Indian Motorcycle is technically America’s oldest bike manufacturer. It specializes in V-twin cruisers and touring motorcycles. This means you get traditional V-twin power matched to a chassis well known by enthusiasts of the genre, and in its current iteration, it also has great reliability with a handful of modern technology. But sometimes, the balance between modernizing products and keeping them desirable to traditionalists can be a difficult path. The only way to know if you’re right is to try it, and the sales figures will tell you the answer.
There’s a fine line between innovation and legacy
This puts brands like Indian in a dilemma: innovation is the name of the game when it comes to technology. Cars are now releasing annual updates like consumer electronics, and motorcycles are slowly joining this update cycle. For a heritage brand like Indian, moving away from its roots is a dangerous game, but Harley-Davidson has done so successfully with its Sportster range, Pan America and race-derived CVO Street Glide models. So the question then is, can Indians manage to keep things within budget while still maintaining the essence of what makes an Indian an Indian?
The cruiser segment has the answers
If you want cheaper, you will have to look at the Indian cruiser segment. The company has managed to significantly reduce penetration of the brand, so much so that the cheapest Indian now sells for less than $10,000 – a surprisingly low price for a premium brand. However, if you want an authentic Indian experience, you need to feel premium with premium features, as well as feel instantly familiar to fans of the brand. This is not an easy goal to achieve, so you will have to go beyond the most basic Indians. After all, you can’t get everything at a cheap price. So, what’s the cheapest Indian that still feels like Indian?
Scout Bobber is the cheapest Indian that still feels like an Indian
To feel like an Indian product, it first had to be a cruiser or tourer in the tradition of American motorcycles. It also requires the traditional Indian look and feel, but with a modern twist, and the Indian Scout is doing exactly that. The Scout Sixty is set to attract newcomers to the brand, and is definitely the cheapest Indian car worth buying. However, loyalists know that to feel like a true Indian you need a little more power and of course a sixth speed in the gearbox, which is why the Indian Scout Bobber is the cheapest Indian that still feels like an Indian.
The price is quite affordable
Indian offers Scout in several flavours. The base, price-sensitive range is the Scout Sixty, and the traditional Scout range is slightly above that. The latter range features a larger engine with more power, a six-speed gearbox and the option to increase power to match the most powerful Scout yet. With this power, the base variant is priced at $12,999, and goes up to $15,199 for the Limited +Tech variant, which offers additional features.
Liquid-cooled engine is both powerful and reliable
The new Scout series uses the SpeedPlus 1250 engine, which is fully liquid-cooled. On the spec sheet it’s a surprisingly modern engine, with a 60-degree angle between the cylinders, a DOHC head with four valves per cylinder and a lubrication system with an oil pump that draws oil from the sump rather than letting gravity do its work.
It also has a surprisingly short-stroke engine that measures 1,250 cc and produces 105 horsepower at 7,250 rpm and 82 pound-feet of torque at 6,300 rpm. It is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with true overdrive and assist clutch, and has a claimed top speed of around 115 mph. It also holds the secret to reliability: It has a 10,000-mile service interval and a sight glass with oil level so you can keep an eye on it. We also like the fact that you can ask Indian to increase the power of the 101 Scout to 111 hp and not even lose the warranty – that’s quite a unique thing.
The conventional chassis is suitable for this purpose
The Scout range is underpinned by a double downtube cradle frame, which is slightly offset by its cutting-edge engine. However, it is an extremely capable chassis, as it houses everything from a light touring version to a performance cruiser version. It’s also able to adapt itself really well. Here, it has a relatively simple suspension setup in the form of 41mm forks at the front, and at the rear, it has dual shocks that give it a hardtail feel. There is 4.7 inches of travel available at the front and two inches of travel at the rear. The only suspension adjustment available is rear preload.
The brakes are similarly old-school, with a similar single 298mm disc at each end. However, there is a two-piston floating caliper at the front, while there is a single-piston caliper at the rear. The wheels are 16-inch alloy wheels shod with radial tubeless tyres. Indian claims a 31-degree lean angle, which is more than enough to enjoy on your favorite winding road.
This is a huge but narrow cruiser
The Scout is a fairly spacious cruiser, even though it is of medium weight, which gives it the ability to do it all. With an overall length of 86.9 inches and width of 36.6 inches, its wheelbase is 61.5 inches, and the seat height when lowered is 26.2 inches. There’s no doubt that the V-twin engine makes this a narrower motorcycle than usual, so it’s still quite manageable, despite the curb weight being 542 pounds in running order. Its ground clearance is 4.3 inches, which is a little lower than usual, and the fuel tank can hold a good 3.4 gallons of the stuff.
Upgrade gives you premium features
We have already talked about how the features of the two variants of the Scout Bobber differ. However, any one of these will serve you well as a best daily rider. The base variant has an analog speedometer with LCD, and as far as electronics are concerned, you have standard ABS. But if you upgrade to the Limited+Tech variant, you get a four-inch circular touchscreen TFT display with Indian Ride Command software. It has Bluetooth connectivity and navigation as standard. You also get more tech in the form of traction control, cruise control and ride modes. Keyless ignition and a USB charging port top things off.
Price-wise, there are limited options for a full-blooded American V-twin cruiser
The price of the Scout Bobber puts it in a position where there is no real competition because, at the price, there is no cruiser with a cradle frame and liquid-cooled V-twin engine. The cradle frame is important because it lends itself to customization more easily. If you want the roar of a large-displacement V-twin, you can opt to spend a little more and buy the base Indian Chief with the air-cooled Thunderstroke engine. This is a very underrated American cruiser, a torque monster, and has technology like rear-cylinder deactivation and a by-wire throttle that keeps it up to date.
If you’re looking at a rival brand at a similar price, the Harley-Davidson Nightster Special is there. It’s a few hundred dollars cheaper than the base Scout Bobber. It also offers a full liquid-cooled engine with variable valve timing on the intake valves, a TFT display, the Limited+ Tech trim’s electronic safeguards and a lightweight trellis frame, so, unusually, the Harley-Davidson is better value for money and an everyday cruiser that feels special.
If you prefer to have Milwaukee-Eight power, there’s a Harley-Davidson Street Bob that costs less than you think. Its price is exactly the same as Indian Chief. It’s the entry into the Softail range and it’s just as traditional, so it will satisfy your need for a cruiser that feels like an old-school Harley-Davidson without the negatives of the old school.
Source: Indian Motorcycle
