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Indian Scout

Indian Motorcycle introduces 2022 Lineup

By General Posts

  • Indian Motorcycle introduces 2022 Lineup featuring Updated Technology.
  • New Ride Command Update, Adaptive Headlight for Scout.
  • All-New Accessories for Cruiser, Bagger & Touring.
  • Prices, Paint and Specs announced.

“Rider feedback continues to be at the forefront of what drives refinements and enhancements for our model year offerings, and that is once again the case for 2022. With the help of customer feedback, we aim to consistently enhance and improve the lineup with new technology and wider-ranging accessory options like these for 2022.” – Mike Dougherty, President for Indian Motorcycle

CLICK HERE To See the Full 2022 Indian Motorcycle Lineup Info and Photos.

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Spec Showdown: Harley-Davidson Sportster S Vs. Indian Scout

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by Dustin Wheelen from https://www.rideapart.com

An American middleweight melee.

For decades, the Harley-Davidson Sportster dominated the American middleweight V-twin class, mostly by dint of being the only American middleweight V-twin. Without a top contender to challenge its reign, the Motor Company only issued modest upgrades since 1986. However, that all changed when the Indian Scout burst onto the scene in 2015.

Heavily based on the Victory Octane, the revived Scout paired Indian’s rich heritage with thoroughly modern equipment. The liquid-cooled, DOHC, 1,133cc V-twin was the antithesis of Harley’s ancient air-cooled Evo engine. Compared to the Sportster’s signature teardrop tank and engine cooling fins, the Scout’s low-slung stance and neo-bobber aesthetic presented a viable alternative to Harley’s aging platform.

Facing a formidable foe and new emissions regulations, the Bar and Shield telegraphed its counterpunch when it revealed the Custom 1250 in July, 2018. Nearly three years later, that haymaker finally landed when Harley officially announced the 2021 Sportster S.

Complete with a liquid-cooled, DOHC, 1,252cc V-twin, the new Sportster’s spec sheet now stands toe-to-toe with the Scout. Of course, we won’t know who wins the battle in the showroom until the Sportster S arrives at dealerships. For now, however, the tale of the tape tells a fascinating story.

Overview
2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S – Vs – 2021 Indian Scout

Middleweight Might
Featuring Harley’s shiny new Revolution Max 1250T, the 2021 Sportster now produces 121 horsepower and 94 lb-ft of torque. While the Scout previously set performance benchmarks for the category with 100 horsepower and 72 lb-ft of torque, Indian’s entry cruiser now looks outgunned. Of course, the Revolution Max V-twin touts a larger displacement, which helps the Sportster S steal that performance feather from Indian’s cap.

On top of that power deficit, the Scout lugs around 59 extra pounds, weighing in at 561 pounds compared to the Sportster’s 502-pound wet weight. Straightline acceleration and top speed define a motorcycle not, but agility goes to the Hog as well. With a 59.8-inch wheelbase, fully adjustable USD fork, and a linkage-equipped monoshock, the Sportster S outmaneuvers the Scout’s 62-inch wheelbase, conventional front end, and dual rear shocks.

Indian does outfit the Scout with a 16-inch wheelset shod in sticky Pirelli Night Dragon rubber while Harley opts for a 16-inch rear and 17-inch front. We could surmise that the smaller wheelset gives the Scout a handling edge if it weren’t for the Sportster’s specially-developed Dunlop GT503 tires. Thanks to an aggressive profile and sticky compound, the Dunlops compensate for the Sportster’s larger front wheel, helping to deliver a 34-degree lean angle compared to the Scout’s 29 degrees.

Novice-Friendly
Though Indian no longer holds the performance edge, the Scout still has a fighting chance. At 29.6 inches, the 2021 Sportster’s perch is a full four inches about the Scout’s 25.6-inch seat height. Most riders won’t have an issue with the Sporty’s seat height, which sags to 28.9-inches in the saddle, but even less will have problems with Indian’s low-slung seat. Of course, novice and inseam-challenged riders benefit most from a low seat height and the Scout is good option for that reason.

Conversely, Indian only offers optional ABS on the Scout while the Harley flaunts rider aids like traction control, cornering ABS, ride modes, and engine braking settings. On top of the full electronics suite, the Motor Company’s new round, four-inch TFT display also outshines the Scout’s analog speedometer and digital tachometer combo. Of course, you could reason the Scout’s spartan accommodations help beginners learn the ropes with a less cumbersome system, but it’s usually better to have rider aids and not need them as opposed to the other way around.

If we’re going to make any case for beginner-appropriate features, however, it should start with the brakes, and the Sportster delivers yet again. Championing a full Brembo braking system with a radially mounted four-piston front caliper, floating single-pot rear binder, and master cylinder, the Sportster S stops surprisingly well. On the other hand, the Scout’s single two-piston caliper up front and single-piston clamper in the rear don’t deliver as much stopping power as its counterpart.

