The Cheapest Indian That Still Feels Like An Indian
Indian Motorcycle is technically America’s oldest bikemaker. It specializes in V-twin cruiser and touring motorcycles. That means you get traditional V-twin power matched to chassis that are well known by enthusiasts of the genres, and in its current iteration, it has some truly modern technology coupled with great reliability. But sometimes, the balance between modernizing products and keeping them desirable to traditionalists can be a tricky path. The only way to know whether you’re right is to try it out, and the sales figures will let you know the answer.
There Is A Fine Line To Be Toed Between Innovation And Legacy
This leaves a brand like Indian with a conundrum: innovation is the name of the game when it comes to technology. Cars are now pushing out annual updates like consumer electronics, and motorcycles are gradually getting sucked into this update cycle. For a legacy brand like Indian, pivoting away from its roots is a dangerous game, but Harley-Davidson has done that successfully with its Sportster range, the Pan America, and the race-derived CVO Street Glide models. The question then is: can Indian manage to retain the essence of what makes an Indian an Indian while keeping things on a budget?
The Cruiser Segment Has The Answers
If you want cheap, you’re going to have to look at Indian’s cruiser segment. The company has managed to lower the entry to the brand to a great extent, so much so that the cheapest Indian now retails for under $10,000—a startlingly low price for a premium brand. However, if you seek an authentic Indian experience, you need it to feel premium with premium features, while still instantly feeling familiar to fans of the brand. That’s not an easy target to achieve, so you’ll have to work your way further up from the most basic Indians. After all, you can’t have everything at a bargain-basement price. So, which is the cheapest Indian that still feels like an Indian?
The Scout Bobber Is The Cheapest Indian That Still Feels Like An Indian
To feel like an Indian product, it first needs to be a cruiser or tourer in the tradition of American motorcycles. It also needs to have the traditional Indian look and feel, but with a modern twist, and that’s exactly what the Indian Scout has been doing. The Scout Sixty is geared to draw in new people to the brand, and it certainly is the cheapest Indian worth buying. However, loyalists know that you need a little more power and definitely that sixth speed in the gearbox for it to feel like a true Indian, which is why the Indian Scout Bobber is the cheapest Indian that still feels like an Indian.
The Price Is Rather Accessible
Indian offers the Scout in multiple flavors. The base, price-sensitive range is the Scout Sixty, and the traditional Scout range sits slightly above it. The latter range has a bigger engine with more power, a six-speed gearbox, and the option of upping the power to match that of the most powerful Scout ever. With this power, the base variant costs $12,999, and goes up to $15,199 for the Limited +Tech variant, which offers extra features.
The Liquid-Cooled Engine Is Both Powerful And Reliable
The new Scout series uses the SpeedPlus 1250 engine, which is wholly liquid-cooled. This is a surprisingly modern engine on the spec sheet, 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 scavenges oil from the sump rather than letting gravity do its work.
This is also a surprisingly short-stroke engine that displaces 1,250 cc and generates 105 horsepower at 7,250 RPM and 82 pound-feet of torque at 6,300 RPM. This is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox with a true overdrive and an assist clutch, and has a claimed top speed of around 115 miles an hour. It also hides a reliability secret: it has 10,000-mile service intervals and a sight glass with the oil level so you can keep an eye on it. We also like the fact that you can ask Indian to up the power to the 101 Scout’s 111 horsepower and not lose warranty — this is something quite unique.
The Traditional Chassis Is A Good Fit For The Purpose
The Scout range is underpinned by a double downtube cradle frame, which is a little at odds with its ultramodern engine. However, it is an eminently capable chassis, because it has everything from a light touring version to a performance cruiser variant. It also lends itself to customization really well. Here, it features a relatively simple suspension setup up front in the form of 41 mm forks, and at the rear, it has laid-over dual shocks that give it the impression of a hardtail. There are 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 an identical single 298 mm disc at each end. However, the front has a two-piston floating caliper, while the rear has a single-piston caliper. The wheels are 16-inch alloy wheels fitted with radial tubeless tires. Indian claims a 31-degree lean angle, which is more than enough to have fun on your favorite twisty road.
This Is A Roomy But Narrow Cruiser
The Scout is a fairly roomy cruiser even though it is a midweight, 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 measures 61.5 inches, and the seat height is 26.2 inches when unladen. This no doubt feels like a much narrower motorcycle than usual because of the V-twin engine, so it is quite manageable even though the weight in running order is 542 pounds. It has a ground clearance of 4.3 inches, which is a little lower than normal, and the fuel tank can hold 3.4 gallons of the good stuff.
An Upgrade Earns You Premium Features
We’ve already talked about how the two variants of the Scout Bobber have differences in features. Either one will serve you well as an ultimate daily rider, though. The base variant has an analog speedometer with an 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’s 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 round things off.
There Are Limited Options For A Full-Blooded American V-Twin Cruiser At The Price
The Scout Bobber’s pricing places it in a space where there is no true competition because, at the price, there is no cruiser with a cradle frame and a liquid-cooled V-twin engine. The cradle frame is important because it lends itself to customization much more easily. If you want the rumble of a large-displacement V-twin, you could choose to spend a couple of grand more and purchase the base Indian Chief with the air-cooled Thunderstroke engine. This is a very underrated American cruiser, a torque monster, and has tech like rear-cylinder deactivation and a by-wire throttle that keeps it up to date.
If you’re looking at the rival brand at the same price, there is the Harley-Davidson Nightster Special. It is a few hundred dollars cheaper than the base Scout Bobber. It also offers a wholly liquid-cooled engine along with variable valve timing on the intake valves, a TFT display, the electronic safety measures of the Limited +Tech trim, and a lighter trellis frame, so, unusually, the Harley-Davidson is much better value for money and an everyday cruiser that feels special.
If you prefer to get Milwaukee-Eight power, there is the Harley-Davidson Street Bob that costs less than you think. It is priced exactly the same as the Indian Chief. This is the entry into the Softail range and is as traditional as it gets, so it will satisfy your need for a cruiser that feels like an old-school Harley-Davidson without the old-school negatives.
Source: Indian Motorcycle
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