Indian Scout (2024) - Technical Review
By Ben Purvis
Has written for dozens of magazines and websites, including most of the world’s biggest bike titles, as well as dabbling in car and technology journalism.
02.04.2024
Price: £13,195 to £16,095 | Power: 105bhp to 111bhp | Weight: 237kg to 259kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: TBA
Don’t be fooled by those familiar looks – the ‘2025’ Indian Scout (as the firm is calling it) is an all-new model with a fresh 1250cc engine, clean-sheet chassis design and revamped range lineup that combines substantial hikes in performance with a broad array of styles and technical packages to create a collection of liquid-cooled cruisers to suite a variety of tastes and bank balances.
Most importantly it’s a range that’s far more extensive than Harley-Davidson’s Nightster lineup, hitting more classic cruiser styling cues, even if it can’t quite hit the performance peaks of its rival’s Sportster S.
From bobber to tourer, the Scout range hits multiple market segments
New 101 Scout bridges the gap between the Scout and Indian’s FTR range
Lots of choice when it comes to tech packages to balance cost against equipment levels
Retro styling means it’s not immediately easy to distinguish the new Scouts from the previous versions
Even with extra power for the 101 Scout, it’s not up to the level of Harley’s 121hp Sportster S
2024 Indian Scout Range Price
Indian’s Scout range is the access point to the company’s lineup and that’s reflected in its sales. In 2023, Scout variants were the three best-selling Indians in the UK and the Scout Bobber – its number one offering – outsold the most popular non-Scout at a rate of two to one.
It’s been a similar story throughout the current model’s ten-year life, with Indian reporting more than 100,000 global Scout sales in that period, account for more than half of the company’s output.
With the new 2024 Scout, Indian is leaning into the Scout’s broad appeal with a wider, five-bike range that’s broadened further by offering several variants of each key version.
For 2024, there’s no such thing as simply an Indian Scout. That model is superseded by the Scout Classic, which sits in that straightforward cruiser role with trad-style wire wheels, plenty of chrome and relaxed ergonomics. It starts at £13,395 in base form with black metallic paint but is one of three models, alongside the Scout Bobber and Sport Scout, to be offered in three trim levels – Standard, Limited and Limited+Tech. The Scout Classic Limited costs £14,195, while the Limited+Tech is £15,395.
The replacement for the current best-seller, the new £13,195 Scout Bobber, is the entry point to the range and also comes in Limited (£13,995) and Limited+Tech (£14,795-£15,095 depending on paint) forms to cover a broad range of prices and equipment levels. The same applies to the Sport Scout, which starts at £13,395 and replaces the previous Scout Rogue as a bobber with a nose cowl, taller bars and a 19-inch front wheel instead of the normal 16-incher. It’s £14,195 in Limited form and £14,995 for the Limited+Tech version.
The two distinctly new, high-end variants added to the 2025 lineup are the Super Scout and 101 Scout. Both come only in high-end Limited+Tech spec with a price of £16,095 and are aimed at riders who are choosing a Scout because they want a more compact bike, not because they’re skimping.
The Super Scout brings the Scout into the touring market, acknowledging that there are buyers out there who want more touring ability but don’t want to step up to the size, weight and £20k-plus price tag that goes with Indian’s Super Chief, let alone the even pricier Springfield, Chieftain, Challenger, Roadmaster or Pursuit models. It gains side bags and a screen for a look reminiscent of the Super Chief.
Finally, there’s the 101 Scout which breaks new ground for the model, albeit with a name that harks back to 1928. That was when the original 1919 Scout was replaced with the second-generation model, and the ‘101’ version was launched with a shorter, lighter chassis that made it a favourite with racers and stunt riders. Even today, the original 101 Scout remains a mainstay bike for traditional wall of death shows. The new 101 Scout goes in the same direction with sporty suspension, higher-spec brakes and styling that positions it as a halfway house towards the Indian FTR.
