Triumph TT600
The TT600 was Triumph's first direct assault on a mainstream sector of the motorcycle market. Aimed at providing Triumph with a mass-market middleweight sportsbike, the TT600 had a tough challenge ahead - the 600cc sportsbike class is the most closely contested, and the existing Japanese contenders were intensely well-developed machines. Triumph followed conventional motorcycle engineering practice with the TT600. A 16-valve, liquid-cooled inline-four engine in an aluminium twin-spar frame is a specification shared with every other bike in this class, although the Sagem fuel-injection was new to the class, and the TT's styling was also unconventional.
As it turned out, both these elements were to work against the TT600. The bulbous fairing was not to everyone's taste, and looked rather dowdy compared with the sharp lines of Yamaha's R6 or Kawasaki's ZX-6R. More seriously, the fuel-injection system was a source of much trouble, with uneven running, poor low-down power and hesitancy. This was unfortunate, because the TT600's chassis is excellent. The light, stiff frame is fitted with high-spec, fully adjustable Kayaba suspension, lightweight wheels and powerful, progressive Nissin brakes. The light weight is a strong asset, there is excellent Ground Clearance, and the TT600's track-based development shines through when it is ridden round a circuit. Peak engine power, while lower than the competition, is still impressive, and the TT also has the benefit of Triumph's excellent build quality. A range of optional factory parts mean the bike can be customized with race exhausts, soft luggage and other accessories.
Triumph has constantly updated the TT600's fuel-injection mapping, and updated engine components have continually improved performance and drivability. The 2002 model was better than ever, although by then much damage had already been done to the TT's reputation. With the TT600, Triumph has taken on all-comers in a class that has been for so long dominated by Japanese manufacturers. Colour Options Triumph Accessories |
Review The only non-Japanese entrant in the world 600-class sportbike sales derby would've had the most inauspicious start of any bike in memory were it not for the amazingly awful V-Due, which bankrupted Bimota. The TT got the major dance-of-the-seven-veils press buildup two years ago, and received glowing reviews upon its launch in France. But when we finally got a production-spec TT in our clutches we found ourselves aboard a bike that ran like it needed the Heimlich maneuver: Below 4000 rpm it had a big chicken bone stuck in its throat, and above that it ran better and actually posted comparable horsepower numbers to the competition. Source Motorcyclist |