2020 Yamaha Bolt/R-Spec

On its website, Yamaha tags the Bolt as an “urban performance bobber,” and it certainly wears some of the hallmarks of the category with its minimal bodywork, compact chassis, and old-school tech, but the Bolt will appeal to almost any rider thanks to its friendly manners and torquey V-twin power. Yamaha’s (nee Star) midsize cruiser was introduced in 2013 and hasn’t changed much since then, soldering on with a fuel-injected, 942cc, air-cooled, SOHC V-twin engine and a spartan, no-fuss vibe. The more premium R-Spec model one-ups the base model with the addition of twin piggyback reservoir shocks, 12-spoke cast alloy wheels, and more in-depth paint options, but both offer a modern LED taillight and an LCD instrument cluster to bring a little high tech to the otherwise bare-bones feel.

Related: DYNO VIDEO: 2016 Star Bolt C-Spec

Its low saddle and compact feel will likely call out to shorter beginner and intermediate riders, though the Bolt can more than handle advanced pilots as well. A $7,999 buy-in is a pretty good motivator, and the better-equipped R-Spec model costs just $400 more.

The Bolt regularly makes “best cruiser value” lists because of its no-nonsense style, accessibility, as well as affordability, though its obvious competition, like Harley-Davidson’s Iron 883 and Triumph’s Street Twin models, offer a similarly stripped-down vibe and customizable platform at a reasonable price.

The Yamaha Bolt hasn’t had many updates at all since its launch in 2013, so changes to the 2020 model are exactly nil; in fact, even the price is unchanged.