Indian Scout Spec Shootout

Indian Motorcycles made a big splash in Sturgis this year with the introduction of its new Scout. The revival of a historic model is newsworthy on its own, but the larger take-away from the emergence of the Scout is that it doesn’t directly compare to any other cruiser.

2015 Indian Scout First Ride Review

Indian’s engineers surely benchmarked the products from the Harley-Davidson juggernaut, specifically the Sportster series. But the contemporary engine architecture (double-overhead cams, four valves per cylinder) of the 1133cc Scout V-Twin churns out a much bigger horsepower number (crank-rated at 100 hp and 72.2 ft-lb of torque) than that of Harley’s air-cooled, two-valve-per-cylinder motors. In addition, the Indian scales in with about 20 pounds less weight than a Sportster 1200, yielding an enviable power-to-weight ratio.

Although we haven’t had the chance to dyno the Scout on our own, we can assume there’ll be, roughly, a 12% reduction in power numbers from the factory’s crankshaft ratings when tested at the rear wheel. This would translate to about 88 horsepower and 65 ft-lb of torque. Given the Scout’s 558-lb curb weight, the bike carries approximately 6.3 lbs per horsepower, a figure that wallops the 8.6 lbs/hp of a 1200 Sportster. The Harley compares more favorably in terms of torque: 8.0 lbs/ft-lb to the Scout’s 8.6 lbs per peak torque.

So, let’s step up a class and compare the Scout to some of its bigger, more expensive rivals. For only $200 more, Suzuki’s 1462cc M90 boasts 329 more cubic centimeters, but producing 69 horsepower and weighing 723 pounds – 165 pounds more than the Scout – the M90’s pushing 10.4 pounds per horsepower, or, 4.1 pounds more per hp than the Scout. In the pounds per torque department the M90 is only fractionally better than the scout, 8.4 pounds per ft-lb vs the Scout’s 8.6 lb/ft-lb. A Star V-Star 1300 retails at a $291 premium over the $10,999 Scout, but its 1304cc motor cranks out a relatively paltry 67 hp to its wheel. The Star has a torque advantage (76 ft-lb) but scales in at more than 100 lbs heavier, so there’s no way it can run with the Scout.

At 1312cc, Honda’s Stateline measures only 8cc more displacement than the V-Star, is considerably smaller than the M90, but at $12,150 costs substantially more than both. In fact, the Stateline, at 57 hp, is the lowest horsepower bike here, giving it a lb/hp of 11.7 and lb/ft-lb of 9.2, both of which pale in comparison to the Indian’s figures.

Okay, so let’s go really big and compare the Scout’s second cousin, the Vegas 8-Ball, Victory’s lowest-priced model. With an extra 598cc of chugging motivation, its massive 1731cc motor twists out far more torque than the Scout: 89 ft-lb, but its horsepower output falls about a half-dozen ponies short of the little Indian’s. The Victory’s performance is also muted by carrying around 111 lbs more than the Scout, so its 8.2 lbs/hp pales next to the Scout’s 6.3 number. However, the Vic’s lbs/torque number (7.2) is much more flattering.

We’ll make one additional step up the food chain with a comparison to Harley’s V-Rod Night Rod Special (even if Indian reps say it’s not a direct competitor), which retails at a relatively breathtaking $16,249 in its base version. Both share higher-tech, liquid-cooled V-Twins with DOHC and four valves per cylinder. Also common is a 60-degree spread of their cylinders. A key difference is the V-Rod’s more oversquare bore/stroke ratio and an additional 114cc of engine displacement, which add up to peaks of 114 hp and 79 ft-lb of torque. So, in terms of outright power, H-D’s Revolution motor wins hands down. However, the Night Rod has to carry around an extra 108 lbs over the Scout, so its power-to-weight numbers aren’t far off the Scout’s. Torquewise, the Harley’s 8.4 lbs/ft-lb is similar to the Indian’s, but it has a fairly significant hp-to-weight advantage: 5.8 lbs/hp to the Scout’s 6.3.