2016 indian motorcycles Archives

Tested: Indian Scout

The Scout was designed to take on the Harley-Davidson Sportster and others in its class, and it does a stylishly good job too. Though whether or not it does a better job than the Sportster is still debatable.
Unlike some manufacturers that try too hard to take on Harley-Davidson, does not over do the chrome and bling.
To steal customers away from Harley-Davidson, Indian had to make a better bike, and that almost always starts with a grand engine, and boy what a grand engine it has.

Ask anyone about the first American cruiser that comes to mind and Indian will likely not be the first image in their heads. Though the brand is amongst the oldest in the world and one of a few with a history as colourful as Harley-Davidson, but the brand had all but disappeared off the Malaysian radar, until it re-emerged locally a few years ago thanks to importer and distributor, Naza.

Indian makes great motorcycles. They have perfected the cruiser recipe with a touch of smoothness, style and power. Take this Indian Scout for example, it was designed to take on the Harley-Davidson Sportster and others in its class, and it does a stylishly good job too. Though whether or not it does a better job than the Sportster is still debatable.

It has the right design and the right size for a bobber-ish cruiser. It also has the old school wheel size and style. And unlike some manufacturers that try too hard to take on Harley-Davidson, does not over do the chrome and bling. The latter being a really good thing, lets leave the chrome and bling to the big boys with their Road Glides and Chief Specials.

It looks about the same size as a Sportster 1200 but has a 32mm longer wheelbase, has a 83mm shorter seat, is slightly taller with 30mm more ground clearance and is 14 kg’s lighter than the 2016 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200.

It roughly rides about the same as a Sportster 1200 does too, and this comes from a owner of a 2014 Sportster 48. It may be shorter, lighter and yadi yadi yada, but Sportster owners will feel right at home on the Scout – it is familiar territory.

The footpegs are forward set and the seat, though gorgeous to look at in all its brown leather glory, isn’t particularly comfortable and gives a sore bum after about 100km. But it scores top points in visual appeal, and truly complements the bike’s gun metal grey colour.

To steal customers away from Harley-Davidson, Indian had to make a better bike, and that almost always starts with a grand engine, and boy what a grand engine it has.

The engine is a 1,130cc, liquid cooled v-twin that gives out 100hp and 97.7Nm of torque from 5,900rpm. Though slightly smaller than the 1,202cc engine of the Harley-Davidson, the Scout has just a little more torque (H-D does not disclose horsepower figures), but because the H-D offers all of its torque from just 3,500rpm, it feels more powerful. The Scout however has a lower lean angle of 31 degrees while the H-D only does 26 degrees. Naturally the Scout feels sportier than the Sportster, which feels more like a cruiser than the Scout.

And so, the bike from Spirit Lake, though quite a nice bike to ride, did not impress me all that much though. It was too small for my size and though my 48 is about the same size, I am in love with the raw character of the Harley, and speaking of engines, keeping the Indian at a constant boiling point can be a little tiring for a cruiser, low end torque is always King.

Generally, I liked the fit and finish of the Scout as it has a mix of Americana with the quality of a Japanese bike, but at RM114,800, it is quite pricey. It will be tough making a case for the Scout at the local mamak table when everyone else asks why you would rather buy a Scout over, say, a Sportster 1200, or even a BMW RnineT. All the best justifying that.

But if you want a cruiser but not a Harley-Davidson and want some heritage to boast about during weekend rides, the Indian Scout is the bike you want. Pricey it might be, but it has all of the appeal of a Harley-Davidson plus a livelier engine if you are the type that likes to work for your pleasure. There is also lots of metal parts and bullish power.

It is also an easy bike for beginners to start on as well, but hey, don’t just take my word for it, Naza has a Scout for you to test ride, so give them a call at 0162293123 if you want to give it a try. And don’t worry about the softish exhaust note, there is nothing aftermarket pipes can’t fix.

Find out more about this bike and other Indian motorcycles here!

2016 Victory Motorcycles lineup announced

Victory Motorcycles has announced its 2016 product range. According to the company, there will not be any new model, but only existing models with subtle design updates and new colours.

The biggest highlights of the 2016 Victory Motorcycles lineup are the Vegas 8-Ball and the Vegas, where each model will feature an improved round headlight and colour-matched frames. Victory has also upgraded the wheels for each model, with lighter and stronger cast aluminium ‘Falchion’ rims. A new, sleeker headlight further slims the profile. The Vegas 8-Ball comes in Gloss Black and the Vegas is only on sale in Sunset Red.

As for the Gunner, things remain pretty much the same, except the addition of two new colours – Suede Titanium Metallic and Suede Sagebrush Green Metallic.

The Judge on the other hand, will also come in a new colour next year– Sunset Red with Black Rally Stripes.

And then, there is the Magnum, which has had the biggest makeover in the range with new paint-schemes that have stripes running from the fairing to the tail.

The Magnum will come in three colour options with two of these completely new for 2016. The two new schemes are Black Crystal over Havasu Red and Suede Pearl White with Black. The third colour is Black Crystal over Super Steel Grey.

2016 Victory Cross Country Tour — 2016 Victory Cross County Tour

The Cross County Tour, which carries a whopping 156 litres of gear atop a versatile cast-aluminium chassis, also gets two new colours for 2016 – Gloss Black or Gloss Pearl White over Super Steel Grey. The highlight about this bike is that it can be ridden two-up with fully loaded bags, and also be stripped down for a solo ride by removing the quick-detach rear trunk.

Last but not the least, the Vision’s modern design broke the mould for American touring models immediately on its release. The bold and flowing design wraps the rider in unparalleled comfort.

The aerodynamic bodywork and frame-mounted fairing featuring a power windshield gives the rider a smooth pocket no matter what speed they ride. And the cast aluminium chassis carves through corners and smoothens out highways no matter how long the trip. This year the Vision is available in Gloss Black.

Indian Motorcycles 2016 models announced

Indian Motorcycles 2016 models were announced last week by the American manufacturer. Similar to rivals Victory, Indian Motorcycles’ 2016 model updates go only as far as cosmetics and new colours. However, all models in the range can be now equipped with EU certified accessory Remus exhaust pipes.

2016 Scout
With its compact design, low 643mm seat height and ABS as standard, the Indian Scout boasts a liquid-cooled 1133cc V-twin engine, with 100b on tap. For 2016 the Scout comes in five colours. Wildfire Red(new), Thunder Black, Thunder Black Smoke, Silver Smoke, Indian Motorcycle Red.

2016 Chief
Riders can now opt for the Chief Classic (cruiser) with its classic looks, much cleaner now following some re-work carried out for 2016: solo vinyl seat, black switches, single headlight and cast aluminium wheels. It now also only comes in one colour; Pearl White.

Next there’s the Chief Vintage (bagger) with its beautiful fringed leather saddlebags and seats, and quick-release windshield (all as standard) making this the option for those who plan to ride on extended road trips. Four colours are available with one of these being new for 2016.

The Chieftain (bagger) has a large fairing with a power-adjustable windscreen (to offer superb cruising comfort), genuine leather seats and hard saddlebags with remote central-locking. It’s available in four colours in 2016 with two of these new.

Finally there’s the Chief Dark Horse, which is matte black from end-to-end with only a few flashes of chrome (accessories are available to fully blacked it out).

2016 Roadmaster
The Roadmaster is all about comfort for long distance cruising, and will be available in five colour options with three of them being new.

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