INDIAN SCOUT BOBBER
Indian Motorcycle has finally heard my plea and given the Scout the sporty treatment it always deserved
The Scout Bobber is the sporty Scout you always wanted
I HAVE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR Indians (pun intended), especially the Scout, because my first big feature was the Scout Sixty review. I fell in love with the silky smooth motor, riding dynamics (rarely found on a cruiser), exquisite levels of refinement and the impeccable quality of materials. My only wish was to see the package being implemented on a sportier variant. In comes the Scout Bobber with mild cosmetic changes that make the bike look roguish like the Batpod. Not just that, it also comes with a modified rider’s triangle.
Around the world, everybody is going neo retro and the Bobber trend is picking up. Indian Motorcycle too has given its bike a tasty treatment with an aggressive riding position, all thanks to a tracker-styled handlebar, slightly rear set foot pegs (by 38mm) and a raised seat. However, the rear suspension travel has been reduced to just 50mm; down by 26mm. Interestingly the seat height has risen by 6mm, unlike bobbers from other makers. However, it is still friendly for riders of all height at just 649mm.
Get on the move and the slightly leaned forward riding position starts to make sense when you are intending to ride fast. It mandates you to hunch though, which isn’t really comfortable on long journeys. The engine is unbelievably smooth and the response is buttery at all times. It revs all the way to 9000rpm with the peak power coming in at about 8000rpm, when it really starts moving with tremendous urgency. Even with a 130-section front tyre, the Scout Bobber tips into corners with ease. This Bobber gets knobby tyres too, to lend it a menacing look.
Talking about the looks; fret not, as I have saved the best bit for the end. A bobber is all about lifestyle and good looks, and boy does the Scout Bobber look good. With a stunning V-twin, finished in matte black paired with exhaust pipes that resemble missiles from a WWII aircraft, it demands your attention. Even the front cowling (termed nacelle by Indian Motorcycle) in this black theme looks straight out of the history books. If the engine is its piece de resistance, then the aesthetics are the final brush stroke on the masterpiece. Even Batman would love to ride it during the day! ⌧
But it was a bit of a surprise to me that Mahindra didn’t go with a monocoque chassis, especially given the XUV 500’s success.
Having said that, I do think the work on this ladder frame chassis has been done rather well. You can feel the added stiffness in the chassis when you drive them back-to-back. Body roll was cut down by a huge margin and you feel more in control. The pitch and roll of the old Scorpio has been drastically reduced and though it still very much feels like the tall boy it is to drive around a corner, you don’t get stress lines on your forehead. Even though the wheels went up from 16 to 17 inches, the ride remained more or less the same at low speed, with the suspension soaking up low-speed bumps well. At higher speeds it felt more stable with better body control even under heavy braking. The engine, while retaining the same capacity and figures, was also heavily improved in terms of refinement. The results were far lesser vibrations and rattle seeping into the cabin.
The cabin was one of the biggest changes. While retaining and further improving on the airy feel, it had been properly reworked and endowed with more equipment and better quality. The trim was finished in lighter colours while the centre console and dials got a more upmarket feel to them. The steering wheel is similar to the one seen on the XUV, along with some interior bits like the chrome-lined AC vents. On the top end, they added a touchscreen infotainment and navigation system, previously seen on the XUV, but with its interface redone in blue and violet tones that look nicer. Overall fit and finish was definitely a step up from the versions that came before it, making the cabin a nice place to be in. This generation also proved to be extremely popular with the Scorpio’s traditional audience, so much so that it clocked its highest ever volumes – 6500 units! – in the very last month it was on sale!
Fourth generation (2017 onwards)
Mahindra calls the recently launched Scorpio all-new, but in reality it is a mid-life facelift of the previous generation. Cosmetically it receives few changes to the front and rear along with newly designed alloy wheels. It’s a good thing that Mahindra has skipped making any major updates on the exteriors or even the interiors, and decided to focus on the drivetrain boosting performance along with drivability that has always been one of this old-school SUVs strengths. While continuing to use the tried and tested 2.2-litre mHawk engine, it now makes 138bhp thanks to a new turbocharger and some re-engineering on the fuel pump. Torque is also up to 320Nm, available from 1500rpm upwards, pulling the Scorpio forward in a very strong and linear fashion. To add to the refinement and improve highway cruising you now get a 6-speed manual transmission that shifts rather well and is mated to a lighter, self-adjusting clutch.
Refinement along with overall fit and finish are the other areas where the new Scorpio has improved over its predecessors. The cabin is really rather quiet and very little engine noise makes its way below
Body roll was cut down by a huge margin and you feel more in control
2500rpm. The seats and other plastic bits have a better feel to them. The ride quality and handling too have improved thanks to the reworked suspension. But the fact of the matter remains that it is a tall, ladder-onframe SUV that will always have body-roll in corners and an unsettled ride over any kind of road.
But then again, the Scorpio has never pretended to be a car. It has always been a tireless and dependable workhorse. This is one of those SUVs that you can drive at the same speed whether there are roads or no roads. Nothing can take a beating like the Scorpio, and I mean nothing. It was path-breaking when launched and while the industry on the whole runs on reinvention the Scorpio stands out as an anomaly in continuing with the same formula. And, I think, that’s what makes it relevant today. The fact that it is not a monocoque is the biggest strength of the Scorpio. For a customer looking for a macho, rugged, tough, dependable and fun-to-drive SUV it really has few rivals. In a sea of fresh-faced rivals, the Scorpio, 15 years and 4 generations on, continues to stay relevant and that’s a mighty achievement. ⌧