CHARACTERS: Star Bolt R-Spec

Of all the metric cruiser brands, Star is perhaps the only one that is really in tune with its customers. From the beginning, this brand, which is a spin-off label of Yamaha, understood that to compete with the likes of Harley-Davidson it not only had to make its bikes easily customizable but also encourage it. Star's $8,290 Bolt R-Spec is a perfect example.

Last year, when Star unveiled the Bolt to the media, it also presented many customs that highlighted just how radical you could make it.

As is, the Bolt’s matte paint, bobbed rear fender, slammed solo seat, and mid-mount foot controls make it an ideal urban trawler, but those anodized remote-reservoir shocks (standard on the R) offer far better ride quality than the competition for when you break away from urban congestion to stretch its legs.

A stock Bolt has a good amount of character on its own, but the real reason it’s included here is because the bike’s true character is waiting to be unleashed by your customizing vision.

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Yamaha Star Bolt vs. Harley-Davidson Iron 883 – Urban Cruiser Comparison