Car and Motorcycle

Triumph Daytona 955i, The Forgotten Sportsbike !

It may not have been able to take on the ’Blade, but that’s not to say the Triumph Daytona 955i should be ignored by buyers...

The Daytona 955i is one of those strange bikes that, if you look at the cold hard facts, was actually a bit of a failure as it didn’t really come close to achieving its goals in life.

However, facts don’t always tell the whole story and this British Sportsbike has matured into something of an institution. Originally unveiled as the T595 in 1997, the Daytona was to be Britain’s riposte to those pesky Japanese and their Inline Four Sportsbikes.


Hinckley’s Triumph might have only been a fledgling company at that point, but they had high targets and with the sportsbike market booming they wanted a slice of the action. However, without the finances to construct a whole new inline four motor, instead Triumph turned to their trusty Inline Triple Engine and sought out a bit of help from another British company.




It’s fair to say that the designers at Lotus know their way around a motor and, together with Triumph, they took the 885cc triple and made it into what everyone hoped would be enough to see off those ubiquitous rice burners. With a claimed 129bhp from its 955cc capacity things were certainly promising, especially when you consider the 1997 FireBlade RR-V only made 126bhp, but life isn’t always that simple and in 1998 Yamaha unleashed the R1.

Triumph returned to the drawing board and in 1999, as well as renaming the bike the Daytona 955i, so it didn’t confuse idiots, engineers squeezed even more performance out of the triple. But would it be enough?

Here’s the sad part of the story When the 955i arrived, it only claimed the same power as the T595, which was a little disappointing. The torque may have been boosted to a slightly more impressive 100Nm, but this wasn’t going to capture any headlines, especially as the bike weighed a porky 192kg. Against the 150bhp and 177kg R1, and then in 2000 the 151bhp and 170kg ‘Blade, the 955i was out gunned and out dieted. So, once again, Triumph returned to the drawing board and in 2001 they got it right.

Triumph Daytona 955i Model Update

The 955i received a major update in 2001 with almost every major component altered. The single sided swingarm was replaced with a conventional double-sided item, the motor revised with a claimed 18bhp gain to 147 HP, weight reduced by 4kg to 188kg and the fairing restyled. 2004 saw the fairing altered again with a sharper new look while 2006 brought with it new cylinder head cases and a revised gearbox and swingarm. If possible, buy a post-2001 model as they are a far better bike.

If you are looking at buying a 955i, the 2001-onwards model is the one to get. With a claimed 147 hp and 188 kg weight (the rear wheel power is a strong 136 HP) thanks to substantial revisions, this is the bike that could have actually caused the Japanese a bit of a headache if it had arrived a few years earlier.

Annoyingly, once again Triumph spectacularly mistimed the bike’s introduction and it appeared just as Suzuki unchained the GSXR1000 and made every sportsbike look weedy. In the speedobsessed 2000s riders forgot about the Triumph and instead became infatuated with the new generation of litre bikes from Japan. Triumph continued to churn out the 955i until 2006, but it was more a case of satisfying the bike’s fans rather than pushing development forward.

So let’s get the bad points over and done with at the start. The Triumph 955i isn’t a cutting edge sportsbike. You can’t expect it to rival an R1, GSX-R1000 or post-2000 FireBlade as it is essentially a generation behind these machines. However, that isn’t to say it’s not a superb used buy as this British sportsbike is a brilliant machine if you want a sporty bike to ride and enjoy.

The 955i might be a bit chunky with a wide petrol tank and bulbous fairing, however there is a reason for this. Triumph designed a bike that could be used day in, day out, rather than stick a set of lights on a race bike. The Hinckley firm had no intentions of taking the 955i racing, it was a road bike through and through and as such came with a decent Bodywork, comfortable seat, relaxed clip-ons and large tank.




The average Triumph owner was more mature than the Japanese sportsbike buyer and although they certainly appreciated the sporty looks of a full fairing, they didn’t want a bike that was compromised for the sake of performance they weren’t going to use. And so that’s the bike Triumph built them.

As a sporty road bike to cover miles on, the 955i is a really good buy. The motor has the kind of relaxed spread of torque you would expect from a large capacity Triumph triple (not to mention the agricultural gearbox) and the chassis is also surprisingly accomplished. It’s not super agile, but the 955i is sporty without ever threatening to get out of shape and brings a feel of total balance and security in corners. Like so many other Triumph models, it’s just a lovely road bike and one that always delivers a thoroughly enjoyable ride.

If you aren’t speed obsessed and simply want a bike that is brimming with character and also has a spark of misbehaviour about it, then look no further than the 955i. Prices are incredibly reasonable and £2,500 should secure you a cracking post-2001 model. Build quality isn’t bad, service costs are acceptable and as long as you treat it right, the Daytona is also very reliable machine. Stick a race can on it, sort the suspension and get out on the roads and enjoy.

Triumph Daytona 955i Specifications

Manufacturing : Triumph Motorcycle Ltd.

Model : T595 Daytona (1997-1998) | Daytona 955i (1998-2006)

Production Year : 1997 - 2006



Engine : 4-Stroke, Transverse 3 Cylinder, DOHC 4-Valve per Cylinder, Liquid-Cooled

Bore x Stroke: 79 x 65 mm

Cylinder capacity: 955 cc

Fuel Supply : Multipoint Sequential Electronic Fuel-Injection

Compression ratio: 12.0: 1

Transmission: 6-Speed

Starter: Electric Starter

Max Power: 147 HP @ 10.700 RPM (136 RWHP @ 10.600 RPM)

Max Torque: 100 N.m @ 8.200 RPM

Top Speed: 270 Km / h



Dimensions - Length x Width x Height : 2.072 x 725 x 1.165 mm

Wheelbase: 1.417 mm

Seat height: 815 mm

Dry weight: 188 kg

Fuel tank capacity: 21 Litres



Frame : Alumunium Alloy - Twinspar Perimeter Frame

Front Suspension : 45mm RWU Forks, Fully Adjustable

Rear Suspension: Monoshock with Adjustable Preload, Single-Sided Swingarm

Front Brakes : 2 x Disc 320 mm, 4-Pots Calipers

Rear Brakes : Disc 220 mm, 2 Pots Caliper

Front Tires : 120/70 - ZR17

Rear tires: 190/50 - ZR17