No bike lives in a vacuum.

As dramatically different as two motorcycles can be, it's virtually impossible to resist the urge to compare one bike type against another-- even if they only share the fact that they're both two-wheeled and motorized.

After a new rear tire and 6,000 mile service, I dropped off the Bonneville long term tester at Mickey Cohen Motorsports, Triumph's West Coast press fleet center, for a second look at those discolored exhaust pipes and a software update (remember those cleverly disguised fuel injectors masquerading as carbs?) I was offered a Triumph loaner of my choice while the Bonnie was being looked at, and the Street Triple R (which lost to the Bonnie in the Long Term Test Bike Moto Poll) was one of those elusive bikes I'd always wanted to sample, so it turned out to be a good excuse to experience this naked version of the Daytona 675.

If you have any doubt about how diversified Triumph's product portfolio has become, try climbing off a classically-styled Bonneville SE ($8,399) and swinging a leg over the thoroughly modern Street Triple R ($9,599.) The saddle is snug, the riding position more committed, and the 105 horsepower 675cc engine... well, let's just say this liquid-cooled, 13,750 rpm triple makes the Bonnie's 66 horsepower parallel twin seem like it's running in reverse. The Street Triple R's aluminum frame help give it a 79 pound weight advantage over the Bonneville, the brakes are potent, and the uprated suspension is essentially race track ready. An upcoming review will dig deeper into the Street Triple R's specs and riding impressions, but suffice to say this naked, so-called "hooligan" bike is a dramatically different species than the tried and true Bonneville.

Which brings us back to the topic of the good ole' reliable Bonnie. Mickey Cohen echoed what the folks at Ducati Newport Beach indicated, suggesting that unless you polish the pipes to an essentially mirror-smooth finish, the natural pits in the stainless steel will take on a patina as they go through heat cycles and are exposed to the elements.

Mickey installed the latest software update (which was about 6 months old), and ran diagnostics on the engine which resulted in an "All Systems Clear" status. Throttle abruptness seemed mildly aided by the update, though there's still some jerkiness during roll-on throttle at lower rpms. When asked about the brief Check Engine light that came on a few months ago, Mickey suggested a couple of possible reasons (including oxygen sensors or short ride times, which usually require the installation of a "city riding" software profile, due to the compressed warmup/cool-down intervals.) But with no system errors showing up, the Bonneville was given a clean bill of health. The judgment seemed accurate, given its consistent performance and instant engine startups. Since the Bonneville is still technically part of the Triumph press fleet, those patinated, scraped, and plastic-embossed Arrow exhaust pipes were replaced with a brand spanking new set. Not exactly the same treatment you'd get at a dealership, but you can't blame Triumph for maintaining their press bikes so diligently.

I'll admit that several weeks aboard the Street Triple R spoiled me with performance; the thing's a sexy, nimble little ride, and though it lacks the Speed Triple's stonkier 1,050cc engine, it's still a shock to think the non-"R" version runs only $8,899-- a mere $500 more than the Bonneville SE's starting price.

Things unfold a little more reasonably in the Bonneville's saddle, and the world blurs by a bit more slowly. But if there's anything I learned from this two-bike experiment, it's that the Bonneville's more timeless styling and milder powertrain don't necessarily make it less of a motorcycle than racier specimens like the Street Triple R; it just makes it different, and appropriate for a certain type of rider. And considering that the Bonneville's been around for over 50 years yet maintained its same basic architecture, it's clear that Triumph knows how to build an enduring classic-- even if it doesn't have the hair-raising propensity for wheelies or the ability to lay rubber at will.

MILEAGE LOG

• Total miles ridden: 3,542
• Total miles ridden this period: 68
• Total odometer miles: 7,012
• Average fuel economy: N/A

>>Triumph Bonneville Long Term Update #7: The Dealership Experience... Sorta
>>Triumph Bonneville Long Term Update #6: Feelin' Flat
>>Triumph Bonneville Long Term Update #5: The GPS Paradox
>>Triumph Bonneville Long Term Update #4: Is this thing old enough?
>>Triumph Bonneville Long Term Update #3: The Triumph Bonneville gets some long overdue routine maintenance.
>>Triumph Bonneville Long Term Update #2: Settling in with the Bonnie
>>Triumph Bonneville Long Term Update #1: Configurate Me!