Yamaha Bolt by Roland Sands

Harley’s evergreen Sportster has some serious competition these days. And the biggest threat is the new Yamaha Bolt. It weighs less, handles better and has much improved ergonomics—with dirt track-style bars and mid-mounted footpegs. The stock Yamaha Bolt has pleasingly minimal looks, with hints of bobber styling and blessedly little bling. But that hasn’t stopped Yamaha USA from pushing the proverbial envelope. It’s delivered the Bolt to some of the top custom shops in the US, to see how they’d rework the bike—and this is what Roland Sands has come up with. “The Bolt has a simple and effective layout,”...