New Indian Scout
Indian announced a major update to one of their most popular lineups, the scout. So here we go with the nine key things that you need to know about it.
5 Models
Now perhaps the biggest change for this new lineup is the fact that they’re now offering five distinct models and variations and some of them are the same as the previous generation.
Scout bobber
So you’ve still got a scout bobber and it still comes with the chunky 16 inch wheels, a solo seat, the bar and mirrors lowered two inch suspension and the bobbed mug guards.
Sport Scout
And you’ve also got a sports scout which basically replaces the scout rogue.
And so that one gets the same 19 inch front wheel, the mini faring, some six inch handlebar rises, slightly taller, three inch suspension for a better ground clearance and a sports seat for holding you in place for a quicker ride in.
Scout Classic
And then there’s the scout classic, which you could say is equivalent to the previous gen scout.
And this is a slightly more relaxed bike with chilled out ergonomics. The classic style paint job, the spoke wheels and plenty of chrome.
Super Scout
But look, one of the new additions is this Super Scout, which they say is basically a lightweight Torah.
And so as such, this one comes with a windscreen touring bags, a two up seat spoke wheels as well, and the classic styling and also it’s fully decked out with their top level tech package.
New 101 scout
But the one that’s realistically gonna catch most people’s eye is the top of the lineup, which is this completely new 101 scout.
Now this one is much more performance biased and sort of makes me think of scout meets FTR. And so you’ve got an upside on fork that’s fully adjustable.
Piggyback shocks at the rear, twin front breaks with full piston radially mounted Brembo calipers, six inch risers, the half faring, some dedicated badging and paint as well as that fully speced tech package.
Now personally I think it’s quite impressive to see just how much variety they’ve managed to achieve when it’s all based upon pretty much the same platform yet with five fairly different interpretations of the bike.
That should mean there’s something that suits a broad range of tastes.
Now I should add that the more sporty bikes in the lineups are the 101 scout and the Sports Scout both roll on Mettler’s cruise tech tires.
Sixty
Now one absence from the lineup that some of the more Eagle Eye viewers might have spotted is the 60 version of the scouts, which refers to the 60 cubic inch version of the engine that’s significantly smaller than the standard bike.
These reduced power variants are a bit more subdued, I guess they’re restrict down to a two compatibility as well and also they cost a bit less.
So they weren’t a great option if you are looking for something a bit more affordable and you don’t really care about maximum performance.
But look, while there’s nothing in this new 2025 lineup at the moment, Indian did say on the press call that they would follow at a later date.
So perhaps it’s worth holding out for one of those if it sounds a bit more like suited to your needs.
Engine New Indian Scout
If on the other hand performance is of concern to you, then you’ll be very happy to know that these new scouts all use an updated 1250 V twin that they’re calling the speed plus.
Now that’s 10% up in capacity from the 1133 CCV twin that was in the previous Gen Scouts and as a result you get about five more horsepower at the top.
So it’s now 105 peak and that rises to 111 horsepower.
Specifically on the 101 Scout peak to has also seen a fairly significant boost So it’s 82 foot pounds now peak or 111 newton meters, so that’s 10 foot pounds up or 13 and a half newton meters.
And so combined with a little bit of weight loss as well across the lineup, I am expecting these bikes to feel quite a bit more punchy.
Now on top of that Indian claim that they’ve also done some work to improve the sound of this engine whilst also fit in a slipper assist clutch, which means there’s a much lighter feel at the lever as well as preventing rear wheel lockups under aggressive downshifts.
Now from a practical perspective, they’ve also added a sight glass as well as make it much easier to remove the valve covers.
And so servicing all round should be easier.
And then last up on the engine, they’ve also changed the appearance quite a lot with these completely different looking covers and it has to be said, it looks a bit more clean and modern.
In fact, the whole bite’s kind of interesting because there’s so much changed and yet the end result is fairly similar.
New Indian Scout Frame
They’ve basically re-engineered the whole thing from the ground up with that completely new engine and also this completely new frame.
So instead of the aluminum of the previous generation, which they said some customizers found it difficult to work with, they’ve now gone for a tubular steel design which also looks a little bit more sleek I’d say, and it’s tucked away under the tank for a bit less of a dominating look.
Now look, you might think that’s gonna make the the bike heavier moving from aluminum to steel, but actually they’re saying bikes are around 10 pounds lighter.
And so I was comparing the specs of the bobber like for like and it does indeed come in around five kilograms less so 237 kilograms as shipped.
Now personally I think it’s really interesting that they’ve effectively tried to build the bike so it’s easier to customize and cut it up and stuff like that, especially at a time where it feels like that’s less and less the case.
And a lot of manufacturers seem to be making it more difficult to work on your bike so that you have to take it to their dealers to be serviced. And so on this one it’s gotta be said hats off to Indian.
