indian scout

14 - JANUARY 2015
www.cycletorque.com.au
JANUARY 2015 - 15
www.cycletorque.com.au
Brave new
Indian
MORE
CYCLE TORQUE LAUNCH REPORT – INDIAN SCOUT
Download the
iPad and iPhone
editions for more
photos & video.
S P E C I F I C AT I O N S :
INDIAN SCOUT
Engine Type: Liquid-cooled V-twin
Capacity: 1133cc
Transmission: 6-speed, belt drive
Fuel Capacity: 12.5 litres
Frame Type: Cast alloy
Seat Height: 635mm
Dry Weight: 244kg
Front Suspension: Telescopic forks,
120mm travel
Rear Suspension: Dual shocks,
76mm travel
Brakes: Single caliper front and rear,
with ABS.
Tyres: 130/90-16, 150/80-16
Price (RRP): From $17,995 ride away
www.cycletorque.com.au/more
CALL FOR A QUOTE
1800 24 34 64
WE’LL BEAT ANY PRICE GUARANTEED*
A new look Indian with a new engine
gives fans the lightweight answer
N REPORT BY NIGEL PATERSON, PHOTOS BY INDIAN
N RIDING GEAR: NOLAN HELMET, ARLEN NESS JACKET, SARTSO JEANS, MOTODRY ARCTIC GLOVES
THE NEW Indian Scout is a mid-size motorcycle for
someone looking for spirited performance, style, ease
of riding and a low seat.
Now, it’s Indian calling the Scout a mid-size bike,
despite it displacing 1133cc – I remember thinking how
my brother’s Suzuki GS850G was HUGE - but that was in
the Old Days.
Even further back was the original Indian Scout from
1920, and they topped out at 745cc. The first models
didn’t have a front brake either: the 2015 Scout has antilock brakes.
The Wall of Death
As a lightweight, responsive and reliable machine,
Scouts in the 1930s were a popular choice for riders
of the Wall of Death, the travelling stunt shows which
saw riders in a wooden cylinder, riding in circles
and ‘climbing’ the wall to end up horizontal, often
performing acrobatics at the same time. Today, the
new Indian Motorcycle Company is using that history
as inspiration to build a new lightweight, responsive
machine which offers excellent control, balance and
performance. Indian does feature one on the Wall of
Death in one of its promotional videos.
Old and New
The new Indian Scout is what the engineers decided
the bike may have evolved into, had Indian not gone
broke in the 1950s. So the riding position is actually very
similar, although the footpegs are out in front a bit. And
the original Scout was something of a sportsbike, but
the very definition of a sports motorcycle has changed
enormously in the intervening years - these days most
sportsbikes are uncompromising racetrack refugees,
whereas anyone who doesn’t know the history of Indian
would consider the bike a cruiser.
It seems sportsbikes could be comfortable back in the
day.
The modern Scout is good looking and very
comfortable. The tank, instruments, headlight, guards…
most of the bike, really… is heavily influenced in its
design by the earlier Scout models and Indian should be
congratulated for the attention to detail they’ve gone to in
making this bike so nice in so many ways.
A thick solo leather seat, roomy riding position and
smooth roads make for all-day comfort, provided you’re
not going too fast, when the wind blast will make things
tiring. I’m a little concerned we were spoilt by New
Zealand’s relatively smooth roads, too, for the Scout
has fairly basic suspension at both ends, and not a lot of
travel, which could get tiring if the journey gets bumpy.
The twin rear shocks are adjustable for spring preload,
the forks are non-adjustable.
The machine is long, low and relatively light. The
chassis is aluminium, the wheels 16-inchers at both ends.
While this mix could mean ponderous steering and poor
overall handling, Indian has done a great job of making
the bike handle well - I was impressed with the initial
models, and the Scout handles even better.
Indian has a range of accessory parts to make the bike
more comfortable for those very short and very tall, too.
