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Scout Test Ride

10K views 74 replies 21 participants last post by  halld 
#1 · (Edited)
The Indian demo was at Menettos in upstate ny recently and I was fortunate to get in 4 demo rides on the Scout. This is a raw, stripped down looking bike without too many bells and whistles. Indian put a modern water cooled engine in a retro styled bike and did something the Japanese could never do…make it authentic. Also, if you want cruise control, a loud stereo , GPS satellite and 250lbs of additional weight then keep looking for another bike.

Engine - Power is strong and linear. This is not glass smooth like a flat 6 from a Gold Wing and has mild vibration when flogging it. It’s fast and I can’t wait to see ¼ mi and 0-60mph times. As others have already said, 4k rpm is a sweet spot for cruising. It can be ridden down to ~3200rpm and pull away cleanly. A very versatile motor that can put put around or use its balanced horsepower/torque to accelerate briskly. I tried my best to feel some abruptness just off idle. None noted. . I had zero issues with vibration. This engine is not smooth like a flat six and demonstrates typical vibration when flogging a modern engine at higher rpm’s..

Transmission –Solid. I can only hope that my Scout’s tranny will feel this good after many thousands of miles. Neutral was easy to find.
Suspension – Rear is much better than expected for 3” of travel. I weigh 185lbs and the suspension felt planted and compliant over bumps. Damping was well balanced treated my back nicely. The front fork performance lagged behind the rear a bit, but was acceptable. No excessive front end diving was noted when clamping down hard on the front brakes. I suspect the forks are not cartridge style and could use a cartridge emulator or some tuning.

Handling – For a “cruiser” this bike is very nimble. The rake and wheelbase make for a bike that feels plenty stable in straight line, but can be a lot of fun in the twisties.

Ergonomics – I’m used to 11 years on a Yamaha FZ1 that places the rider in a more neutral position. However adjusting to the midposition controls seemed seamless with my 30” inseam. I would have to guess that people over 5’10” will be looking at the extended foot controls and/or saddle.

Brakes were very good in power in feel. Not sport bike powerful, but not wooden and weak like some large cruisers.

Overall-As everyone knows this bike is not meant to be a long haul, 8hrs in the saddle kind of bike. If you want a hot, American made, mid-size cruiser that won’t embarrass you in straight line acceleration or its ability to ride the twisties. This is a modern reincarnation of a classic performance bike. Those who don’t like its “small” size due their physical proportions will be better off with 800lb baggers. I really hated getting off this bike. The Scout is a balanced and comfortable bike.
 
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#2 ·
Nice write up Lammy1000. Knowing you have 4 short jaunts on the Scout, how was the seat? Any thoughts on the instrument cluster? Some reviewers complained about too many or similar lights "on" in the cluster, making it confusing. Thanks again!
 
#3 ·
I thought the seat was supportive and comfortable. Being a solo seat there is not a lot of room to move around on it, but all seemed good. Of course, (4) 20 minute rides was not enough to truly rate the seat. I liked the single cluster and anyone with of average IQ will quickly ascertain what the lights represent. Also, I would prefer an analog tach, but the digital tach allowed me to glance at the display and see the rpm's without trouble. This is not a sport bike where a rider may want to look down at the tach to watch the rpm gauge bounce off the rev limiter...if you ride a lot and are still alive to read this then you probably keep your eyes on the road. I liked the trigger switch on the back of the left switchgear to scroll through the menu.
 
#4 ·
I thought the seat was supportive and comfortable. Being a solo seat there is not a lot of room to move around on it, but all seemed good. Of course, (4) 20 minute rides was not enough to truly rate the seat. I liked the single cluster and anyone with of average IQ will quickly ascertain what the lights represent. Also, I would prefer an analog tach, but the digital tach allowed me to glance at the display and see the rpm's without trouble. This is not a sport bike where a rider may want to look down at the tach to watch the rpm gauge bounce off the rev limiter...if you ride a lot and are still alive to read this then you probably keep your eyes on the road. I liked the trigger switch on the back of the left switchgear to scroll through the menu.
Hey Lammy, I found out that the Scout's wheelbase and Rake are very close to the Ducati Diavel. Which I think has an 18" rear 17" front wheel combo. - I thought the light balanced feel of the two bikes was very similar.
 
#8 ·
The carbon red has had my eye for a while. I was about to pull the trigger, when I stumble upon the beautiful Scout.
It's a NICE bike - I hope it sticks around like the Monster. When I sat on it for the first time, I thought.... this bike fits me like a glove! Then I found out "Diavel" was "Devil"
The Scout on the other hand has at least 100hp - that's about the same as the Diavel in Urban Mode, if I recall correctly. But I hear that the Scout really starts to scoot at
around 5500-5900 when the torque begins to peak. I don't know if you had read my "Custom Scout Thread" yet but in there, I highlighting the potential of the Scout. I can see a
101 Scout and Sport Scout variants to join the now Standard Scout lineup, some day if Indian does like it did with the Chiefs. Only, the future Scout "X" would be even more high performance
oriented for a correspondingly higher price point. - Cheers to good taste in Italian Motorcycle Engine Whine... ummm as it were.
Anyway, I just cannot help but see more Scout models being introduced.

