2024 Yamaha Bolt R-Spec

The search for a classically styled middleweight cruiser has traditionally started and ended at Harley-Davidson’s Sportster, but with Harley-Davidson taking a more modern approach with its latest-generation Nightster and Sportster S, bikes like the Bolt R-Spec are creeping back into the cruiser spotlight.

Hardware is not the main talking point here, but a quick pass through the Bolt’s features highlight’s Yamaha’s less-is-more approach. Power comes courtesy of an air-cooled 60-degree V-twin. And while that engine may lack the bark of Harley’s finely tuned Sportsters of yesteryear, it offers near seamless fueling and plenty of low-end grunt for casual around-town cruising. Yes, there are some vibrations as you near 80 mph on the highway, but those settle down to something best described as “character” when cruising around town. Just what you want on a mid-displacement cruiser.

There’s not an abundance of room in the Bolt R-Spec’s compact saddle, but the bike’s modest dimensions mean it’s an easy motorcycle for newer riders to get comfortable on. Well-positioned mid-control footpegs make it a comfortable mount for the type of riding it was intended for too. That includes short jaunts around town with the occasional stretch down the open highway. Relatively light handling and sporty shocks offer just enough performance for when the pace picks up.

While that hardware is important and Yamaha is quite good at building seamless machines, the focus for a bike like the Bolt R-Spec is styling, and Yamaha has done a great job of incorporating the classic lines you’d expect from a V-twin cruiser. A 3.4-gallon teardrop tank, dual piggyback shocks, 12-spoke cast-aluminum wheels, and blacked-out finishes fit the bill. Plus, there’s very little badging.

More benefits come in the form of a low, 27.2-inch seat height and modern LED lighting. And while Yamaha hasn’t tweaked the formula much in recent years, the Bolt R-Spec’s straightforward design is what makes it so appealing.

The Bolt R-Spec is available in any color you’d like so long as it’s black (with a small red accent on the tank). MSRP is $8,899.