The revived Indian marque makes an even more affordable motorcycle
Indian continues its loud and powerful return from the dead with a new and even more affordable midsized cruiser, the Scout Sixty. We say welcome back, again.
You could trace the Indian nameplate all the way back to 1901, the date embossed on the side of the new Sixty. Indian made some iconic bikes for the first half of the 20th century before going in and out of business under various owners from the mid-’50s until Polaris bought the name in 2011. The new owners introduced the big Chief cruiser in 2013 then came out with the somewhat smaller Scout last year, both to much acclaim. While the Chief is a larger and more comfortable bike with a 111-cubic-inch V-Twin, the Scout is a smaller but still powerful-enough midsize stylish cruiser that stickers for under 12 grand. Now Indian is continuing its ride into affordability by going downmarket just a little further with the Scout Sixty, an equally stylish but considerably more affordable midsized cruiser for under nine grand.
The Scout Sixty has a little less power, one less gear and about $ 2,000 less sticker price than its big brother the Scout. But you don’t necessarily miss those first two and you will probably welcome the third.
To make it more affordable, Indian sleeves the Scout’s two cylinders with a slightly thicker bore to reduce cylinder capacity from 69 cubic inches in the Scout to 61 in the Sixty. Next engineers remove fifth gear from the Scout’s six-speed transmission. The result is one of the best buys in the segment. Output falls from 100 hp and 72 lb-ft of torque in the Scout to 78 hp and 65 lb-ft in the Scout Sixty. Weight is within a few pounds at 561 but seat height is still the same low 25.3 inches. It’s almost the same as the Scout.
It’s certainly one of the easiest bikes to ride that we’ve been on in years. You could take your motorcycle test on this and pass with flying colors while looking good doing it. The only thing easier to ride might be a Vespa scooter. But the Sixty doesn’t look like an entry-level motorcycle. It has all the bearing and presence of a regular full-size cruiser. Some critics have said it doesn’t look good on (nor fit) riders 6-foot-4 or taller. But we felt fine throwing our semi-gangly 6-foot frame over it.
Easy to ride and affordable: The Indian Scout Sixty
We rode the Scout Sixty for a few hundred miles in and around LA for a week and felt comfortable right off the parking garage floor. The V-Twin pulls powerfully from just above idle, a trait that also makes it easier to ride in stop-and-go traffic. It’s easy to put into neutral, with a corresponding green neutral indicator on the gauge circle. There’s a digital tachometer, but you have to switch it on using the toggles on the left handlebar — why not have it default to on? Instead of a fuel gauge, there’s an idiot light that tells you when to find a gas station. We went 140 miles before the light came on, whereupon the math told us we’d gotten 49.4 mpg. There’s no ABS or traction control, but you give up features as you go down in price, right? The suspension was comfortable, not too firm and usually just right for cruising. There’s not an awful lot of travel, with 4.7 inches front and 3.0 inches listed at rear, but it was usually enough. While Indian lists lean angle at 31 degrees, those wide foot pegs catch all too easily in turns. We’re not as comfortable with the feet-forward seating position favored by cruisers but this is a cruiser bike, not a sport bike. It is set up for beginners in everything from riding position to ease of operation and price.
We had a couple of good rides on it during our week. First was about 35 miles in the rain at night. We got the rear tire to bust loose a couple times at launch, so you have to watch that, and the single front disc screeched terribly when it got really wet, but otherwise it performed fine. Next big ride was about 200 miles to see a couple motorcycle collections in Ojai. The Sixty remained basically comfortable all day, though our personal preference to have our boots beneath us instead of hanging off front-mounted pegs didn’t change after 200 miles.
The Scout Sixty would make an excellent beginner bike, yes, but a more experienced budget-minded cruiser of average height and below would be perfectly happy on it, too. Plus, everyone on the planet rides a Harley so you’d stand out a little on an Indian.
“The Indian Scout has been a stunningly successful introduction for us, with balance, performance and maneuverability that appeals to a broad swath of riders here in America and around the globe,” said Steve Menneto, president of motorcycles for Polaris Industries. “The new Scout Sixty expands that reach even further to include newer riders and a younger demographic who long to experience the legendary quality and craftsmanship of an Indian motorcycle.”
