Review: Indian Scout Sixty — 60 Hours Of Scouting

At first sight
As a joke between friends, I often drew parallels between cruisers and the Yak. Yet, rather unexpectedly, sitting on this motorcycle, I felt the inner child come alive again! I was on the move and speedily took a liking to the Scout Sixty's lightness and stability.

The lightness and low 642mm seat height readily instil confidence. The Scout Sixty has an upright relaxed riding position with proper leg extension, which is comfortable for a 5-foot-10 rider like me.

However, the ride layout can be a pretty far forward stretch for shorter riders as the pegs are too forward and the handle bar too wide. Overall, the ride layout allows you to plant your feet flat on the ground whenever you want without leaving the saddle.

Taking route
The inner child was as restless as can be. Without wasting any more time, the Sixty was fueled up and off we went, to Horsley Hills.

Situated in Madanapalle, Taluk of Chittoor district (Andhra Pradesh), Horsley Hills stands at an altitude of 1,265 meters above sea level. This picturesque hamlet is located at a distance of 150km from the city of Bangalore and 274km from Chennai.

We kicked off our ride from Bangalore, at first encountering enjoyable straight stretches. Some distance later, came plenty of curvy roads, where we dragged the Sixty's foot pegs as we approached the hills.

Flex your engine
The Indian Scout Sixty's character grew on me. Especially, the 999cc Liquid Cooled V-Twin engine's smoothness and free revving nature, which encourages you to twist the throttle harder.

The Indian Scout Sixty is based on the existing 1133cc Indian Scout model. The engine on the Scout Sixty is downsized to 999cc which generates 78bhp and 88.8Nm of torque. What is the contrast, you ask? Big brother Scout makes 100bhp and 97.7Nm of torque in comparison.

After many straight line and cornering tests (maximum lean angle 31°), the Indian Scout Sixty started to gain my respect. Despite the limited rear suspension travel, the Sixty delivers a well-suspended ride with reliable stopping power. However, be careful while making quick right turns, the exhausts pipes will attempt to eject you from the saddle.

The 999cc engine mated with a five-speed gearbox and ride-by-wire fuel-injection system makes good torque at just 2000rpm and runs smooth until 120kph. Cross that needle and a little vibration creeps into the crips. This is surely not perfect.

Wait for it and a sudden surge in power from 5500 to 8100-rpm redline in 4th gear, and an underdamped suspension setup, throws the Sixty offline while attacking sharp-edged mid-corners.

Additionally, the 16-inch front tire provides a vague and floaty feel, a gentle reminder - this is not a laid-back cruiser - and will appeal to your bad boy riding style keeping you wide-awake while pushing hard.

Check sheet me out!

• Price: INR 14 lakh on-road
• Fuel Tank Capacity: 12.5 litres
• Mileage: 15kpl (estimated)
• Fuel Tank Range: 200km (estimated)
• Power/ torque: 78bhp @ 7300rpm/ 88.8Nm @ 5800rpm
• Top speed: 180kph (estimated)



In the end
The Scout Sixty goes about cruising in a civilised manner. And for a two-stroke, sports bike snob like me, the Indian Scout Sixty did jolt my ego.

For a majority of Indians, it's going to take time to learn and accept Indian Motorcycle - an American brand of motorcycles established in 1901.

For now, when it comes to cruiser motorcycles, we can only think off Har'D'ley one brand buyers go to the most. However, if you like to standout from the crowd and pride yourself as a cruising Sultan, the Indian Scout Sixty is an ace choice.



Jobo Kuruvilla Thinks!
Be it distance, casual or bad boy riding, the Indian Scout Sixty will appeal to a wide array of riding styles. Safe to say, the Indian Scout Sixty has changed my opinion about cruisers.

Does this mean that I'd someday clutch the wide handlebar and ride into the sunset? Maybe a decade from now, I might hop on one and go cruising.



Did you know?

Indian Scout Sixty Name:The ‘Sixty' in Indian Scout is the American way of expressing the engine's capacity as 60 cubic inches rather than 999cc.

Indian Motorcycles:Formerly known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company in 1887, the company began manufacturing bicycles that carried brand names such as Silver King, Silver Queen, and American Indian. They established the first factory in 1901 to manufacture gasoline engine-powered bicycles to pace bicycle races. The company's name was shortened to "Indian", becoming the primary brand name in 1928.



Owned By: Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company went bankrupt and ceased operations in 1953. Various organisations tried to revive the brand with limited success. In 2011, Polaris Industries, a manufacturer of snowmobiles, off-road vehicles (ORVs) and small electric-powered vehicles acquired Indian Motorcycle. In 2014, Polaris India launched the Indian Motorcycle brand in India.

Indian Motorcycle and Royal Enfield: After Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company ceased operations in 1953, Brockhouse Engineering purchased the rights to the Indian Motorcycle name in 1955, and sold imported Royal Enfield models branded as Indian Motorcycle models until 1960.

And with that, stop shouting and start scouting!