Scouting it out with Indian

The new range within a range for 2024

A desert full of Americana

I’m just not 100% sure on the whole Indian branding thing. With the appropriation of the native culture by those white invaders you could be forgiven for thinking that your man from Phibsboro* was a bit loose and easy with naming the range. Along with using Indian as a brand name they’ve also decided to use model names such as Chief, Chieftain and Scout while the Indian Pursuit sounds just that little bit like the last phase of a genocidal plan for clearing out the indigenous population.

They are, however, motorcycles. Therefore, all ethical, societal and left leaning concerns can safely be put to one side.  

As a matter of fact, my favorite is the Scout. Now for the 2024 season there are no fewer than five new Indian Scout models. They are, in no particular order, the 101 Scout, the Super Scout, the Scout Classic, the Sport Scout and the Scout Bobber. Don’t sit around whining that you’ve never been given choices.

"It's not you, it's me. That's why there's no pillion seat. I'm just not ready to commit..."

What they all have in common is a new SpeedPlus engine. This is a 1250cc V-Twin that puts out a shade under 110 horsepower. For a bike in its class there’s nothing wrong with that!

Also new is the frame. It’s still a simple steel tube affair that looks the part as its classic name demands. What it really does is make the bike much easier to add any of the 100 plus accessories to be bolted on. Yes indeed, no two need ever be the same. Your bike can be just as special as you. And you’re very special.

Then there’s what the soulless marketing wretches refer to as ‘rider amenities’. These include a choice of ride modes that set the fueling and the traction control. ABS is always ‘on it’. After all there are several times in the last while that you haven’t quiet been ‘on it’ yourself.

Following this is the Scout Bobber. This is the stripped down one. It has short mudguards, blacked out paintwork, bar end mirrors and a single seat. If Jonny Cash had ridden a motorcycle and all that…

Aggression abounds in the Sport Scout. That’s because it’s the one that looks aggressive. It comes with moto style bars, lots of machined parts, a fairing and a bigger front wheel.

Quiet, smooth and yet still a classic

For those of us who like a bit of flash, there’s the classic Scout. Plenty of chrome, flared mudguard ends, wire spoked wheels a low and lazy seat height make for a bike that looks great wherever you’ve parked up.

No range is complete without something ‘super’ in it. This range is no different and to that end   there’s the Super Scout. This one is the tourer. It comes with a pillion seat and pegs, a windscreen and a set of panniers. Practical bits like longer suspension and an easy to detach screen make for a more comfortable and versatile bike to tour on.

A Scout Classic is just that, the classic model. This is a simpler affair and comes in at, a yet to be confirmed, lower price.

The one I want is the 101 Scout. This has all the cool stuff on it. Two adjustable piggyback rear shocks, upside down adjustable front forks, and twin disk Brembo braking system on the front with a single down the back. The machined parts, the higher bars, the cool paint all make it stand out from pretty much everything in its class.

All you need is a wax jacket, a pair of jeans and an openface helmet...

The full range along with all of these are available from Franklin Motorcycles here in Dublin. Talk to Keith on 015385005. All these bikes come with a huge range of optional extras. But not cigars. There are no cigars.

Brilliantly detailed