22/10/2026
The stories behind my classic vehicles - Part 2 of 15
1995 Triumph Daytona 1200 🏍️
Once I caught the Triumph bug, the Daytona 1200 went straight to the top of my wish list. They were hard to find, so while I waited for the right one to come along, I bought a 2001 Daytona 955 to temporarily keep me happy 🤔
I finally found a Daytona 1200 in 2018, but at the time I already owned five other bikes and couldn’t really justify adding a sixth….how things have changed 🤣
Coincidentally, on the same night I found the 1200, my wife spotted a cheap Rocket for sale and said, “Have you seen this?”
I replied, “Yes, but I’ve also seen this!” 😂
I was talking about the Daytona 1200 of course, and off I went to buy it 😁
It didn’t take long for me to realise that this was another motorcycle I would never sell. It’s become one of my all time equal favourite bikes…..Through the twisties, it handles like a dream, yet it’s equally at home cruising on the open road. It has strong top-end power, plenty of low-down torque and is comfortable enough to spend the whole day in the saddle 🤩
With 145,000 kms on the clock, it might have lost a little of its original brute force, but it still delivers plenty of smiles per mile 😁
🔧 An icon of Triumph’s rebirth in the 90’s with 147 horsepower coming out of the factory, a rugged steel backbone frame and a reputation for being built like a brick sh*****se, the Daytona 1200 helped define Triumph’s return to the motorcycle world 💪
Weighing over 220 kg dry, it’s less a nimble featherweight and more a powerful muscle bike built to devour kilometres in comfort and style! 🏁🇬🇧
For me, the Daytona 1200 is the perfect combination of old-school muscle, long distance comfort and sporting ability. It’s a big, powerful motorcycle with a character all of its own, and even after all these years and kilometres, I still love riding it 🧡
Some of my most memorable rides on the Daytona have been trips to the MotoGP at Phillip Island, along with plenty of adventures on Victoria’s country roads 👊✊
One memorable ride to Licola, I came across John the Camel Man. He’d left the corporate world in WA behind and decided to walk his five camels around Australia! 🐪🇦🇺
Naturally, I had to stop for a chat and a photo with John, his camels and my Daytona. It’s encounters like these that make motorcycling so special …..you never know who you’re going to meet or what stories you’ll come home with ☺️
Some bikes come and go. Others earn a permanent place in the shed. This one is definitely staying 🤩
Next up in my series will be my HZ Holden 🚘…..
