Indian announces Scout Bobber for 2018

Indian Motorcycle is the latest company to jump on the trendy bobber bandwagon and has announced its new Scout Bobber that will arrive towards the end of this year. The bike is a lightly modified Scout that has come in for a modest makeover and a slightly revised riding position. Footpegs move rearward by 38mmm, and wider handlebars result in a riding position that is less like a cruiser. Indian has also made the rear suspension 25mm lower and added new cartridge forks to the front end.

Scout Bobber style

Cosmetically, blacked-out wheels come shod with knobbly tyres. It might not make the trip to your local coffee shop as sporty, but it ticks the style box. Black is very much the theme throughout the rest of the bike, with the headlight nacelle, exhaust and speedo clocks all getting the dark treatment. Chopped front and rear fenders do help give the bike a meaner image, as does the bobber seat, but it doesn’t look quite as cool as the Triumph Bonneville Bobber.

Engine

The engine is the same liquid-cooled 60-degree V-Twin with a capacity of 1,133cc and produces 94hp with 97Nm of torque. It will have a single disc with two-piston caliper up front and a single disc and caliper on the rear, both measuring 298mm. Its 12.5-litre fuel tank won’t make it a bike for globe-trotting but should be plenty for bobbing around town.

Ben Lindaman, Indian Motorcycle’s product manager, had this to say about the new Indian Bobber: “We have introduced Scout Bobber to bring some edge to Indian. Many Scout riders have already been bobbing their bikes to give them an aggressive and raw look. Scout Bobber is inspired by those owners and this new model will offer a great platform for even more personalisation.”

Ben adds: “Scout Bobber focuses on style with its low profile, chopped fenders and blacked out components; it performs really well too. We’ve fitted new cartridge forks up front, the new riding position makes you feel more connected and the engine produces a meaty 94hp making this a great bike to blast around on.”

Colours

The Indian Scout Bobber will come in a choice of five colours when it launches: Indian Motorcycle Red, Thunder Black, Thunder Black Smoke,
Star Silver Smoke and Bronze Smoke, which is a new colour for the company.