If you’re wondering about the lower-end Scout Sixty, with its smaller 1000cc V-twin, Indian says there will be a new version in due course but isn’t revealing any more information at the moment.
Meanwhile, despite Indian Motorcycles referring to it as the ‘2025’ Scouts, the bikes will start arriving in dealers at the end of May this year, 2024.
2024 Indian Scout Range Engine & Performance
The centrepiece of the new Scout range is the company’s redesigned, 1250cc V-twin engine, dubbed the SpeedPlus 1250.
Although it shares its liquid-cooled, DOHC V-twin layout with the old 1133cc Scout engine, as well as the same 73.6mm stroke, it’s a substantially new motor with a 104mm bore – 5mm more than before – to achieve its 117cc capacity hike, plus a far higher 12.5:1 compression ratio, up from 10.7:1.
The end result is a power increase from 94hp (70kW) at 8,000rpm to 105hp (79kW), arriving at only 7250rpm. Meanwhile, torque is hiked from 71.5lb-ft (97Nm) at 5600rpm to 79.7lb-ft (108Nm) at 6300rpm. The four main versions of the bike – the Scout Classic, Scout Bobber, Sport Scout and Super Scout – all use that version, while the 101 Scout gets its performance upped a fraction to 111hp (82kW) and 80.4lb-ft (109Nm), albeit without any major mechanical changes to the engine. The extra power comes from a different ECU map, and Indian expects to be offering the same reflash of the chip as an optional extra for the rest of the 2025 Scout range if you want the 101 Scout’s performance in a different model.
All the bikes use a six-speed transmission and wet clutch, much like the previous generation.
2024 Indian Scout Range Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)
One of the biggest departures from the previous Scout range, which was introduced in 2015, is the frame – the new 2024 models have an all-new design that’s actually much more traditional than the version it replaces.
The earlier Scout had an unusual (for this style of bike) cast aluminium chassis, which for the 2024 model year is swapped for a more conventional material, adopting steel tubes for the front section of the frame. Indian made a similar switch when it revamped the Chief range for 2022, swapping the alloy chassis that had been introduced in 2014 for a steel version. It might seem retrograde, but steel’s properties tend to suit this style of bike, and a traditional steel chassis lends itself to the retro styling. Indian says it’s managed to make the radiator 22% smaller, despite the bigger engine on the new bike, allowing it to hide between the front down-tubes to make a steel frame more viable than before. The company also says that steel is favoured by customizers, particularly those wanting to make extreme changes to the bike’s stance and geometry, as it’s easier to work with than aluminium.
The frame’s mid-section is still an aluminium casting, and unlike the previous model the rear subframe is shared across all versions of the bike, making accessories like luggage and seats more universally-usable.
Although steel is heavier than aluminium, volume-for-volume, it allows thinner tubes to be used and the new bikes are actually lighter than their predecessors.
The Scout Classic, Scout Bobber, Sport Scout and Super Scout all use essentially similar suspension with 41mm, non-adjustable, right-way-up forks and 120mm of front wheel travel. The rear suspension is also similar across those models, with dual, preload-adjustable shocks, although the Scout Bobber has less suspension travel with only 51mm of movement compared to 76mm for the other versions.
All variants have the same 29-degree rake and 1562mm wheelbase, and with the exception of the Bobber all have 123mm of trail. The Bobber increases that figure to 125mm.
The 101 Scout breaks away when it comes to suspension, featuring adjustable, upside-down forks with increased travel of 150mm, plus fully-adjustable dual piggyback rear shocks.
Wheels and tyres are the other distinguishing features that change from model to model. All variants use a 150/80-16 rear tyre, but the 101 Scout and Sport Scout both have 19-inch fronts with 130/60-19 rubber where the Scout Classic, Scout Bobber and Super Scout use 130/90-16s. The wheels themselves also differ, with the Scout Classic and Super Scout using wires where the others have alloys – 8-spokes for the Sport Scout and Scout Bobber, 5-spokes for the 101 Scout.
