Indian Scout Bobber: First Impression

The Indian Scout Bobber made its Philippine debut on 22nd February and carried a premium price tag of Php 1,055,000, making it a costly deal over most of its counterparts. This then needs to be supported by some serious 'oomph' factors that appeal the youth, to whom it is primarily marketed. Going purely by first impressions, the Scout does seem to have oodles of it!

To the untrained eye, the Scout Bobber is no different from let’s say, a Harley Davidson. But this bike is a radical departure from not just its own heritage but also the established image of the retro American Chopper. For starters, you would be hard-pressed to find any chrome on it. Matt, dark, stripped down, and blacked out are the kind of adjectives that will feature here. It is also modern and has an LCD digital display. This approach is necessary to appeal the young crowd that has been shying away from motorcycles like these.

Being a Bobber, it has to have certain 'bobber specific' design elements. It comes in the form of fat and knobby front tire and well sculpted single seat. Being a factory custom, it offers cutoff rear fender with a luggage rack, aggressive flat track style handlebars, foot pegs that are closer to the rider and much lesser suspension travel in the rear. Its low ground clearance gives it a slammed look, accentuated by its low seating position (649 mm) and long wheelbase. The font used on the Indian tank moniker is now revised and somehow makes the bike look slimmer. In essence, the design is focused on giving it an aggressive, muscular, low slung look.

Based on the ongoing Scout platform, the new Scout Bobber is powered by an 1133 cc V-twin mill. Paired with a 6-speed transmission via wet multi-plate clutch the said mill churns out a maximum output of 100 bhp at 8,000 rpm and 97 Nm of torque at 6,000 rpm. This much power is more than enough to propel this 251 kg bike with a full 12.5-liter tank to ludicrous speeds. It is also cooled liquid meaning that it can be comfortably kept idling in traffic in the city – its natural habitat.

While the engine is buttery smooth with refined power delivery, the exhausts are more on the quieter side. Coupled with the low ground clearance and less suspension travel, this bike is most suited for gently cruising on smooth city roads. However, that does not mean you'll doubt its performance on twisty mountain roads. The bike is pure joy on twists and turns due to its well-behaved chassis and suspension set up.

The Indian has more power and is arguably more refined than its competitors from Triumph, Moto Guzzi, and Harley Davidson. There is also a vast potential to customise the bike to your taste with an immense range of options. But all this character and ability comes at a high price – much higher than these competitors. That did not, however, stop the first batch that came to the Philippines, from being already sold. With the next shipment arriving in a few months, these bikes are bound to be seen tearing up the roads of Philippines.