Triumph's decade-old resurrection takes another step forward with this summer's re-release of the Bonneville. Park the '01 model next to a late-60s predecessor, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart at a glance. All that changes once you come across a curving country road; the new Bonneville may go back a few decades for styling tips, but when it comes to performance, it's planted firmly in the present day. Still, no one's going to buy a Bonneville purely for performance, and you shouldn't, either. Instead, don a grease-stained T-shirt and black leather jacket, cast an appreciative eye over the Bonne-ville's classic lines, and revel in the distinctive Triumph exhaust note as she comes to life. Again.

BMW F 650 GS
$8,100 ($8,600 with ABS brakes)
www.bmwusacycles.com; (800) 831-1117
When you're in a Robert Frost kinda mood (you know, the whole "road less traveled" thing), mosey on down to your local BMW dealer and swing a leg over the F 650 GS. Do we dare use the word "utilitarian" in the same sentence as BMW? In fact, we do, and it's largely because of this single-cylinder, Swiss Army knife of a bike. The F 650 GS is equally at home on the highway, or clawing its way over an unpaved Mexican mountain pass. Couple BMW's legendary reliability with the ability to tackle less traveled roads and trails gracefully, and you have the perfect companion for your Robert Frost moments.

Yamaha YZ250F
$5,499
www.yamaha-motor.com; (714) 761-7300