For the four tamer versions of the Scout, the brakes consist of a single 298mm front disc with a two-pot caliper, aided by a similarly-sized 298mm rear disc and single-piston stopper. The 101 Scout ups the ante with dual 320mm front discs and four-piston, radial-mounted Brembo calipers, while retaining the same 298mm rotor and single-piston caliper at the back. All have ABS, of course.
When it comes to weight, that varies by model. The lightest is the Scout Bobber at 237kg dry, followed by the 239kg Sport Scout and 240kg 101 Scout. The Scout Classic is 243kg, and the more touring-oriented Super Scout is much heftier at 259kg.
2024 Indian Scout Range Comfort & Economy
Comfort on the Scout will depend on which version you go for, but all offer a low seat – 654mm for most versions, 649mm for the slammed Scout Bobber – that’s also narrow to make it particularly easy to get your feet flat on the ground.
As standard, only the Super Scout comes with provision for a passenger, but pillion pegs and a rear seat can be added to the other bikes in the range via the options catalogue, which also includes a variety of different bars to alter the height and reach to the controls, plus the option of mid-mounted foot controls if you prefer them. So most riders should be able to work out a layout that suits them, regardless which model they pick.
There’s no word on fuel economy yet, but all the Scouts have a relatively small 13-litre tank (0.5 litres more than the old version) so don’t expect to cover vast distances between fuel stops.
2024 Indian Scout Range Equipment
The equipment levels of the bikes will vary depending on which variant you choose – with the Scout Classic, Scout Bobber and Sport Scout each available in three different trim levels.
The ‘Standard’ package includes ABS and LED lighting, as well as an analogue instrument pack that includes a fuel gauge and fuel economy readout but little in the way of bells and whistles.
Step up to the ‘Limited’ pack – also available on the Classic, Bobber and Sport – and you get traction control, cruise control, a USB socket and three riding modes (sport, standard and tour) to change throttle response. The Limited versions also get ‘premium’ badging to show you’ve splashed out a bit more.
At the top of the tree there’s the Limited+Tech trim level, which is optional on the Classic, Bobber and Sport Scout but standard on the Super Scout and 101 Scout. This includes all the features of the standard and the Limited models, but adds a 101mm circular touchscreen display with GPS and turn-by-turn navigation, configurable readouts and riding statistics. You also get ‘Bike Health’ and ‘Bike Locator’ functions via the connected phone app, plus keyless ignition.
Beyond choosing the trim level of the bikes, there’s a whole catalogue of optional extras to pick from, with over 100 accessories on offer that are compatible with all models in the range. These add-ons are collated into ‘collections’, including the ‘Overnighter Collection’ for long-distance riding, including a luggage rack, tail bag, 500mm quick-release windshield, floorboards and touring bags. Then there’s the ‘Commuter Collection’ that includes add-ons like the Pathfinder adaptive LED headlight, phone mounts, various different bar options and mid foot controls. The ‘Stealth Collection’ includes styling parts, Bobber Saddlebags, smoked turn signals, 254mm bar risers and ‘Moto’ handlebars, and the ‘Open Roads Collection’ gives a choice of components including LED driving lights, a passenger backrest and highway pegs.
2024 Indian Scout Range Rivals
If you’re considering the Scout range there’s only one other brand that’s likely to be on your radar and that’s Harley-Davidson, with its rival Nightster and Sportster S models.
Harley-Davidson Nightster | Price: £13,295
Power/Torque: 89bhp/70lb-ft | Weight: 211kg
Harley-Davidson Nightster Special | Price: £14,495
Power/Torque: 89bhp/70lb-ft | Weight: 216kg
Harley-Davidson Sportster S | Price: £15,145
Power/Torque: 121bhp/92lb-ft | Weight: 221kg
2024 Indian Scout Range Verdict
We’ll let you know when we’ve ridden them!
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2024 Indian Scout Range - Technical Specification
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