The Final Decision:
Though the 2021 Harley-Davidson Sportster S walks away with nearly every round in its pocket, we still have to consider one very important detail: price. At $14,999, the souped-up Sporty is $3,000 over the Scout’s MSRP. Coupled with a 121-horsepower V-twin, Harley’s asking price could easily put the Sportster S out of most beginner’s grasp. When price is taken into account, the two cruisers stack up much more evenly, and may even cater to different customers/budgets.

With that said, we can’t wait to see how the Sportster and Scout duke it out in the future. Will Indian fight back with an even punchier V-twin? Will Harley offer a cheaper Sportster option without diluting too much performance? The middleweight cruiser class is a much more competitive environment these days, and we can’t wait to see Sportster and Scout continue to battle it out in the future.

Three Amazing Motorcycles You Can Buy Brand New for Less Than $10K

By General Posts

by Todd Halterman from https://www.autoevolution.com

If you’re in the market for a new motorcycle, you could do worse than these three versatile, cruiser-style rides, and the best news is that you can have any of them showroom-new for under $10,000.

And in yet more interesting news, two of the three are American.

The 2021 Kawasaki Vulcan S ABS comes in at a wallet-friendly $7,599 and it represents a middleweight hybrid with somewhat brawny underpinnings. While it’s big and powerful enough to appeal to riders who require sporty performance, it also offers cushy ergonomics designed to suit nearly any rider size, no matter their skill level.

The Vulcan S is powered by a 649cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin taken from the Ninja 650 line, and it also boasts a wide range of available adjustments for the seat, the footpegs, and handlebar positions. The 2022 models offer a base-model Vulcan S (sorry, no ABS included), and that’s what makes the 2021 model such an excellent value.

For 2021, the Harley-Davidson Iron 883 comes in at the top of the range, and at $9,749, it offers an opportunity to join the HD fraternity at a price that won’t cause hiccups in a tight budget.

The Iron 883 does have the Sportster lineage American riders often prefer, and it’s a bit of a throwback with some stripped-down street cred. Featuring a low solo seat height, nearly naked bike bodywork and the venerable 883cc, air-cooled V-Twin, there’s no doubt it’s an HD. And in a departure, it also happens to be the lightest, lowest, and most new-rider-friendly bike in the HD lineup. For your cash, you get low down bars, a low seat height, and a lowered suspension.

Unfortunately, should you want ABS braking, you’ll find yourself over the target as that feature puts another $795 on the final sticker price.

But the real standout here is the 2022 Indian Scout Bobber Sixty and Scout Sixty, and they tip the cash register at $8,999 and $9,499, respectively.

The Scout Sixty, offering a fantastic 1,000cc motor, is by far the most impressive of the three mentioned here. With a 25.8-inch seat height and weighing in at a substantial 542 pounds, it’s hardly an entry-level cruiser. Sporting a 60ci (819 cc) liquid-cooled 78 hp mill, this good-looking and powerful engine helps the Scout blow the pegs off the other two bikes listed here.

But once again, if you want to stay inside the target price, you’re out of luck with the Scout Sixty as the ABS model will ding you an additional $800.

Whichever way you go, all three of these bikes will provide a ton of value and some needed thrills for under $10K.

Indian Custom Project Scout 3K Challenge

By General Posts

by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com

Over the years, we’ve gotten used to Harley-Davidson organizing all sorts of build competitions for its international dealers. The most recent such gimmick was last year’s massive King of Kings competition, which saw the Mexico-built Sportster XR1200 Apex Predator come out on top.

The Apex had to battle several other exciting builds coming from all over the world, and that made the competition particularly challenging. It must have been challenging for Thor Motorcycles as well this year, given how the workshop had to fend off eight other competitors. Still, it was probably a tad easier, given how all the entries in this competition are shops based in the UK.

Also, Thor and the others did not set out to remake a Harley, but an Indian. Their efforts were part of the Project Scout 3K Challenge announced by Indian Motorcycles back in November last year, which set out to find the best Scout custom build of the year.

Thor’s build is called Kermit, probably on account of the green hue that adorns the fuel tank and fenders. It was originally a stock Scout Bobber but was modified as per the competition rules with limited parts and within a 3,000 British pounds ($4,250 give or take) budget.

The finished product was gifted with an 8-inch mini-ape handlebar conversion, LED headlight, and micro COB stop-tail and turn signals. An in-house-made side-mount number plate mount was fitted, and the tank and rear fender were wrapped in 3D Gel vinyl in a triple-layer green overlay and finished with a charcoal pinstripe.

The build was completed over a twelve-week period, and the Kermit was crowned the winner at the end of May. We are not given any indication of what will happen to the finished motorcycle, but we certainly would love to see it on the road.