Chicagoland CB Chapter Meet /Indian Scout Test Ride

[Todd_K_imp]

This past Saturday (23AUG) two charter members of the Chicagoland CB1100 Riders Group (Tim - ShortTimer and Todd - Todd_K) met for an early breakfast and ride before going off the reservation and test riding the new Indian Scout. To prove that we're not a bigoted group of Honda-riding elitists, I also invited my Harley-riding buddy Greg to join us.

Living "40 miles too close to Chicago" normally sucks, but for the variety of businesses we have nearby, sometimes it has its advantages. The local Indian/Victory motorcycle shop was hosting a demo ride weekend, so we jumped at the chance for some seat time on the new Scout.

The weather in NE Illinois has been downright tropical for the last week or so, and Saturday morning didn't dissapoint.
[url=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/mp-43/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image.jpg.html]

Our first stop was Allen's Corner Restaurant, a fixture at the point where Route 20 separates from Allen Road in Hampshire IL, established in 1921. Route 20 is a fairly busy truck route and the resturant sits right on the apex of the curve for the southbound traffic. The concrete barriers and steel posts in front of the resturant would likely be effective for stopping a Hyundai, but an fully laden dumptruck, not so much.

This photo was taken just before we left--we weren't offering our bikes as sacrificial barricades..
[url=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/mp-43/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image-1.jpg.html]

Temps in the mid-70s with 99% humidity made for a very moist ride. Allen's Corner is a popular stop for truckers and local farmers, and Saturday was no exception. The wait was 30 minutes, but it gave us time to dry out and talk motorcycles before the important work of stuffing our faces began.

Obligatory shot of waitstaff and customers:
[url=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/mp-43/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image-5.jpg.html]

For anyone who's interested, Allen's is a cash-only establishment. Fortunately, their prices are more than fair to offset the inconvenience of actually needing to carry real money.

$5.35, two eggs, hashbrowns, four strips of bacon, two pancakes and coffee:
[url=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/mp-43/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image-6.jpg.html]

Following a lively breakfast discussion about motorcycles and the joy of trading a 2014 Harley on a 2014 CB (Tim), it was time to hit the road:[url=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/mp-43/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image-2.jpg.html]

Since the weather was terrible and we had a test ride waiting for us at the other end, our route was short and purposeful. We followed Rt 20 north to Big Timber Rd, a decently interesting mix of curves and scenery. Like much of the area the farm fields are transitioning from soybeans and corn to townhomes and strip malls, and Big Timber illustrated this well. Soon enough we hit Randall Road and proceeded south to the Indian Dealer, arriving around 9:30am. The temperture started climbing at this point and the sun even made a brief appearance.

The demo truck had already relieved itself in the parking lot: 6 Roadmasters, 1 Vintage, 5 Chiefs and 4 Scouts rounded out the menu waiting for anyone with a valid M-class endorsement.

Tim checking out the shiny black offering:
[url=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/mp-43/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image-3.jpg.html]

Not too surprisingly, the majority of people who showed up for the demo were interested in the Scout. We all agreed the bikes were visually very unique and appeared to be well executed. The biggest exception was an enormous bundle of taped wires immediately in front of the exposed frame where the seat mounts. We all agreed they should have tried a little harder to tidy that up as it looks a bit too much like some Depression-era kid's rag baseball stuffed into the frame.

Mini Scout Review
Given that the Scout weighs more than the CB, we were all surprised by the ridiculously light feel, thanks to the low-slung motor. The footpegs were also not too far forward and at no time did we feel like bent starfish(thanks Road and Track for that descriptor). Vibrations were very noticable in the pegs when the rpms went over 3k. The performance of the motor struck me as very CB-like: plenty of torque to get things moving without being harsh, and an afterburner that kicks in midway on the rpm range. Being the last rider in the first section in our 16 bike parade gave me ample opportunity to fall behind and play. Plenty of giggles when dropping a gear and twisting the trottle. The route we followed was pretty tame country roads with posted limits in the 45-50mph range; much of the time was spent in 3rd and 4th, with trips into 5th and 6th gear just to confirm they were there. Rolling on the trottle while in 5th and putzing along at 40 didn't yield the same results as with the CB, with considerable lag between pinning the throttle and seeing real results. Also, a CB-like lean surge in low gear/low rpm cruising was present as well.
All in all, the Scout was a fun bike to ride--decent suspension that felt a little loose in a couple curves, but a nice relaxing ride on a cruiser style bike that I would actually enjoy owning...as a second bike behind the CB.
[url=http://s152.photobucket.com/user/mp-43/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image-4.jpg.html]

Severe thunderstorms were forecast for the afternoon, so as soon as the demo ride was over we hightailed it for home, enjoying the refined, smooth and predictable ride of our CB1100s.

[grover_imp]

Nice, thanks for the ride report!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[emptysea]

I was loading my Jeep so my wife could take my daughter back to school. Of course, girls being girls, she was not packed until mid-morning so it turns out that I probably could have ridden with you. We'll have to organize another "chapter meeting" soon.

Is Tim making the "Vrroom Vrroom" sound in that pic?

Great review of the Scout and great overall ride report. $5.35?!? Need to stop there sometime for sure.

Thanks for the post

[Cormanus]

Great report, Todd. Thanks. interesting that it doesn't look too hot in the early pictures.

[ClassicVW_imp]

Great report, thank you.

[the Ferret]

Cool. So is the lil scout a winner? What were other test riders saying?

[Todd_K_imp]

I didn't get a chance to debrief with many of the other riders, but the ones I spoke with thoroughly enjoyed the bike. There were several owners of large Indian and victory motorcycles who wanted something useable in the city/ for shorter local rides, and nearly all expressed an interest in making the $500 deposit to secure a first run Scout. I'd call it a winner for Indian.

Road and track summed it up well when they called it a "cruiser for people who really don't want a cruiser".

Edit- one major downer for me was the amount of heat coming off of the headers. Several times at a stop I'd find my inner right thigh getting uncomfortably toasted. Probably no big deal for the regular v-twin rider with leathery thighs...

[Short Timer_imp]

I agree with Todd (great recap of the day, btw! The fog was crazy. "Tropical" describes it well!), Indian probably does have a winner with the Scout. It looked like the interest from the folks there to ride the demos was about 10 to 1 in favor of the Scout.

The obvious comparison would be to the Sportster. The Scout was smoother and more comfortable. The exhaust note was good (sounded like a typical V-twin) and it had loads of oomph when you rolled on the gas. Shifting was also very smooth - nothing like a belt drive for a smooth gear change with no "lash".

The suspension - inasmuch as I remember the Sportster, was good on the road. It got a little "clunky" in the front end at low speeds over rough spots.

I liked it for a second bike, in-town riding, etc. It lacked a gear indicator which I've come to appreciate.

The pictures of the Scout didn't appeal to me at first but up close and personal, the bike looks very nice with the one exception being that weird taped up bundle of wires. Might be something they address as production ramps up. The colors to choose from were also nice and the brown leather solo seating adds to the uniqueness of this machine. It isn't like every other V-twin-Sportster-wanna-be out there. In fact, the entire Indian line looks pretty darn good for anyone in that Harley, Victory, heavy cruiser/touring market.

The biggest surprise to me, as noted by Todd, was the weight - or the lack of weight. This bike feels incredibly light right off the stand. And it was more stable than I anticipated.

All in all a fun day! Breakfast was excellent and worth the wait in a very cool little establishment with a lot of "regulars" in attendance.

Yep, Matt, you caught me doing my best potato-potato impression

Last thing I noted was how much I enjoyed getting back on the CB for the ride home!