Menus
- Bobber vs Custom prepared Blaise Dovisat way
- Modern Heritage Sport in stock or prepped
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Contact
- In the city
- On the highway
- Departmental
- Comfort / Duo
- Braking
- Night road
- Consumption
- Conclusion
Bobber vs Custom prepared Blaise Dovisat way
Modern Heritage Sport in stock or prepped
The fashion is for preparations, retro, cafe racer or even for manufacturers with neo-retro, or how to associate a new image almost at odds with the usual models and communication messages. If a Japanese manufacturer took this turn very early, it is indeed Yamaha, with its Sport Heritage range, going back in time to the origin of the brand and in particular the YA1 of 1955..
And we can then state the XR, SR, RD and other XS like the 650 of 1970 or the 750 of 1976. From there to propose XSR (XSR 700 and XSR 900) and other XV (XVS 1300 or XV 1900). But unlike those who take an old model, to cut the bib and fit nipple tires all with strap handlebars, Yamaha has well developed a range, or even a common platform allowing each new model to be declined. in two or three models. We will focus here more on the new generation with the XSR and Bolt rather than on the XJR even in the Racer version and the VMax rightly hung up on this heritage but already from another age, the proof with the disappearance of the VMax which stops this year. The range is then divided between two families between XSR and Bolt, between prepared modernity and modern custom / bobber as a basis for preparation..
In this game of preparation, the Bolt is undoubtedly the most striking example, from the basic version in the line of US customs, to the cafe racer version to the ultimate preparation with the metallic Mad Max Bolt prepared by Blaise Dovisat or the unique culmination of a preparation to the end.
Because around this heritage range and beyond the design studio JK design, Yamaha has also surrounded itself with renowned preparers from Roland Sands to Kimura via Deus to offer multiple versions of its model, ranging from fork bellows to the headlight and rear light through the saddle for the most obvious transformations. The Mad Max version goes so far as to change the original fitment impacting not only the look but the driving.
We were able to try them out and compare them to the original version. So unconducible preparation or successful transformation ?
Discovery
A bobber is defined by a shape, involving a riding position. The Bolt is in this perfect lineage with a very low saddle, wide handlebars, an almost slim bottle. Compared to a classic custom, the position is more natural with very little forward feet..
As for the saddle, two-seater in its stock version, it becomes unique in its prepared version, resting on springs dating back to classic motorcycles from the beginning of the century..
On the other hand, we always find the same counter, which usually on the handlebars and central, is placed between the two cylinders in its "Mad Max" version..
In fact, as much the stock version is almost traditional, both in terms of parts and indicators, saddle and speedometer, the prepared version goes all the way to a bike show. The usual plastic parts become metal plates, up to the license plate, a priori almost invisible to the radar … and a little less at the first check. Between these two versions, preparations interfere in a less intrusive way with sometimes just handlebars bracelets or even a seat cowl to immediately transform first impression and driving position..
The front headlight itself becomes a unique piece, far from the round standard headlight even borrowed from a "classic" story. At most, it surrounds itself with a hood in its Cafe Racer version. As for the mirrors, they become almost anecdotal, even if the visibility offered is inversely proportional to the size, especially in comparison to the stock version. The mudguard itself becomes minimalist, a simple trigger guard between the forks, a pledge to experience the slightest drop of rain on the road even more and to merge its biker equipment with the road depot in a centrifugal manner..
It is really ultimately the meter which remains the same, even if its positioning at the level of the left knee returns its usefulness to the level of an accessory. But this is probably the spirit of the motorcycle ultimately, forgetting the useful to return to the real sensations without even seeing a piece of electronics? Checks…
In the saddle
The smallest template of even 1.50 puts the feet perfectly flat here with a saddle at just 681 mm. As a result, the knees go up noticeably once back on the footrests, forming at best an angle of 90 ° for the smallest sizes. The arms will then cling almost straight to the handlebars but relatively naturally with a straight bust in the stock version while in the prep version the bust leans clearly forward while the arms move apart to cling to the horizontal bar which serves as a handlebar. How to imagine such a difference in position, when the platform is common ?
In either case, the switch is almost hidden on the right side of the engine. Seen from the saddle, it is the steering lock that is most visible, directly on the column. The same key controls both, but with two separate locks in their location.
On the other hand, we find the same fully digital counter on the different versions, except once again a different position on the Mad Max version, moved between the cylinders..
Contact
The twin is snorting with its share of big vibrations, more than the only 942 cm3 would suggest. Hands on the huge grips, first, the Bolt soars with torque. We can even then make him chain second, third and fourth report until the big twin bumps under 40 km / h.
But what is surprising is the ease of handling, including playing with gravel, which is often a more or less easy passage for beginners. The Bolt is easy, no matter what the preparation. Only the version with straight handlebars or on the contrary with strap handlebars changes the driving position so much that it takes a few kilometers to get used to it and find its marks..