At 185cm I didn’t find the bike too cramped, but taller
riders might, so you might be able make a Scout fit you
better than other bikes.
From a styling perspective the rear shocks are leaned
over a long way, and I’ve noticed the bike Indian built
for the Wall of Death demo is a hardtail, and looks great
sans rear suspension. Never been attracted to a hard tail
before, but that one looks cool…
Not long ago running out of cornering clearance on
a cruiser was a major indicator you were pushing a
machine beyond its design limits, but the Scout really
feels like it wants to be ridden harder, so the better-thanaverage clearance for the type of bike it is still doesn’t feel
like it’s enough. It’s confidence inspiring in the twisties
and the 100hp engine gets from corner to corner faster
than most cruisers, too.
Not sure if it was cost or styling behind the decision
to only fit one front disc to the Scout, but it’s a bit of a
shame really, for while the brakes are ABS-equipped and
adequate, they aren’t special, and could be a bit more
powerful.
A new V-Twin
Of course the engine has skipped a few generations.
It’s much bigger than Scouts of old, of course, and it’s
modern in its design, styling and feel. Gone is any
pretence it’s old school - no fake air finning for this
liquid-cooled 60-degree V-Twin. The stylists have done
an incredible job of making the Scout’s motor look
drop-dead gorgeous, painting most of it black then
going to town with a milling machine to create beautiful
highlights.
With 100hp available and a flat torque curve, the
Scout’s motor is easy to use and lots of fun. There’s
enough vibration to let you know there’s a big V-twin
between your legs, but not enough to annoy.
Like most modern engines it wants to rev, so a little
more throttle is required to get the Scout off the line
compared to some other big V-Twins, but unlike older
air-cooled designs the Scout’s motor doesn’t run out of
puff so soon – it’ll happily rev a lot higher than most
cruisers, which means you’ll go a lot faster, sooner. In
fact, I do wonder what potential the motor has – if Burt
Munroe was still alive, what could he have extracted?
The mod-cons we’ve come to expect are there - four
valves per pot, counter-balancer, EFI, wet clutch…
Inside the powerplant is a six-speed gearbox which is
a delight to use. I was disappointed the clutch and brake
levers weren’t adjustable, but at least the lever-pull effort
requirement is pretty low. The gearbox is slick and easy
to use, the clutch smooth and hassle-free.
Accessories needed
Most Scout buyers will be back to their Indian dealer
for at least a few accessories. For a start, there’s no pillion
seat or rear foot pegs, and the Scout is so good-looking
friends will want you to take them riding.
The riding position - like all cruisers - is tough going at
highway speeds, so adding a screen will be popular, and
touring bags are available too. Indian had a bike with
all this fruit on display at the launch, and it was popular
with journos who love all that stuff - but if I was going to
use it regularly like that, I’d buy the Chief Vintage.
The style, the weight, the performance of the Scout
should be left unsullied…
Which colour?
The paintwork on the Scout is available in four colours
- Indian Red (which is dark, not fire engine), Silver Smoke
(some would describe it as grey), Thunder Black (yep,
black) and Thunder Black Smoke (matt finished black).
Of the bunch, I liked the Silver Smoke. It’s close enough
to the same colour as the frame (all the models have the
same colour chassis) and the brown seat (something of an
Indian icon) suits the colour well.
The value proposition
At $17,995 ride-away, the Scout offers excellent value
for money. It’s comfy, capable, attractive and offers
excellent performance - whether you’re comparing it to
other cruisers or other twins. And at the same time it’s
remarkably easy to ride, and would well suit anyone
moving up to their first big bike.
In standard trim it’s pretty lean on the standard
features, with no pillion or touring capability, but that
can be remedied with some loot spent on items from the
accessory catalogue.
I really liked the Scout, it’s a lot of fun to ride, has a
riding position which encourages fun without promoting
indecent speeds, looks great and the price is very
reasonable. n