Chicagoland CB Chapter Meet /Indian Scout Test Ride

[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!