In the city
The rotation of the right handle is readily expressed from the first turns of the wheel in a serious and deep way and much more than the 52 hp of the technical sheet suggested, reinforced by the torque 8.1 mkg (79.5 Nm ) achieved at just 3,000 rpm. The straight line is then its field of expression. If the driver is located low enough in relation to the flow of traffic, he easily passes between the waves without effort. He will just forget the contortion exercises between different lines of cars, made difficult by a particularly limited turning radius. In fact to turn, it is necessary to counterbalance, even to play strongly on the handlebars and even more so at slow speed. Otherwise, it will be necessary to start again several times, or even initiate a reverse gear to do it in several times to make a suitable U-turn on a usual secondary road..
On the highway
The Bolt dashes dynamically up to 110 km / h, even 120 km / h, the speed at which the arms start to pull, even stretch completely from 140 km / h to promote stretching and the body veils on the Expressway. Yet the Bolt is largely able to climb even more even if the pleasure decreases inversely in proportion to the speed..
Departmental
What makes a bobber happy is his ability to give the driver the impression of being a pilot, with a lot of screeching and scraping to the right and then to the left. The Bolt is no exception to the rule. In this game of what will screech the bitumen with a dash of metal, the two models are equal. The stock model will just be easier to put on the corner with confidence, even when the pace picks up. And it is also when the pace accelerates to chain a virolo then another, that the maneuverability asserts itself just as much as the limit of the ground clearance. But in the collar which goes up and the laces which become pins, the Bolt particularly pulls out of the game precisely, agreeing to resume on the third report while remaining perfectly aligned on its trajectory. We can even go down between a report to fall back in second, which then accepts to go up to more than 100 km / h, well beyond the limits imposed by the pins and the ground clearance. Yet it suffices to push the handlebars noticeably so that everything tilts and that the metal always warns of the limit … often close to that of the pilot at a rate which exceeds that of the bucolic stroll of the weekend. In this game of heritage, an XSR 700 or even 900 will be more efficient, allowing faster cornering speeds, or even more improvisation. But with the Bolt, it’s something else, a perpetual discovery, without ever having the impression of letting oneself get carried away but on the contrary of always having control and all with the pleasure of sensations on the corner..
Comfort / Duo
We are seated on an elegant saddle. Elegance is important because it contributes to the trip and the trip that you have in your head. The down to earth reality of the ground will quickly bring you back to reality and whether solo or duet. And if you think the model with the optional tank damper fitted to the R is better, you might even prefer the original, softer double damper, which, while not as good in muscular driving, is significantly better in almost all the others. circumstances, whether solo or duet. The potholes thus make you go up all the bones of the back to make them crack one after the other like a domino. The seat is sometimes saved by a fast driving, that which forces to move more and thus to never really offer the same asperity while sitting. Here, it just makes it possible to extend the pleasure from 100 to 150 kilometers. Even a highway’s long ribbon of asphalt will make you want to stop before the reserve ignites. But then this will be the opportunity to admire the model … Especially in its prepared version…
Your passenger will sometimes cry even more than the pilot, but the saddle placed low, on the contrary, allows you to completely forget the passenger compared to even roadsters, or a high weight often results in a more or less noticeable swaying effect. There is nothing like it here and it is undoubtedly one of the models that allows you to forget the most in driving the feeling of having weight in a sandbag.
Braking
The feeling of the front brake is good and associated with the rear brake particularly effective, to stop the Bolt in all circumstances. In fact, it is the simultaneous use of the front and rear brake that maximizes the braking efficiency, especially in duet, this because of the single disc at the front as at the rear..
Night road
The low beam lights illuminate well, nothing more. The high beams offer superior visibility but illuminate the sky as a duo, under the effect of the compressed rear shock absorber raising the front and therefore requires adjusting the headlight to illuminate the road and not the sky effectively..
Consumption
Despite its small 12-liter container, the Bolt is sober with a reduced consumption of 5.5 liters per hundred kilometers and thus offering a range of nearly 200 kilometers at a cool ride pace and just under 180 kilometers in more sporty driving..
Conclusion
Yamaha has succeeded in offering with its heritage range modern machines with a specific look, in fact open to all forms of modifications and personalized preparations, with a great deal of sometimes tailor-made parts, enough to concoct your own machine and no other. similar, but without denying modern qualities in terms of chassis, engine, braking. After choosing the model, you can go to the ultimate preparation, less drivable on a daily basis. But what does everyday life mean when you choose an exceptional machine that becomes the reflection of your choices and your life? We no longer speak of everyday life but of experience. Motorcycles are just a pretext for travel and for being different, just to focus on having fun. Successful bet.
Strong points
- motor
- grip
- customization possibilities
Weak points
- comfort / duo
- braking
The Bolt technical sheet
Test conditions
- Itinerary: small varied roads + interurban highways with a bit of town
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