Indian Scout, wears its 115 years very well [ROAD TEST]

Photoshoot: ENGINEER

Indian Scout – Returned to prominence only in recent years, the US brand has But a centuries-old history, which began in 1901, with a hiatus lasting over 50 years after 1953, when it essentially stopped producing motorcycles. From there the brand changed hands several times and was used to brand small motorbikes of various origins, but the thing that is most remembered from these years is actually a curiosity, with the New Zealander Burt Monro who in 1967, at the age of 68, created a speed record riding a 1920 Indian Scout, which he personally modified. Event from which he was most recently based on the film “Indian, the great challenge” with Anthony Hopkins.

To have a truly important event in the history of Indian, one must go back to 1998, when the Indian Motorcycle Company of America (IMCA) was founded, which began producing some historic models, however equipped with S&S engines. However, the attempt did not go too well and failure came after only 5 years. To truly be reborn, Indian will have to wait until 2008, when a private equity company opened a production site in Carolina, but the year that marks the turning point is 2011, with the move to the Polaris group, one of the few subjects with real skills and capital to bring it back to the glories of the past. “Honoring the past. Powering the future.” This is the motto of the new direction of one of the most fascinating brands in the history of two wheels. We are going to discover a world almost unknown in Italy, with the "small", even if defining a 1.133 cc and 100 horsepower motorbike as such seems strange. Let's say that if the comparison is with the V2 1.800 that equips all the other models, the twin-cylinder of the Scout effectively becomes a "compact". This year, a small-displacement version debuted, the Scout Sixty, with 60 cubic inches (999 cc), which stole the entry level scepter for the legendary brand made in the USA.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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The references to tradition are evident, but also the attention to detail and some modern ones

The relaunch of Indian starts from the concept of taking inspiration from historical models, including the model name, reinterpreting them in a modern key. With the Chief, in its various variations, we opted for opulence and classicism. V2 engine with 111 cubic inches and plenty of dimensions and finishes too, to the point of almost appearing exaggerated in some people's eyes. The Scout was born with an almost opposite logic. In comparison with direct competition it seems to take the direction of lightness and sportiness, in honor of that of her ancestor. Small and modern engine, with an almost unprecedented specific power for a stars and stripes motorcycle, combined with a chassis that keeps the weight down. The aesthetics are consequently more slender, even if the chrome and large-section tires give it a decidedly important appearance. The contrasts are beautiful, with the black of the rims, the body of the cylinders and other details (including the body of the small front light, one of the strongest references to the original Scout) which combines with the opaque gray color, in this example, of the fenders and the tank, but also extended to the frame and swingarm.

Chrome plating instead for the V2 heads, for the exhaust, for the covers in the lower part of the engine and for those in the upper part, the air filter cover and the mirrored element that encloses the ignition block. Glossy finish also for the rear suspension springs, mirrors and front light ring. The saddle further plays on the chromatic contrast, with a result that overall, if it doesn't take your breath away, still leaves you far from indifferent. The Scout attracts a lot of attention, not only because it sports a brand that is not yet well known in Italy, but because it seems made to amaze. The look of the V2 is also beautiful, which lacks the fins of the classic air cooling, as well as the distribution with rods and rocker arms (however, it seems to show off the twin-shaft one), but which is so well cared for that everyone will like it. Simple from certain points of view, almost absurd from others, like that one trick to hide the radiator, hugged on the sides by what appear to be covers matching the bike, but which are actually pieces of the frame, which join the fork tube area with the lower engine mounts. The small and essential instrumentation does not lack the indication of the water temperature and a digital tachometer, while there is no indication of the gear engaged.

Engine and performance:

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An atypical V2, given how hard it pushes, it almost seems like a sports car

The Scout is the fastest Indian in the world, a slogan inspired by the 2005 film and which plays on the 1967 speed record, which however finds support in the exaggerated performance of this bike. Never before has it happened to us to get on a motorbike in this segment and find ourselves having to manage 100 horsepower, especially with an engine that you don't expect, no matter how brilliant it may be. At 8.000 rpm it still pushes, with the limiter only intervening a few hundred rpm higher! The maximum power arrives just below this altitude, while the torque, of 98 Nm, is delivered at 5.900 rpm. A speed which is absolutely unusual for V2 of a custom. The intention to deliver clearly shines through the Scout is sporty and fun to ride, much more than its direct rival from Harley. If we compare it with the much less modern air V2 and with 2 valves per cylinder of a Sportster 1.200, the torque between the two engines is similar in value, but reaches a speed 2.100 rpm lower in the case of the opponent, with that of power taking on an abysmal difference in favor of the Indian as the revs increase. Suffice it to say that the maximum power of one is reached 100 rpm lower than the torque value of the other, 5.800 versus 5.900. The V2 delivery curve remains similar only in its first part, with a very small advantage for the Sportster, while already at 5.500 rpm the Indian takes off, greeting the rival who stops her race at maximum power with the intervention of the limiter.

