Could A Triumph Daytona 765 Be On The Way?

Triumph issued a press release recently describing a recent test of its 765cc Triple, to be used as the spec engine for Moto2 starting in 2019. In the release, several Moto2 teams conducted shakedown runs with the new engine and the specific chassis designs each team is building around the Triple. We couldn’t help but notice, however, that the photos included with the release featured a motorcycle with Triumph badging and the number 765 on the tail. This one was clearly different from the rest. Is Triumph foreshadowing a future Daytona 765 and hiding it in plain sight?

The motorcycle in question had a frame, swingarm, and other components not like the rest. Where the Kalex, KTM, NTS, and other teams had frames clearly looking like they were fresh off a CNC machine, the Triumph bits looked like they were from the production line. Brakes were Nissin components rather than the Brembos the Moto2 teams were using, while suspension bits were from K-Tech instead of Öhlins. While it’s not mandatory to use Brembo and Öhlins, the Nissin and K-Tech pieces, like the chassis, also looked like production units – top shelf production units, but certainly not unobtanium like we’re used to seeing in the Grand Prix paddock.

To be fair to Triumph, providing a brand new engine for the Moto2 category is a gargantuan task needing a significant amount of testing. Company representatives tell us the motorcycle seen in these photos is a test mule to develop the engine and ECU. Based on the Daytona 675 chassis, it has been extensively modified to accept the new engine, ECU, suspension and brake components. Triumph is not fielding a team, nor is it developing a chassis for Moto2; but as part of its agreement to be the engine supplier starting next year it will need to provide approximately 200 of the 765cc Triples to ExternPro – the third party responsible for maintaining and distributing Moto2 engines to respective teams since the category’s inception – and using these tests to establish baseline settings for the engine and ECU is critical.

While producing a one-off test mule for Moto2 purposes certainly makes sense, we can’t help but wonder if the existence of this mule indicate a production Daytona 765 sportbike is in the works. OEM representatives don’t often speak about future products for obvious reasons, and our attempt to pry more information from Triumph fell on deaf ears. For now, all we can do now is hope. The Daytona 675 is one of our favorite middleweight sportbikes, and though the category is in a bit of a lull, a bigger, badder Daytona with a 765cc Triple could be the shot in the arm the class needs. Are you listening, Triumph?