2015 Indian Motorcycle SCOUT Reviewed

A motorcycle is never just a motorcycle, and the all-new 2015 Indian Scout takes that truth to its extreme. The new Indian Scout is a mid-size motorcycle for someone looking for spirited performance, style, ease of riding and a low seat. In case you haven’t been following the resurrection of Indian, here’s a quick sketch: The original Indian Motorcycle Company started in 1901, and lasted only until 1953. The brand never lost its cachet, despite numerous abortive attempts over the next six decades to build successful motorcycles that wore the Indian name. Then in 2011, power sport giant, Polaris bought the right to manufacture Indian motorcycles and dove headlong into engineering, design and marketing operations. For the 2014 model year, Indian released its first bikes, the Chief, in three variations: Classic, Vintage and Chieftain. The variations shared the same engine, the Thunderstroke 111. A fourth bike, the Roadmaster, followed for 2015, based on the same chassis combination as the Chieftain. The achievement was impressive. But now comes the Scout, a unique model that does not share a chassis, engine or appearance with the Chief bikes. This one took the motorcycling press a bit by surprise when it was unveiled at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this summer. Though the Scout is a logical next step for Indian, the surprise is that it comes so quickly on the heels of the Chief. It surely indicates that Polaris is taking Indian very seriously. They’re not just dipping a toe into the marketplace; they’re doing a cannonball off of the high dive.



Scout is a logical next step for Indian for a few reasons. One it is based on the brand’s heritage. There was an Indian Scout as early as 1920, with production of the best model from 1928 to 1931 and lasting until 1949. The new Scout is a simple bike in a lot of ways, but it is packed with modern technology. The most obvious advancement is that the new Scout engine is liquid cooled a first for any Indian. The radiator is tucked up in front of the engine, and integrates nicely with the cast aluminium frame. The engine itself is a V-Twin that displaces 1,133cc, with claimed output of 72.2lb.ft of torque and a magical 100hp which is impressive power for a midsize bike. Fuel injection with an electronic throttle control meters the gas, and there are six gears in the transmission. The outsides of the cylinder jugs are etched with a design that mimics pushrod tubes, which the 1930s Scout would have sported; but the new Scout has overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, obviating the need for external pushrods. Suspension bits include a telescopic front fork with 4.7inch of travel, and dual rear shocks with 3.0inch of travel. The coil-over rear shocks lay down at a shallow angle, sort of visually replicating part of a rigid triangle.



The front downtubes are a one-piece casting that incorporates the steering head and additionally serve as the radiator shrouds. Out back is a one-piece casting that includes the swingarm plates and tail section. These front and rear castings bolt to the bottom front and rear of the engine, which is a stressed member without frame elements beneath it. Two side-by-sides, multipiece backbones from the steering head to the rear casting tie the structure together above the engine. Wheelbase is a rangy 61.0 inches, and the Scout is relaxed in rake and trail, having 29 degrees of the first and 4.7 inches of the latter. The headlight is basically a copy of the one used on pre-war models, and the forward-slanting fuel tank maintains the original Scout’s go-fast look.



Overall, the new Scout desires to be the potential future of a past that never happened. The Scout is one of the best-balanced shapes of any cruiser-type motorcycle made, successfully carrying forward the lines and proportions of the 1928 Scout to work in the modern world, as the designers intended. If you’re having plans to buy this mid-sized Indian Motorcycle product then the price starts at ₹11.99 Lakhs.