IllustrationSPEEDOMETER IS UNREADABLE IN THE DIRECT SUNLIGHT. KNOWN ISSUE WITH YAMAHA. EVERY BIKE IS BUILT THE SAME WAY AND HAS THE SAME ISSUES. VERY HARD NOT TO GET SPEEDING TICKET WHEN YOU CAN'T READ THE SPEEDOMETER. *TR
2014 Yamaha Bolt
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Bolt years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
640–25K
025–50K
050–75K
075–100K
1100–150K
0150K+
65 reports with mileage · 17 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 56 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Exterior Lighting. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
56 reportsTHE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER ON THE 2014 YAMAHA STAR BOLT IN COMPLETELY UNREADABLE AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY, BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN HEADING INTO THE DIRECTION OF THE SUN. IT IS AN UNAVOIDABLE ISSUE THAT WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN TO ALL RIDES. A REMEDY SHOULD REALLY BE MADE BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR
WHEN RIDING BIKE IN SUNNY CONDITIONS, TOWARDS THE SUN, THE SPEED INDICATOR IS UNREADABLE. *TR
SPEEDOMETER IS NOT READABLE WHEN DRIVING IN SUNLIGHT OR ANY LIGHTING CONDITION, UNLESS THE LOCATION IS BARELY DIM OR DARK. ANY KIND OF LIGHT CONTACT WITH THE SPEEDOMETER, IS NOT READABLE AT ALL. WHILE DRIVING I AM UNABLE TO SEE MY CURRENT SPEED, SINCE I GO THROUGH MULTIPLE LOCATION WHERE SPEED CHANGED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SE…
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SPEEDOMETER IS NOT READABLE WHEN DRIVING IN SUNLIGHT OR ANY LIGHTING CONDITION, UNLESS THE LOCATION IS BARELY DIM OR DARK. ANY KIND OF LIGHT CONTACT WITH THE SPEEDOMETER, IS NOT READABLE AT ALL. WHILE DRIVING I AM UNABLE TO SEE MY CURRENT SPEED, SINCE I GO THROUGH MULTIPLE LOCATION WHERE SPEED CHANGED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND ADJUST MY SPEED TO THE LEGAL LIMIT. WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN ADDITION IS WHAT GEAR I AM CURRENTLY ON BE ADDED TO THE SPEEDOMETER. THANKS. *TR
PURCHASE NEW YAMAHA BOLT(XVS95CEGY) ON MY WAY HOME I COULD NOT SEE THE DIGITAL LCD SPEEDOMETER WHEN TRAVELING WITH THE SUN SHINING ON IT. I UNDERSTAND YAMAHA HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE THE BIKE WAS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE BY CONSUMERS IN 2013. IT IS A DEFINITE TRAFFIC HAZARD TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR SPEED IN SCHOOL AN…
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PURCHASE NEW YAMAHA BOLT(XVS95CEGY) ON MY WAY HOME I COULD NOT SEE THE DIGITAL LCD SPEEDOMETER WHEN TRAVELING WITH THE SUN SHINING ON IT. I UNDERSTAND YAMAHA HAS KNOWN OF THIS PROBLEM SINCE THE BIKE WAS MADE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE BY CONSUMERS IN 2013. IT IS A DEFINITE TRAFFIC HAZARD TO NOT BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR SPEED IN SCHOOL AND HOSPITAL ZONES ALONG WITH GETTING TRAFFIC CITATIONS FOR SPEEDING. I CALLED YAMAHA AND WAS TOLD THAT YAMAHA WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT WAS NOT AWARE OF A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM ACCEPT TO PURCHASE ACCESSORIES THAT MIGHT MAKE THE PROBLEM BETTER. *TR
THE LCD DISPLAY ON THE SPEEDOMETER IS NOT VISIBLE WHEN DRIVING DURING THE DAY, ESPECIALLY IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. I CAN'T READ MILES PER HOUR (MPH) OR ANYTHING ELSE ON THE LCD DISPLAY WHICH I FEEL IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER FACE LENS DOES NOT ALLOW THE DIGITAL SPEEDO DISPLAY TO BE CLEARLY VISIBLE WHEN DRIVING INTO BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT AMONG BOLT OWNERS. *TR
THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER ON THIS MOTORCYCLE IS UNREADABLE UNDER CERTAIN LIGHTING CONDITIONS. ANGLED SUNLIGHT (MORNING, EVENING WHEN LIGHT IS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE) CREATES A CONDITION WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER READOUT IS UNREADABLE. THE ONLY METHOD OF MEASURING SPEED IS BY SURROUNDING TRAFFIC. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS …
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THE DIGITAL SPEEDOMETER ON THIS MOTORCYCLE IS UNREADABLE UNDER CERTAIN LIGHTING CONDITIONS. ANGLED SUNLIGHT (MORNING, EVENING WHEN LIGHT IS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE) CREATES A CONDITION WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER READOUT IS UNREADABLE. THE ONLY METHOD OF MEASURING SPEED IS BY SURROUNDING TRAFFIC. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR MOTORCYCLE DRIVERS, ESPECIALLY ON EXPRESSWAYS AND URBAN ENVIRONMENTS WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT CHANGES BY LOCATION. *TR
WHEN RIDING INTO THE SUN THE SPEEDOMETER IS IMPOSSIBLE TO READ. *TR
THE OEM LCD SPEEDOMETER BACKLIGHT IS NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED AND UNDER MOST CONDITIONS WHETHER IT BE DURING DAYTIME, NIGHTTIME, SUNLIGHT, CLOUDY SKIES, RAIN, SNOW, TUNNELS, IN A GARAGE, WHATEVER THE CONDITIONS, THE LCD DISPLAY CAN NOT BE SEEN. MOST OWNERS OF THE BIKE KNOW THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM, HAVE DISCUSSED IT AMONGST THEMSE…
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THE OEM LCD SPEEDOMETER BACKLIGHT IS NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED AND UNDER MOST CONDITIONS WHETHER IT BE DURING DAYTIME, NIGHTTIME, SUNLIGHT, CLOUDY SKIES, RAIN, SNOW, TUNNELS, IN A GARAGE, WHATEVER THE CONDITIONS, THE LCD DISPLAY CAN NOT BE SEEN. MOST OWNERS OF THE BIKE KNOW THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM, HAVE DISCUSSED IT AMONGST THEMSELVES, SOME HAVE SAID THAT YAMAHA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE (HEARSAY). I WANTED TO ADD TO THE ONLY THREE COMPLAINTS HERE IN THE NHTSA (SAFECAR.GOV) SITE AND ONLY HOPE THAT ALL OF THE OWNERS FOLLOW SUIT SO THAT YAMAHA CAN TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO CORRECT THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION ASAP. THIS IS NOT A, "WE WILL WAIT AND SEE" PROBLEM. IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED, ANALYZED BY THE YAMAHA ENGINEERS AND A PERMANENT FIX ISSUED BY YAMAHA. OR, ARE WE WAITING FOR AN ACCIDENT TO OCCUR BEFORE THIS ISSUE IS LOOKED INTO? *TR
Official recalls
113V298000 · Electrical System
Jul 8, 2013
Yamaha Motor Company (Yamaha) is recalling certain model year 2014 XVS950CU (Bolt) motorcycles manufactured March 2013 through June 2013. Slack or sag in the wiring harness may allow it to contact the exhaust manifold causing the wires to melt, and possibly short circuit.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the wires short circuit, the fuses will blow which may cause the engine to stall. An engine stall while riding, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Yamaha will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the wiring harness and secure it away from the exhaust. If the wiring harness is damaged, it will first be replaced. The recall began on August 2, 2013. Owners may contact Yamaha at 1-800-962-7926.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.