It seems like a comparison between a diesel engine and a modern supercharged petrol engine as different as they are. Thanks to one decidedly more innovative technique behind the Scout's V-Twin, which did not have the price of having to respect the strict constraints imposed by tradition, the same ones which, for example, forced the partial transition to liquid cooling for the heads of some Harley models to be hidden with technical and aesthetic vicissitudes. In our opinion, the Scout had an important advantage in this, because if on the one hand the stylistic references to the original 1920 model are clear and evident, it would obviously have been absurd to re-propose a motorcycle from almost a century ago. Starting from a blank table it was possible to adopt a solution like that of frame that embraces the radiator, fundamental element to have the benefits of liquid cooling. Equally important are the advantages of distribution with 4 valves per cylinder, DOHC twin camshaft, as on a modern street motorcycle engine. Thanks to the 6-speed gearbox, the Scout almost presents difficulties when it comes to clothing. Its performance is such that the speed of a full-face helmet can easily be reached, which is why we chose a modular helmet for the road test and not the classic "bowl" combined with glasses.

Driving until you push to the last third of the tachometer the V2 shows a back and elasticity completely similar to a classic air thruster, with but obvious advantages in terms of performance regularity and cooling. In the city, in fact, the heat is only felt when the radiator fan is turned on, but it is always bearable. Then when you get a taste for it and exploit the power, the Scout amazes quite a bit. If you let yourself get carried away, the 200 km/h threshold can be reached with surprising rapidity, while the progression is exciting without ending up being too impetuous. Just to be clear, you don't feel the need for traction control, even when opening with the bike folded, because the V-Twin is full, but docile and easy to manage.

Ride and handling:

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Lots of power combined with an equally exciting chassis

The Scout is also lightweight (for the type of bike it is), with its 248 kg (258 with full tank). This is mainly due to the choice to use aluminum for the frame and also for the swingarm. For the rest, more classic solutions have been adopted, both for the dimensions and for the front fork, equipped with 41 mm stanchions. They complete the picture of 16" rims with "chubby" tires with a large section, 130/90 in front and 150/80 in the rear. The brakes predict two twin 298 mm discs, the front one combined with a double piston caliper, a single one at the rear. L'ABS adds safer handling and offers limited stopping distances. Low weight and seat height from the ground of only 643 mm make the Scout is extremely easy and manageable even when used in traffic citizen, while when the roads become tortuous the ground clearance is not at all little, with a maximum lean angle of 31°, not bad for a cruiser.

The Scout, especially when compared to other cruisers, it seems to want to revolutionize the concept, without denying it, but bringing unprecedented pleasure and fun to driving to the table. We tried to hear the opinion of an owner of a motorcycle from the most famous American brand and declared rival of Indian. As you can imagine, he is a strict traditionalist, which made us almost certain, rather than fearful, of his outright rejection of the Scout. Instead, after a few hundred meters in the saddle, his opinion was nothing short of enthusiastic. He appreciated its agility and handling, but also the engine output, pointing out to us that the only negative aspects for him were details, such as the shape of the knobs or indicators, which with very small after-market modifications can be remedied without no problem.

Price and consumption:

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Substantially unrivaled, or if you prefer with performance a cut above the competition

It would be natural to seek a comparison between the two most famous American manufacturers, also in terms of price comparison, but with the Scout it is not at all easy. The one that on paper would be its most obvious rival (even in prices that are very close), it is the Harley-Davidson Sportster 1.200, but actually it is so far from the performance of this Indian that it cannot bear comparison. Its V2 is in fact air-cooled, with 2 valves per cylinder and capable of less than 70 horsepower. Not even after having passed through the hands of a good tuner could it reach the level of the Scout (even the less powerful Scout Sixty as standard would be able to make the 1.200 HD look bad). At Harley the only engine with liquid cooling and 4 valves per cylinder is the one from the V-Rod, which with its 121 horsepower also raises the price bar to around 20 thousand euros.

A comparison which is therefore more aimed at the Sportster 1.200, with an approach that But it doesn't want to be too direct, but with a different product, more modern in technique, both in terms of performance and promised reliability (i 5 year Manufacturers Guarantee are an important testimony of this), without giving up the tradition of the American motorcycle manufacturer with the longest history ever. The Indian Scout leaves from a list price of 13.990 euros, offered in four colors: two reds, one black and this grey. The list of accessories is long, while if the Scout's performance seems too much to you, you can opt for the Sixty, with 1.000 hp 78 engine, listed at 12.390 euros. Consumption, not that it is at the top of the priorities for the Scout, despite the significantly better performance, is slightly lower than that of a Sportster 1.200, thanks to the more modern and efficient engine. You can easily stay halfway between 15 and 20 per liter, depending on the driving style, with an average of around 17 at the end of the test.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
Very refined aesthetics that attract attention, modern and sporty chassis and engine, easy to drive

We do not like it:
The brand is still little known in Italy, even though it is the longest-running American brand

Indian Scout: the Motorionline Report Card

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Test clothing:
Jacket: Alpinestars Motion Waterproof Jacket
Pants: Alpinestars Denim Pants – Raw Indigo
Shoe: Alpinestars Vulk Shoes
Gloves: Alpinestars Masai Gloves
All these items are part of the Alpinestars 2016 collection which you can find described in this article (link here)

Helmet: Scorpion Exo-3000 Air