Indian Scout Bobber Road Test Review

Summer time is never a good time to ride heavy bikes in India, or as a matter of fact, any bike. But thankfully, as we took off early morning, the harsh sun was yet to show its full face in all its fury. We had the key to the Indian Scout Bobber, the one with its chopped fenders and its bold all-black looks. Does its performance match up with its good looks? We check that out.

Design, Styling and features of the Indian Scout Bobber

The one major distinguishing factor between the Indian Scout and the Indian Scout Bobber, is the styling. True to its classic Bobber style, the front and rear fenders are chopped in this model. The Indian Scout Bobber is charismatic to look at and has a very appealing body language. It has a very aggressive posture too. It can suit any person from a very short person to a tall one. Indians will love this model because not all of us are born with a 6 foot tall frame. The Bobber is so easy to be tamed.

With the pegs pulled closer to the rider and with its street tracker handle bars, the bike ensures that you are in a very aggressive riding position. This makes the bike a perfect city bike, though I fathom that on long highway rides, this riding position may take a toll on your spine.

The blacked out split dual exhaust with cross over, frame, handlebars, mirror casing, headlight nacelle and wheels have a very premium look about it.  The black cast aluminium wheels along with the knobbly tyres give the bike a very sport look about it. Not to be missed is the iconic Scout emblem. The Bobber has an all-new tank badge. For some strange reason, the bike had its two rear view mirrors positioned downwards, unlike the conventional position above the handle bar. Initially I thought, the mirrors looked cool in that position, but when I got riding the bike, my elbows blocked the mirrors completely, cutting off my view from the traffic behind me. Mirrors positioned outwards above the handle bar make a lot better sense.

Sitting inside a single round meter console is a speedometer along with a digital tachometer, odometer, trip meter, engine temp and low fuel lamp.

There is also a red light which glows when the side stand is deployed. The ABS light shines, the moment you switch on the engine. The digital screen also displays the gear position.The bike comes with the conventional headlamps but has LED lights for stop, turn and tail.

Engine and Performance of the Indian Scout Bobber

Once you are atop the bike and on the move, you get to know a lot about the V-Twin 1133cc engine. It simply explodes like a rocket and I am not exaggerating at all. The engine produces 94hp and a peak torque of 97Nm at around 5600 rpm. This means the bike is a great sprinter and continues to maintain its speed in a very linear manner.

Climbing to a speed of 120km per hour comes easy for this bike. Pushing the bike harder would have meant getting into trouble with the law. Again, at higher speeds the wind blast too gets stronger and that could be really dangerous. Though speed came easy on this bike, I had to remind myself I was not on a race track but a normal road with limited early morning traffic.

As long as the road is smooth and tarred, the bike has no problem. But the moment it hits a pothole, you can feel the shock travelling up your spine. I am not trying to say the suspension is stiff, rather, this bike is not meant for bad roads at all and Indian roads can surprise you with a hellish experience.

Cornering the bike too is not a problem at all, as it does its job with great ease. At high speeds, the bike is planted rock solid on the ground and is very stable. Thanks to the ABS, the heavy bike comes to a halt in no time.

Verdict

The Indian Bobber is an ideal bike for an average Indian and it’s like as though it is made for us Indians. At around Rs 11.99 lakh, it’s definitely a good buy for those looking out for a premium good looking motorcycle.