2015 Star Bolt C-Spec – First Ride Review

The 2015 Star Bolt C-Spec offers café racer style in a cruiser package.
The 2015 Star Bolt C-Spec offers café racer style in a cruiser package.

photography by Brian J. Nelson

Star Motorcycles hit a home run in 2014 with its all-new Star Bolt, a minimalist “urban performance bobber” powered by the torquey, 942cc air-cooled V-twin from the V Star 950. With its solo saddle perched just 27.2 inches off the deck and a curb weight of 540 pounds, the compact Bolt looked tough with heavy-metal, Vmax-like styling elements. At just $7,990 ($8,290 for the lightly accessorized R-Spec; $8,390 for 2015), it sold—and continues to sell—like hotcakes.

Watch our video of the 2015 Star Bolt C-Spec

Advertisement

Read our review of the 2014 Star Bolt/Bolt R-Spec

Joining the Bolt and Bolt R-Spec in Star’s 2015 lineup is the new C-Spec, which trades the pullback handlebar for clip-ons and undergoes other changes to give it the look and feel of a café racer. In addition to the lower bars, the C-Spec’s seating position was made sportier by moving the footpegs back 5.9 inches and up 1.25 inches, and making them a half-inch wider. To increase available lean angle from 33 to 37 degrees, the fork is 0.35-inch longer, the twin shocks are 0.24-inch taller (like the R-Spec, the C-Spec has gold-anodized piggyback reservoir shocks) and ride height was increased 1.6 inches, which also raised seat height to 30.1 inches. To complete the café racer look, the C-Spec has fork boots, a removable rear seat cowl and special sport graphics, and the single instrument gauge was moved from below to above the triple clamp.

Low clip-ons, a sportier riding position, more cornering clearance and unique styling elements give the C-Spec the look and feel of a café racer.
Low clip-ons, a sportier riding position, more cornering clearance and unique styling elements give the C-Spec the look and feel of a café racer.

Sitting on the Bolt C-Spec requires the rider to hunch forward, and the combination of low seat and high pegs puts significant bend in the knees. Such is the price of style, as this bike isn’t—and doesn’t aspire to be—a touring machine. The 3.2-gallon tank will make sure you don’t venture too far without taking a break. No complaints about the seat, which is more plush than expected. If you want to carry a passenger, you’ll need to dip into the accessory catalog for passenger footpegs.* (There are 17 new accessories exclusive to the C-Spec, plus another 45 or so other Bolt accessories available.)

Powering the Star Bolt C-Spec is the 942cc air-cooled V-twin from the V Star 950.
Powering the Star Bolt C-Spec is the 942cc air-cooled V-twin from the V Star 950.

We’re big fans of the sound, feel and grunt of the 942cc, 60-degree V-twin that powers the Bolts. In our last cruiser comparison, the Star V Star 950 Tourer belted out 57 lb-ft of torque at 3,400 rpm and 49 horsepower at 5,600 rpm. Since, based on a claimed wet weight of 542 pounds, the Bolt C-Spec weighs 113 pounds less than the V Star 950 Tourer, it pulls strongly, with smooth roll-ons and a nice rumble when cruising in top gear. Still, there’s no avoiding the fact that this is a cruiser in café racer clothing, so performance is relative. The 5-speed transmission is clunky down low, the dual-disc brakes are underpowered and the suspension is on the soft side, though it does a decent job of smoothing out rough pavement. There may be more cornering clearance on the C-Spec than the other Bolts, but what’s available is still modest. Vibration makes the mirrors all but useless, and even though the single, all-digital instrument looks cool, the lights for the turn signals, neutral, etc. are too dim to be seen in bright sunlight.

The belt-driven C-Spec rolls on 12-spoke cast aluminum wheels, 19-inch front and 16-inch rear, which are shod with (new to the Bolt line) Michelin Commander II tires (100/90-19 front, 150/80-16 rear), which provided good grip and handling on the pavement of varying quality we encountered on our 120-mile ride around Los Angeles. A pair of 298mm wave-style rotors are squeezed by a 2-piston caliper in front and a 1-piston caliper out back; ABS is not available. The non-adjustable fork has 4.7 inches of travel and the preload-adjustable shocks have 2.8 inches of travel.

The Star Bolt C-Spec is available in Envy Green (shown) or Liquid Silver.
The Star Bolt C-Spec is available in Envy Green (shown) or Liquid Silver.

If your idea of a café racer is a bike that will easily “do the ton” and give your go-fast friends a run for their money, then the Bolt C-Spec will fall short of expectations. But if you think a rumbling cruiser V-twin goes with café racer styling like chocolate goes with peanut butter, then this could be the bike for you. It’s in dealers now with an MSRP of $8,690, in either Envy Green or Liquid Silver.

2015 Star Bolt C-Spec Specifications
Website: starmotorcycles.com
Base Price: $8,690
Engine Type: Air-cooled, transverse V-twin, SOHC, 4 valves per cyl.
Displacement: 942cc
Bore x Stroke: 85.0 x 83.0mm
Transmission: 5-speed, cable-actuated wet clutch
Final Drive: Belt
Wheelbase: 61.8 in.
Rake/Trail: 29 degrees/5.1 in.
Seat Height: 30.1 in.
Claimed Wet Weight: 542 lbs.
Fuel Capacity: 3.2 gals.
MPG: NA

RELATED: Winner Named in ‘Battle of the Bolts’

The single, all-digital instrument was moved above the triple clamp.
The single, all-digital instrument was moved above the triple clamp.
The C-Spec's sporty riding position allows riders to assume the café racer position.
The C-Spec’s sporty riding position allows riders to assume the café racer position.

*CORRECTION 9/24/15: The previous version of this article said there is no passenger seat under the rear cowl, which is incorrect.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Ugly. Just like the first Bolt. Is it a sport cruiser or a bobber? Make up your mind. Geesh. Glad I passed on this.

  2. I own this exact bike even the green colour and there’s a seat under my rear cowel, came that way from factory. I just had to get passenger rear sets put on for the wife. Also went with the Vance and Hines exhaust. My cousin bought the R-Spec at the same time and went with a more bobber look with the 8″ mini apes. It’s been a great bike and both of them get alot of attention. For the price vs others at this price point the choice was obvious. I looked at Harley’s Street 700 also and the fit and finish quality of the Bolt is miles above the Harley. Also there’s only single disc rotors up front and behind. Proof read your article before posting it online.

  3. I like the concept, but Yamaha should update the fuel tank to a more café racer type tank, rather than using the cruiser tank. I’m looking at the Triumph Street Twin, the Moto Guzzi V7 Stone also, but I really kind of like the looks of this thing for some reason.

  4. This is a different bike from the triumph, Kawasaki w800 or the yamaha Scrambler, not a cafe racer, though you can take it towards that direction it is a cruiser. And about the inquiry of cruiser vs sport bike, this is a cruiser even with a V cinlinder position, I owned the Vulcan 500 by kawa, great piece, small for me but very powerful and responsive, I am not in the cruiser style at all, but Vulcan 500 with the parallel twin, or this bolt seem much better for me than any Harley.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here