Did you put a deposit on the Scout?
 
#12 ·
I won't let you down Twinhit! :)...in fact, I'm having some surgery in the morning and hope to be well enough to go ride the bike in the afternoon!

Great! :)

Best wishes on that surgery.



I'd like to throw this bit of advice to everyone else who may read this who are waiting for the bike to come to town.
If you have a camera, please take pics and post them.
IF you have video camera like those GoPro cams that can be stuck the helmet and who post on youtube, please, by all means film your demo Scout ride, upload and share. - you guys are
witnessing history with the real rebirth of one of motorcycle history's most legendary motorcycles from Indian Motorcycle- It's one of those things that only happens once. It's one of those things you tell your grandkids about. - Please realize that you're among the very first people who gets to see the bike, to see it in person, to touch the bike, and start and hear the bike, and for some, ride the bike. I made the mistake of not getting more pics. And if you're youtube savvy and have such a camera GoPro, take videos of the bike and your demo rides, and upload and share them with us. You will thank yourself
in the long run. -

oh and one other thing - and it's important, please try to find ways to reduce wind noise - some cameras have filters and some users have been successful with home made "wind-filters" that almost eliminate wind noise. - Some have used seat foam over cotton with a fuzzy material that can be had at fabric stores - If you ever seen a news camera crew on location, the guy holding the
pill shaped microphone on the end of a boom, you may have noticed the microphone was fuzzy hairy. that "hairy" wig on the mic is what helps keep the wind noise down. - Anyway google research that and experiment - your ride-along video viewers will thank you for it and you'll be glad you did.
:)

Anyway thanks MyCool - get well soon and have fun - please alert me of your report in case I may have forgotten - thank in advance. :)
 
#16 ·
Nice video on the test ride. I would add that cornering on the scout is superb at both low and high speed with a generous lean angle (for a cruiser) that holds the line well. I agree with the comfort of the riding position and the feel of being with the bike rather than separate from it. Very fun to ride.
 
#18 ·
I think that probably just about sums it up! Wow!
 
#23 · (Edited by Moderator)
Did you all see this video?

Hi,
Well I test rode the little puppy in Daytona Beach during Biketoberfest.. Amazing bike and it looks better in person than any pic. The Red and Silver stood out the most for me.
I was impressed how long and low it is visually. Sounded fine but I can see putting on a pair of pipes. Seat is way comfortable also.. I'm a sport touring/dual sport kinda guy so the forward controls took a bit of getting use to. Handling to me was outstanding. Slow or fast the bike was spot on. Very quick bike!!! Lots of torque. We rode around the streets of Daytona so I only got into 6th once. I tried to hit every bump I could to unrattle the suspension and it did very well over small ripples and one pothole. Mfg's usually cheap out on the suspension and this bike faired well. The Tranny is very slick with no missed shifts and neutral is easy to find.
Only complaint was the heat at stop blowing off the engine. It was 85 dgs out so that might have helped a bit also. I had to splay out my legs alot to get away from the heater below my crotch.. Once moving it disappeared. This thing gives me the feeling of a sport cruiser. All in all a great bike.
I was bummed it did not come with ABS brakes but it's in the future. If you look at the speedo there is a spot for ABS lite indicator so it's coming. WaHoo!!
ABS=Absolute Butt Savor.. to me..

mitch
 

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#24 · (Edited)
I recently went to the Polaris/Victory dealer and the Indian demo truck was there. I got a chance to take out the Indian Scout. We went out with a group of four Scouts on the back roads and did an 11 mile loop. Here are my impressions:

Weight: when I first lifted the bike off of the side stand, I was amazed. It felt like one of the MSF bikes, if you guys remember the Honda Rebels and whatever other 300 lb bikes they use for the safety class. It really did feel that light. It took no effort to lift it. In reality, the bike isn't that much lighter than my XL1200 Harley. When riding the bike, you didn't feel the weight at all. It did feel like riding a Rebel as far as the weiight of the bike. They did a great job with the center of gravity. The bike didn't feel anything like a Sportster, which is a good thing. It felt more like my husband's Shadow, but it didn't have that "falling into turns" feeling, which I don't love about the Shadow.

Handling: the bike was really easy to ride. I could imagine someone getting this as their first bike. It wasn't the least bit intimidating. There were women test riding the Scout, and I could see this as a good bike for a female rider. The Scout is small compared to the other Indian or Victory bikes. Since I'm used to the FZ-09 and how awesome it is (best bike ever made as far as I'm convinced), I didn't love how it turned compared to the FZ-09, but it won't turn like a sport bike and shouldn't be expected to. You can feel the difference in the rake of the bike compared to the FZ when you are turning. I had to remember I was on a different bike.

