Make or Break? Triumph Daytona 1200.
“That’s a bit bright!”
Yellow motorcycles, I’ve never been a fan! This big old Triumph looks like a chunky wasp with its custard yellow finish and black trimmings. In fact, every person that’s seen it at the yard since it landed have all passed comment on its brightness. I might not like the sunshine colour, but I don’t mind the model itself.
I’m old enough to remember all of the political pointlessness from the 1990s, when manufacturers made their gentleman’s agreement not to build motorcycles with more than 125bhp. Some took it seriously, others just opted to weld blobs of metal into exhaust header pipes and add extra rubber to inlet manifolds. Triumph were keen to get some free headlines for their porky Daytona 1200, so decided to not play ball and rumours of around 140bhp figures started to leak out.
I’ve never seen a Daytona 1200 on a dyno personally so have no idea what the true horse count was. I learnt years ago not to believe the performance hype figures pedalled out by the media. Performance claims and lairy paint aside the Daytona is still a bike of interest to some.
“What’s the story on that low mileage?”
With less than 6,000 genuine miles from new, this bike hasn’t had a tough life. I sold this actual bike back in 2017, it had been unused for a few years and needed some tender loving care to make it roadworthy again. I sold it on to someone who, after 4 years of fussing the 1200cc four cylinder, decided he wanted to sell it. I was so impressed with his efforts I didn’t hesitate to take the custard tart back in a deal.
Prices for most early Hinckley bikes are still pretty flat. The early Speed Triple 900 and T595 are the only models that have really got a following of rose tinted glasses wearing fans. Prices for decent ones of those are on the up. Pricing an unloved model that’s in excellent condition is tricky however, the older they get the better the chances are of them gaining some love.
This immaculate example also comes with a rare rear seat cowl which cost the last owner over £200 to replace after the original one went AWOL.
I have checked the prices online and they vary wildly. With this bike it’s going to be a case of, it’s worth what someone will pay for it.
With plenty of other used bikes to get shifted I’m not rushing to punt this on just yet. I might even stick some unleaded in that man size fuel tank and get her out and over that 6,000 mile mark.
Article provided by Scottie Redmond
