2014 Yamaha Bolt

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. *JS

THE DIGITAL LCD SPEEDOMETER IS UNREADABLE IN BRIGHT SUNLIGHT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CHECK YOUR SPEED OR ODOMETER READING. EXCESSIVE OR IMPROPER SPEEDS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO MONITOR SAFELY ENDANGERING THE RIDER, THE OTHER DRIVERS THAT MAY BE INVOLVED IN ANY SPEED RELATED ACCIDENTS, AND THE PATROL OFFICERS ISSUING THE TICKET THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. YAMAHA HAS INDIRECTLY ADMITTED THE DEFAULT BY REPLACING THE SPEEDOMETER ON THE 2015 MODELS WITH A READABLE ONE. MY GREATEST CONCERN IS THE FACT THAT THIS A ENTRY LEVEL, AFFORDABLE MOTORCYCLE THAT MANY INEXPERIENCED RIDERS HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED. AN INEXPERIENCED RIDER OFTEN HAS DIFFICULTY GAUGING THE PROPER SPEEDS FOR CURVES AND WET CONDITIONS UNTIL THEY GAIN THE PROPER EXPERIENCE. THEY TEND TO RELY ON THE SPEEDOMETER BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT YET DEVELOPED A FEEL FOR RIDING. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE FAULTY SPEEDOMETER IS GOING TO COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE. *TR

THE VEHICLE SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT PERFORM AS NEEDED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO OPERATOR. ILLUMINATION OF SPEEDOMETER DISPLAY IS NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH DURING TIMES OF DAY WHERE SUNLIGHT IS BRIGHT. THE SPEEDOMETER IS A DIGITAL DISPLAY BEHIND GLASS THAT APPEARS TO BE TINTED. NO METHOD FOR OPERATOR TO ADJUST OR ANY AUTOMATIC MEANS OF ADJUSTMENT OF READOUT FOR CONDITIONS EXISTS. OPERATORS ARE AT RISK OF INJURY OR DEATH WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER READOUT CANNOT BE READ TO ADJUST THEIR SPEED TO RECOMMENDED SPEEDS POSTED TO SAFELY NAVIGATE DANGEROUS ROADS, RAMPS, CURVES, ROUGH ROAD AND OTHER CONDITIONS. MANY OTHER CONDITIONS EXIST WHERE THE IMPORTANCE FOR OPERATORS TO TRAVEL AT SAFE POSTED SPEEDS IS PARAMOUNT FOR THE OPERATOR'S AND OR THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH AND SAFETY. BECAUSE THIS SPEEDOMETER CANNOT BE READ IT PUTS THE OPERATOR AND THE PUBLIC AT RISK. *TR

SPEEDOMETER IS VERY DIFFICULT TO READ. REQUIRES TILTING MY HEAD UP OR DOWN AND/OR LEANING FORWARD OR BACK TO BE ABLE TO READ EVERY TIME, REGARDLESS OF SUN ORIENTATION. TURN SIGNALS AND THE ODOMETER HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THIS ISSUE REQUIRES THAT I TAKE MY EYES AND CONCENTRATION OFF OF DRIVING TO BE ABLE TO READ THE SPEEDOMETER. THE ISSUE IS MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN WEARING SUNGLASSES AS I ALWAYS DO WHEN RIDING. THIS IS MADE EVEN WORSE BY MY HELMET'S BUILT IN VISOR WHICH I USE OCCASIONALLY. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME I RIDE THE MOTORCYCLE. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER IS DANGEROUS AND DIFFICULT TO SEE IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS. THE READ OUT ON THE SPEEDOMETER IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WHEN RIDING WITH THE SUN BEHIND ME. IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ WITH THE SUN IN FRONT OF ME. THESE ARE AFTERNOON AND MORNING ISSUES. IT'S NOT BAD AT MID-DAY. ALSO, THE REFLECTION FROM THE SPEEDOMETER BEZEL TEMPORARILY "BLINDED" ME ONE DAY. BASICALLY I HAD STARED INTO THE SUN WHILE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE. THIS IS DANGEROUS. WHOEVER DESIGNED THIS THING SHOULD BE FIRED FROM YAMAHA. YAMAHA SHOULD CORRECT THESE FLAWS AND ISSUE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS BLINDED AND CRASHES. I'M NOT ASKING FOR A FANCY UPGRADE. JUST A SPEEDOMETER I CAN READ WHILE RIDING WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT BEING BLINDED. GUESS I'LL JUST KEEPING RIDING BY FEEL FOR NOW. *TR