Comfort: I don't know how else to say it, but it felt like the seat was grabbing my ass the whole time I was riding it and we barely knew each other, so that was kind of forward. The handle bars came back, which was nice. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the forward controls and having the shifter so far up, but you get used to it really quickly and it's not nearly as extreme as the controls on the Harleys. The bike for me was almost 100% comfortable, but you can always fix things. The pegs move two inches in either direction and they have different seat options. The stock seat is a single seat and is beautiful. It's a brown distressed leather. After the ride, there was a load of heat coming off of the bike. It was 50 degrees, so I don't know what this would be like in the summer. It needs some kind of heat shield.

Styling: the bike looks amazing in magazines. I thought it looked great in person. But, coming from a Harley, there was just something about it that it lacked. A soul. A Harley has a soul. This bike didn't. It felt mass produced. It was beautiful though. It didn't look as solid as a Harley. I was expecting a little more. The chrome looked like it was made out of plastic.

Power: supposedly, this thing has 100hp and just 9 ft/lbs of torque less than the 1200 Sportster, which I have. My Harley pulls like crazy as soon as you go. It oozes torque and power, almost like it has too much power and is like riding one of those bulls that you need to stay on for 8 seconds. It's a different kind of power than the FZ. The FZ will blow it away from 0 to 60 and can go a lot faster, but the Harley has more of a raw power that you need to control before it gets away from you. I didn't feel this at all from the Indian. It felt like the Indian couldn't get out of it's own way, and I made sure I left some space and stayed towards the back during the ride so I could lean on it, and I definitely leaned on the bike. No matter how crazy you wanted to ride, it didn't go anywhere, even with 100 hp. Who knows where the horsepower is hiding. I looked for it. I couldn't find it. On the back The bike also got rather buzzy in the higher gears when the RPMs went up. It wasn't a consistent buzziness, just when you were at a certain point in the power band.

I was able to handle the bike really easily as far as moving it around and parking it, etc. That to me is a selling point. I can't move the FZ, can't park it or push it forward, etc. It's okay though, I still love the bike. The Indian shifted fine and finding first wasn't an issue, which was nice. The tank didn't look huge which to me is something I notice about a lot of cruisers, that they have these big ugly tanks, this had a nice tank design. The whole bike looked balanced.

Will I buy one? Yes. It's not perfect, but I think it is the best cruiser out there for my purposes (something that doesn't scare the heck out of me like the Harley does). I have heard people say that you should be able to get 140 hp out of the engine so I have faith in the after market to fix some of the issues. I stopped at Harley and talked to the owner about taking my bike. He said February. The Harley has more power and feels more solid, but scares me when I take it out since it feels like it will fall every time I turn from a stop. This has never actually happened, but that's not a great feeling. The Indian didn't have that feeling. This could be the next cruiser unless the one from Ducati blows me away.

If anyone else has been to one of the Indian demo days, please share your opinions.

(I'm 5'5" and 120 lbs, 31 1/2 inseam, for riders out there of a similar build)
 
#25 ·
I heard the same power comment from a guy I was on a ride with. When I asked what RPM he was at he said about 3900. The Scout does not pull like the Sportster. There is a video going around showing an older Sportster beating a sport bike off the line three out of three times. I never would have bet on the Sportster. Did you run the Scout up to 8000? After 5000 RPM the beast inside wakes up.
 
#26 ·
I recently went to the Polaris/Victory dealer and the Indian demo truck was there. I got a chance to take out the Indian Scout. We went out with a group of four Scouts on the back roads and did an 11 mile loop. Here are my impressions:

Comfort: I don't know how else to say it, but it felt like the seat was grabbing my ass the whole time I was riding it.
That is just about the best description of a seat I have ever heard! LOL!!!

Styling: the bike looks amazing in magazines. I thought it looked great in person. But, coming from a Harley, there was just something about it that it lacked. A soul. A Harley has a soul. This bike didn't. It felt mass produced. It was beautiful though. It didn't look as solid as a Harley. I was expecting a little more. The chrome looked like it was made out of plastic.
A different perspective from most. It has an "industrial" look to it which is probably where I could picture the lack of "soul". So yeah, I sort of get that. Harley Davidson riders have this passion that no other group seemingly has in such high numbers. That "American" built spirit is what I get and where the "soul" seems to resonate. Interesting...

It felt like the Indian couldn't get out of it's own way, and I made sure I left some space and stayed towards the back during the ride so I could lean on it, and I definitely leaned on the bike. No matter how crazy you wanted to ride, it didn't go anywhere, even with 100 hp. Who knows where the horsepower is hiding. I looked for it. I couldn't find it.
This is where I'm very surprised because you are the first person to say their experience on the demo ride didn't match what a majority of other's have said. Hmmm... Maybe you had a ride on a bike that wasn't functioning correctly? Certainly a seemingly unique experience. I've not had a demo ride so I can't comment one way or the other.

Will I buy one? Yes. It's not perfect, but I think it is the best cruiser out there for my purposes (something that doesn't scare the heck out of me like the Harley does).
Sounds to me like you got the bug even though there are things you don't like and that it true of anything in life.

Pretty good review and feedback.
 
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