Triumph Daytona 900 Super III

Almost overnight, this Superbike became a classic. When the new Triumph range was unveiled in 1991, it comprised four engines: triples of 750 and 900cc, and 1000cc and 1200cc fours. The 750cc engine is now confined to just one model, the 1200 to two, whilst the 1000 has disappeared altogether. There is a very good reason for this: the 900cc triple has fast earned a reputation as one of motorcycling's great powerplants. As well as the Daytona, the same basic engine powers the Thunderbird, Trident, Sprint, Tiger, Trophy, Speed Triple and Super III.Of these, the Daytona models are the most sporting.

 The Super III is a tuned and slightly lightened version of the Daytona which offers little more, other than a hefty price tag and better brakes. Although notionally a sports machine, the Daytona is not in the same mould as Japanese race replicas such as Suzuki's GSX-Rs, compared to which it feels long, tall and heavy. It cannot flick through chicanes like a GP machine, and it doesn't rev way into five figures.

But the Daytona is deceptive. Its point-to-point performance is superb. Most of the credit for this belongs to that engine. Compared to the awesome power of the four-cylinder 1200 Daytona, the three is a better balanced and more enticing machine. It ticks over with a slightly cantankerous rumble which, balance shafts or no balance shafts, says 'I'm an engine' rather than merely a sealed box full of motive effort. From the instant you press the button, Triumph triples exude the sort of character that Japan largely designed out years ago.

There are no bottom-end flat spots, just a rising tide of willing revs. Like a four, the Daytona is content to potter from sub-tickover speeds; useful power begins to swell at 3000rpm, continuing unabated until the 9500rpm red line. And at no point does it ever feel remotely stressed.

Peak revs equates to 148mph in top gear, which might not seem impressive in an age of 150mph 600s. But it is the manner of the triple's getting there that sets it apart. There's no need to reconcile road speed to two decimal places of revs: just wind it on, and watch it disappear. Whilst most engines of comparable flexibility are either bland or plain slow, the 900 is an unburstably quick projectile from A to B.The rest of the package is of the same high quality.

 The gearchange is positive, with no under-selection, the truck-sized clutch practically redundant once on the move. Six speeds is overkill, but allows relaxed top gear ratios. In almost every area, the engines are over-engineered (regularly doing 100 hours at well over 11,000 full-throttle rpm on the test bench), with elaborate attention to oil-tightness.

Due to its sheer weight and lazy steering geometry (27°/105mm), the Daytona is never going to rival the FZR Yamaha, much less Honda's Fireblade, for rapid flicks through tight corners. It is, like the ZZ-R, more of a hyper sports-tourer than an out-and-out sports machine.

Charging through ultra-fast sweepers, steering and stability is second to none. Even on standard settings, damping is good, with no trace of wallow. The converse - betraying the same conservatism as went into the engine - is a lack of flickability through tight stuff. It's a reassuring formula which responds better the faster the road. For above all, the 900 loves going quickly, thrives on being thrashed. It's a Superbike that begs to be ridden. And hard.