Ergonomics
Now these bikes are super low in terms of the ergonomics, so the bobber is the lowest with that reduced travel suspension and the seat height comes in at 649 millimeters,
whereas the rest of the lineup, well they are a little taller by five millimeters, but still generally super low at 654.
Honestly, for a lot of people coming from naked bikes and stuff like that, it’s gonna feel really very low, but it does give you a lot of that cruiser feel and it does also make it very easy to get your feet down and make them feel very manageable.
New for this model though, there are mid controls available, which I think is gonna make it more appealing to those who don’t necessarily come from a cruiser background or don’t enjoy having their feet super stretched out and they’re actually saying with all the different seats and foot pegs and floorboards and risers and handlebars available,
there are now more than 30 ergonomic combinations for this group of bikes, which has to be said is great news I think for the customer.
You know, sometimes you do like the look of a certain bike, but you just can’t quite get on with the way it feels when you’re out riding it.
And so I’d say it is great to be able to get those contact points absolutely dialed into your personal dimensions.
Tech Packs In New Indian Scout
But look, I think they’ve absolutely nailed this one because they’re now offering three different tiers at three different price points.
So you can suit the tech package and level of intervention that best suits your tastes and needs.
So the entry point is the standard version, which is still very basic with just ABS in terms of rider aids, although it does come with LED lighting all round and a fuel gauge.
Next up you’ve got the limited level of trim that brings in some riding modes, traction control,
A USB charging point, and the all important cruise control, which I think if you’re doing any sort of decent distance on these bikes, there’ll be a welcome addition.
And then top of the range is the limited plus tech package, which gets the round TFT display that you’ll see on a lot of their other bikes like the Chiefs or the FTRs.
This opens up navigation through their ride command system, the ability to control calls and media through your phone as well as some neat visuals for displaying the key information about the bike.
Now the three most affordable scout models, so the bobber, the Sports Scout and the classic are all available with any of those trim levels, whereas the more premium models, so the Super Scout and the 101 are only available in the top limited plus tech package.
So naturally those ones are significantly higher in terms of their starting price, but I still think it’s excellent that the other three bikes are available with that level of flexibility and it really does feel like they’ve put personalization and personal taste right at the forefront of this update.
New Indian Scout Styling
the bike does have a lot of the same overall shape, again, pretty much everything is new, so that new engine looks significantly different.
And of course the new steel frame adds a bit of a different look as well. But also all the body works, so the mug guards and tank, the seats, the side panels, the exhaust system, the tank console, the bar risers, all of it is new.
And I think personally it looks absolutely fantastic. The Scout bobber in particular has always been one of those bikes I’d absolutely love to own because it just looks so cool and I really like what they’ve done here with the styling.
It feels like a slight tweak that just neaten it up a bit and modernizes it, but it still retains that sort of menace in stands and look, this might feel like a bit of a detail, but probably for me the biggest visual improvement has to be the new smaller radiator.
With the previous generation having something that was a little bit on the large side and it did sort of um, really stick out when it came to the looks on the sort of front three quarter and also with that aluminum frame that really was quite chunky, that didn’t help either.
But this new radiator they say is 22% smaller and also, you know, the frame looks quite a bit slimmer around it and I think especially for those more traditional looking versions of the scout, so the classic and the Super Scout, it does a lot less to compromise that old school aesthetic.
Accessories New Indian Scout
Then again, on the theme of getting the bike dialed into your personal taste, of course they’ve got a pretty huge accessories catalog with over a hundred items to choose from and some of them fall into a choice of four accessory collections, which helped us spec the bike up for specific applications.
So the Overnighter for example, adds a solo luggage rack, an all weather tail bag, a quick release tour, windscreen and floorboards amongst other things, the commuter gets you the adaptive headlight, the phone mount, midfoot controls and passenger pegs.
The stealth collection focuses on blacking out the bike with some fancy handlebar risers, Rizoma mirrors, smoked indicators and more.
And then the Open Roads collection gets you the highway bars, LED driving lights, passenger back rest, floorboards for both the rider and passenger highway pegs and all that sort of good stuff for long distance rides.
New Indian Scout Price
Now the price is a bit of an interesting one because in the US a lot of these models have gone up by a few hundred dollars and so it might not look like a particularly bargained deal, although you have to admit there are quite a few significant enhancements and so you could argue these new bikes are probably worth the extra cash.
In the UK though the Scout has always looked a little bit expensive and so maybe that’s made it a bit difficult to recommend against some of the competition like the Triumph Bobber or the new BMWR 12, which comes in under 12 grand.
But it looks like the Scout bobber is actually down by about 500 quid now. And also the Super Scout is down by about 600 versus the Scout Rogue that it replaces.
Now it’s not all good news stuff like the classic that’s 400 quid up on the regular scout, but I think overall that’s a pretty good deal for UK Punters for once.
So definitely some nice improvements with more power, less weight, lots more flexibility, some nice different models to choose from, and also a bit less money depending on which one you choose.