Indian Motorcycle wanted the new Scout to stand out on its own as an evolution of the original model, and not a tribute or a copy. Featuring a modern, liquid-cooled engine, compact proportions, striking styling and light weight, the Scout should allow Indian Motorcycle to appeal to a broader customer base including new riders. You can order your Indian Scout now from your local dealer; deliveries are expected at the end of the year.
Photos: Barry Hathaway, Brian J. Nelson, Tom Riles, Indian Motorcycle
Preserving, honoring and perpetuating brand heritage has been a defining element for a certain American motorcycle company since as far as we can all remember. Many more manufacturers have used this approach, like the once-again-defunct Excelsior-Henderson, and a handful of low-volume manufacturers currently staging a comeback. Norton, Crocker and Brough-Superior come to mind. While Indian Motorcycle has hammered the ‘heritage’ nail square on the head since relaunching the iconic brand in 2013, it would appear that all along, the Minnesota-based company had a much broader vision for its product line and its future on the marketplace.  |
 |
 |
Just one year after launching a family of chromed out, leather clad heavyweight cruisers, Indian Motorcycle has now unveiled what it describes as a “contemporary yet classic interpretation of one of motorcycling’s most famous and coveted bikes.” We’re talking about the 2015 Scout of course. To launch this new model, Indian organized a memorable VIP party at their display location in downtown Sturgis at the beginning of the rally on Saturday, August 2nd. A host of celebrities, industry people and press was on hand to witness the historical event featuring highlights such as an introduction by Mike Wolfe of American Pickers and a spirited speech from Indian Motorcycle aficionado and actor Mark Walhberg. Closing the special shindig was a wild ride up the Wall Of Death by American MotorDrome Company on a specially modified 2015 Indian Scout.
 |
 |
The American MotorDrome Company had a modified 2015 Indian Scout running on their Wall Of Death. It was a sight to behold. Look them up!
Counterbalanced to minimize vibrations, the Scout’s 1133cc liquid-cooled DOHC V-twin engine uses a gear primary drive so there’s no transmission lag at any speed. Overhead cams are chain driven and the transmission uses a wet clutch system.
Overview
Let’s now focus on the 2015 Scout and on the sum of its parts. A clean-sheet design for a premium mid-size American motorcycle, the Scout weighs in at a mere 558 pounds dripping wet, making it the lightest bike in its class. The Scout is powered by a 60-degree, liquid-cooled 1133cc (69 cu.in.) V-twin engine that delivers 72.2 ft/lbs of torque at 5900 rpm. (We’ll talk about horsepower later). The Scout’s fuel injected V-twin has 4 valves per cylinder and chain-driven dual overhead cams. It uses a wet, multi-plate clutch that’s gear-driven from the crankshaft to transfer torque to a 6-speed transmission. That’s a clearly modern, compact design, and not a piece of V-twin nostalgia.
The Scout’s proprietary V-twin is used as a stressed member of the modular frame that’s made from several cast aluminum pieces, contributing to the bike’s light weight and structural rigidity. But as technically advanced as it may be, the Scout’s frame was also designed to appear as a natural and stylish evolution of the original rigid model from 70 years ago. It features that triangular design at the rear, with a pair of coil-over monotube shock absorbers leaning radically forward to follow the top braces of the aluminum swingarm. Very cool.
See how the various cast aluminum frame elements are arranged around the engine, using it as a stressed member. This might also leave the door open to easily use frame pieces using a different fork angle. We’ve seen the Scout as a low-slung cruiser, but it wouldn’t take much for Indian to tweak it and offer a street tracker version on a future model.
Saddle Up!
Time for a ride. I am 6’2” and was wondering if I wasn’t a bit too much rider for this bike. Indian says that in its stock configuration, the Scout will fit riders from 5’4” to 6′, but I quickly found myself at home behind the bars. However, a line of accessories is available to extend or shorter the reach of the bars and foot controls for those of us looking for a better fit.
According to Indian Motorcycle engineers, the 2015 Indian Scout was designed as a powerful, yet approachable motorcycle that can appeal to riders or varying degrees of experience and skills. It may sound like a bit of a paradox, but after spending a day on its leather saddle, I found the user-friendly Scout to behave exactly the way you want it to.
With its very low seating position and overall height, the Scout will make most riders feel at ease in just a few minutes. It feels light and docile, and is easy to maneuver at low speeds. Torque delivery is well controlled and makes riding in traffic a breeze. The Scout responds well to rider input on the road too. It has long legs if you feel like blasting away for a while, and has very adequate brakes when it comes to coming back down to earth. The riding position is what I would call ‘ready for action”. The pullback handlebars are ideal for a person of average size (and most women), but I might be interested in a set of shorter bars so I could further lean into a more aggressive position and take advantage of the bike’s 100 horsepower.
That’s right kids, while the1133cc V-twin offers an impressive 72.2 ft/lbs of torque at 5900rpm, things get really interesting after 6000 rpm. The engine still has another 2000 rpm to spare, and the horsepower will then peak at a whopping 100 at 8100 rpm. Redline is at 9000 rpm, so you can go ahead and turn on the wick to feel the pull; it’s loads of fun! But again, it’s really up to you to call on these wild horses, because at lower revs and thanks to generous amounts of torque, the Scout is truly a peach of a cruiser, and you don’t have to let the Scout scream to have a great time with it.
User friendly, nimble and spicy at the same time, the Scout can also be customized to better fit your needs and can accommodate a passenger for two-up riding. Optional saddle bags and a cool factory windshield are also available.
Pricing & Availability
Available colors for the Scout are Thunder Black, Indian Motorcycle Red, Silver Smoke (matte finish) and Thunder Black Smoke (matte finish). You can already place or order for your 2015 Indian Scout starting at $10,999; deliveries are expected at the end of the year. Click on the banner below to find out more.
