w/ original Shark Skinz fairing lower

     Flipping through my spring, 2002 issue of Sportrider, however, I came across a small article introducing Triumph's latest generation Daytona, and I was instantly hooked. Here was a bike with as much power as most of its Japanese rivals, but with extraordinarily clean lines and no cheesy graphics. Plus, it was a Triumph, which to me (at the time) screamed exclusivity. I had to have it. 

     The bike is heavier than its more common competitors, but for sane street use, it is a perfectly competent back-road companion. It is fast, stable, incredibly smooth, and easy to ride quickly. Plus, it makes beautiful sounds (even stock), and it doesn't really look like anything else out there. 

     Unfortunately, I did have some problems with my bike over the two years I owned it, but just a few minutes in the garage looking at it seemed to make all the trouble worth while. It is truly a stunning piece of machinery... at least, I certainly think so. The best looking production motorcycle of all time, period, in my somewhat biased opinion. 

     I sold the bike simply because I needed the money for my move out of state, and it made more practical sense to keep my Honda as my main ride. Otherwise, I probably would have kept this one forever.

right off the delivery truck