Indian Scout... Demo days test ride.......

[the Ferret]

My fathers first motorcycle was a 27 Indian Scout. He rode Indians up until they went out of business in 1953 then he switched to Harleys (before eventually shifting to Honda's and Yamaha's. In dad's honor, I thought it would be neat to ride an Indian Scout someday, made easier since their new release and favorable reviews.

My local Indian dealer was having a demo days so between watching grandkids from 7:30 am until 10:30 PM and showing up for some dental work at 1:20 pm, I hightailed it across the expressway 25 miles and dropped in, just in time to sign up to ride. I chose the $11,999, 550 lb, 6 speed, 100hp Scout in red. The one I was given had an accessory windshield and leather or leather like saddlebags. The ride was pretty long for a demo days ride, 2 bouts of freeway maybe 10 miles total and probably 15 miles of curvy back roads, of course with a factory supplied leader and tail rider to make sure nobody got lost or did anything stupid. There was probably 7 or 8 in my group and all were on Scouts, save one guy, who rode a dark horse something or other. In all specs but seat height, the Scout should match similarly to our CB1100. Seat height being like 25 inches on the Scout and about 31 on the CB. When you came to a stop on the Scout, your feet hit the ground quick lol and at 5'6" I had both feet flat on the ground and both knees well bent.

the review:

I expected the Scout to be better than it was. Much to my dismay there wasn't much to like about it honestly. It vibrated a lot, the transmission was clunky, the brakes were weak and wooden, the clutch engagement was vague and medium stiff, the forward pegs/seating position was uncomfortable (for me), there was no cornering clearance, and the exhaust was loud. (With 8 of them in close proximity it was hard to hear yourself think). The suspension was terrible, the switchgear was cheap and the digital gear indicator showed N through 6, but first was just a couple of dashes --- and not a 1...and the grips were hard. No complaints about the seat as I don't even remember what it felt like. The mirrors worked ok. I went in there with an open mind. Honestly. I love all motorcycles, no matter who makes them,...as long as they function well. I had read good things about the Scout. If the one I rode was typical, writers would have to be on the take to write positive reviews IMO. Maybe the one I rode was just a bad one. I don't know. It was what it was, and what I speak of, is the unbiased truth.

I rode away saying 2 things. (1) I really love my CB 1100. What a great motorcycle. Comparatively speaking it is a diamond in a zirconium mine. and (2) Anyone who would buy a Scout over a CB 1100 or a T-120 Bonneville must not know much about motorcycles.

Immediately after getting home I texted a riding buddy in Cols Ohio with my review. He had ridden a Scout and said he liked it. After listening to my review he said that I was prejudiced, and I told him No, I was spoiled. The CB is such a nice bike it is hard to accept mediocrity. He said I didn't like any motorcycles other than the CB 1100 and I reminded him I loved my ST 1300, and that had recently ridden a T-120 Bonnie, an NC 700 Honda and an SFV 650 Suzuki and I liked all of them. All ran well, handled well, were smooth and braked well. All functioned as motorcycles should function imo.

Color me disappointed in the Indian Scout.

[ss2wheels_imp]

I agree with everything you wrote Micky, and the big lndians are way worse, they make my Harley feel like a Honda!

[Roper_imp]

Hmm...that means a review of Victory's Octane would probably reveal similar things. Which is unfortunate. I'd like to see Victory put up a real challenger against Harley's Sportster.

[the Ferret]

The Octane only has 4 more hp than the full power Scout which I rode ( vs the Scout 62 which has less hp) but the one I rode at 100 hp felt like it would lose a race with a CB pretty badly. I got caught at a light merging onto a freeway and lost the group ahead of me, but still had the tail man and one other behind me. When the light changed I gunned it down the entrance ramp to merge onto the freeway, and for 100 horses, it felt pretty weak to me.

[Guth_imp]

You know ferret, I tend to take most product reviews with a fairly large grain of salt. But I'll admit that I was caught off guard by your experience with the Scout after reading so much positive press on the bike. Your review made for an interesting read.

On the flip-side, the restoration of the Indian brand makes for a good story and I'm sure that there are folks out there looking for something a bit different from their motorcycle experience that are happy with such a bike. Still, wow. Different strokes and all that...

[the Ferret]

No one was more surprised than I Guth. Like you said, the reviews I read were stellar. I expected a cruiser in the CB1100 vein. Smooth, fast, efficient.

No doubt the bike will please those looking for an affordable American made V twin, particularly one not bearing the Harley Davidson tank badge, despite the faults I found. Heck without something better to compare it to, they might not even know the faults exist. It started, it ran, it stopped, it went on the freeway and it went around corners ( just none of it particularly well imo), and it sounds like an American V twin. That may be all some people require. I have not ridden a Sportster lately, but I owned 2 of them, a 59 and a 94 bought new, and it was probably on par with or a little better than how I remember those being, however compared to the parallel twin T120 Bonnie or the CB1100 I'm afraid the Scout falls way short. At least for me.

[vegasdriver_imp]

The scout is faster, you have to get the rpms up to get it rolling. The cb handles better and brakes are better on cb. I like both, but would ride the scout for a longer distance than the cb. The seat on cb is brutal. They are both fun motorcycles but very different.

[Huladog_imp]

Thanks for the honest comments. I've been wondering about the Scouts especially the 60 which is quite affordable. Local dealer keeps reminding me I can test ride one anytime but when I first sat on one I was surprised how low amid how small it felt.

Now I'm short, too, but compared to how my old Nightster felt the Scout was really low and the reach to the forward pegs was a bit much. I know they have reduced reach pegs but still.

Ok my wallet is safe. Maybe a SV650 to join the CB11.

Aloha,
Huladog


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[Motogeezer1949_imp]

I've ridden the apple and the orange. Liked them both.

[redbirds_imp]

I was surprised by your report on the Scout Mickey. The one I test rode over a year ago was a pretty decent bike. Shifting was smooth and positive and the motor was the best I'd ever experienced in a cruiser of this class, vastly better than any Sportster. The brakes, so so but okay, handling and cornering clearance quite good for a cruiser. The seat was comfortable enough but the riding position was poor with a long reach for bars and pegs, much like a V-rod but not as extreme. For my money, it compares poorly with the CB but I'm not a cruiser guy and others might disagree.