Any INDIAN Scout owners on here?

[goodknight]

Looking at a 2015 wondering how you like it.

 

[blacklistedbully]

You didn't ask for my opinion, but if you like the look of a classic Indian bike, you might want to consider looking at the '99 through '05 Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Drifter. Beautiful bikes with the rock-steady performance and reliability of a Jap bike. You can get a bike that probably outperforms bikes that cost 2 or 3 times as much, and don't require much more than routine regular oil changes and checking your tire & shocks pressure.

I owned a '99 similar to this one:
View attachment 12930

 

[blacklistedbully]

I used to get a lot of compliments on it, up until it got totaled by a cager.

Here's an example of a 2003
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And a 2005 somebody decided to customize to look more like an Indian Chief:
View attachment 12932

 

[blacklistedbully]

Kawasaki stopped making these in 2005 because Indian was back in business and hit them with a, "Cease & Desist". Great bikes. Check this video:

 

[blacklistedbully]

Also available in an 805cc, like this one:

 

[Dawgbite]

The Scout looks nothing like the Indian Chief or the Drifter, it is a more modern looking bike. I don't own one but have been around them quiet a bit. They are good bikes. I currently own a HD Road King but when I decide to downsize the Scout will be at the top of my list. It has really taken the customizing genre over in the last few years. I like it better than the Sportster which it was introduced to compete against in the market.

 

[blacklistedbully]

Obviously there are differences, but most folks interested in Indians are after a bit of that nostalgic look, which the Drifters do offer. Yes, the Drifters are based on the Indian Chief, so a little more of a departure from the Scout than the Chief, but it could really come down to what turns you on in a bike.

The Drifters, like the Chiefs have those really deep fenders. If you don't like the deep fenders, then you're not going to be as excited about the Drifter. If raw HP is your overriding thing, the the 100 HP Scout has it all over the 64 HP Drifter 1500. But I never ever felt like I lacked for HP when I rode the Drifter. Plenty of power, plenty of torque.

Back to looks, another departure is how the Drifter's rear wheel and fender makes the bike look more beefy up front, and small in the back compared to the Scout that looks a little bigger in the back or close to even. Personally, I love the deep fender wells and the way the Drifter looks like a front-end beast. The Scout has a tank that curves down more at the front. I also owned a Kawasaki Mean Streak with a similar tank look that I liked a lot.

One thing I can absolutely tell you is the Kawa's cost less, do not take a back seat in quality, are extremely reliable, tend to require less maintenance, offer great performance and are highly customizable...particularly when one considers the thousands of extra $ one saves in the purchase price. Definitely not a case of, "you get what you pay for" unless you are of the camp that values, "name on the badge" more.

Arguments can be made for either. To me, it boils down to what matters most to each individual. I offered my opinion based on my experience, and on the chance the OP might be attracted to Indians more than just the Indian Scout, particularly since he is looking at a used bike.

I later wound up with a Kawasaki Vulcan Mean Streak, not because it was my first choice, but because my Drifter got totaled and I didn't want to spend more than $5k to replace it. So, I was flexible. Best thing I found for sale at the time was a used Mean Streak. At first I wasn't wild about the looks, but I didn't dislike them, and the specs/reviews were great. It wound up being my favorite bike by far, and the looks of it grew on me, especially after I changed out the pipes to some V&H and added a Corbin saddle.

Side by side pics (Scout, Drifter 1500, Drifter 800):
View attachment 12955View attachment 12957View attachment 12958

 

[blacklistedbully]

FWIW, stock pic of the 2003 Mean Streak model I bought and a used one slightly customized.
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