid-range, the Dayton just has that extra bit of fun on top.
Sporty Riding Position
Now, look, while the Suzuki is probably the more sat up and wide and all day comfortable, I think there still is something to be said for this riding position on the Dayton.
Yes, it’s a little narrower, perhaps a little lower and further forward at the front.
But what that does mean is that you can get into more of that sporty tuck, which I think makes this bike the more engaging to ride when you’re going through corners and you’re on a good twisty road, there’s just a little bit more room at the back to scoot your bum back and a bit more length in the cockpit.
And also with the bars being that little bit narrower, you feel like your arms aren’t quite out so wide and catching the wind.
Technology and Features
Now, as for the tech side of things, well, in the cockpit, the Suzuki actually might look the more modern of the two with one big TFT display, whereas the Triumph has this hybrid display with an inverted LCV at the top half and then a much smaller TFT at the bottom.
I think it’s about two inches. But the thing is, There aren’t really actually that many features on the Suzuki, whereas Triumph have actually packed in quite a lot of impressive stuff for such a small amount of screen space.
Not only do you have nicely laid out menus and settings, but also if you opt for their accessory Bluetooth module that opens up navigation, call handling and messages, and also music and media playback.
Look, if you ride with a headset and you like the idea of having your tech more integrated into the dash as opposed to mountain your phone on the bars, then the Suzuki doesn’t really don’t have anything to offer, whereas the Triumph has you covered as long as you’re willing to pay for that accessory.
Pricing and Value
Now, price-wise, you’re looking at 8,595 starting for the Dayton and 8,899 for the Suzuki, so that’s about a 300 quid difference.
But it’s perhaps not quite as simple as that because the Triumph, for example, it’s a hundred quid for anything other than the white paint job.
Whereas with the Suzuki, you’ve got a flat price across the board.
And also this one gets a quick shifter fitted as standard, whereas the Triumph is about 300 quid.
So if you fitted that and had them like for like in terms of spec, the price would end up being very similar.
Although I will say the quick shift on the Triumph is quite a bit slicker.
Look, with the price not really being a factor, but with the other points that we’ve mentioned in mind, which one should you go for?
Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
Well, I’d recommend the Suzuki for anyone who wants a sports bike that they can also use for commuting and all-round use because of that talkiness with the engine where you don’t really have to rev it so hard that makes it better at low speeds and also the smoothness of the engine and that sat up riding position.
The Daytona on the flip side is a much more engaging ride when it comes to quicker stuff. There’s more power, it revs up nicely.
The character of the triple engine as well, I think, is more so suited to that riding.
And you could say the same for the riding position as well, which just gets you that little bit lower at the front and narrower and makes you feel like you’re actually riding a sports bike.
Then with the extra bits of tech, I’d also say the finish and styling of this bike is a little cut above as well.
Plus the fact that you get three riding modes, whereas you have to set the power and TC individually on this bike.
The whole package for me is just slightly better on the Triumph, and it’s probably the one I’d go for.
Other Middleweight Sports Bike Alternatives
But there are some fantastic other options on the market,
Kawasaki ZX-4RR like the Zdx 4 RR from Kawasaki, which really has that very revvy inline 4 engine.
Yamaha R7 The Yamaha R7, which is probably the most sporty riding position.
So if you like to be very low at the front, then that’s the one to go for.
Aprilia RS 660 if you’ve got the extra cash, I do think probably who’s still the market leader in the 6-800 sports bike segment is the RS 660 from Aprilia, which has a bit more power, a bit more tech, slightly better components, and also those exotic Italian looks.
As always, I’d love to know which buy you picked, so do let me know down in the comments below.