more notes with aftermarket treatment. What
you do notice as you head off for a strop is the
100hp engine is not a crazy fireball – but it is good
and torquey and suited well to the bikes chassis
capabilities. Nicely balanced.
Fit and finish appears very good and, I think,
typical of the current Indian range. While the
suspension isn’t designed for bad backroads it’s
perfectly adequate for the bike’s intended use and
ABS brakes are also more than capable of hauling
the bike’s 250kg up in a controlled manner.
Overall the Scout has a pretty cool heritage look
with street cred’ capped off by the Indian badging
and mix of black and chrome fittings. There’s a
small vintage-styled single gauge as befits the
style of the bike, with analog speedo and digital
display within it for other standard info.
Out on the tight and twisties I was initially a bit
conservative with my speed and lean angles, but
soon realised I could heel it over a fair bit, and
became used to using the edge of my boot heel
as a gauge for how far to crank over – not so good
for boot life, but you soon work out how far to lean
before boot and pegs suffer. The fat Pirelli tyres
also gripped very well through the curves, but
the days I rode were dry so didn’t get to test their
abilities in the wet.
I’m not qualified to offer comparison to the Harley
Forty-Eight special or a number of Japanese
equivalents, as I’ve not ridden them, but I’d suggest
if a stylish and capable daily or weekend cruiser
with some good street appeal is what you’re after,
then the Indian Scout is a hit.
KIWI RIDER 61