When we think of Indian Motorcycles, we think of something humungous, stately and a palace on two wheels. A typical American motorcycle! But the Indian Scout Sixty does not fit that bill; it is compact, unassuming and extremely nimble. Once on the move, you will forget that you are on a 1,000cc thumper.
The Scout Sixty is the entry-level motorcycle of the Indian line-up that is to say it is the smallest and the cheapest available. It gives Indian Motorcycle a foot in the door for a prospective buyer who wants to buy into the Indian heritage without having to break the bank. The Scout Sixty is named as such because of its engine capacity in cubic inches, a blue-blooded American even in the name!
First up, as for any cruiser are its looks. A cruiser really needs to look the part to play the part. The Sixty doesn’t disappoint in this regard. It looks much like its bigger sibling the Scout, and with the price difference between the two, it makes the Sixty a very tempting proposition for the prospective buyer. With the bike similar to the Scout, the list of differences between the two is smaller than the list of similarities!
The most visible differences are the reduction in chrome and the addition of a splattering of black. The engine casing is now black instead of chrome and the bits and bobs under the tank along with the engine casing are much more muted thanks to the black. As a result, it looks a tad more compact even though that isn’t the case. The seat on the Sixty is of vinyl something that you might not notice at first but does remind you that you are on the smaller sibling. You can of course upgrade to leather as an accessory if you so wish and it might actually be a good idea because most of the accessories for big brother work for the small fella as well.
On the move you will keep kicking up the gear lever if you are used to the Scout because the Sixty has one gear less, 134cc less and a little bit more weight. Instead of 6 gears, the Sixty has five. The ratios between both the bikes are the same, except that the 5th gear has been removed for the Sixty. But enough of the comparisons with big brother, let’s get back on the saddle of this nimble Indian.
Someone buying a cruiser in this segment wants good looks, decent performance, comfort and fantastic value for money. On the looks front, as we noted above, the Sixty checks the right boxes. Performance isn’t going to shoot you to the moon, but it will take you around the country or to your favourite café without a hitch. 77 bhp and 88 Nm don’t immediately impress on paper, but on the road they do.
What makes this motorcycle remarkable and stand head and shoulders above the competition and help it punch above its weight is the handling. This could easily become your favourite cruiser to use as your daily commute; it is that easy to ride. It is light, the power in your right wrist is just right and it can be flicked on a dime. It doesn’t even heat up in peak hour first gear traffic!
I put it to the ultimate urban commuting test by trying to keep up with a Splendor and Activa in rush hour traffic. Lo and behold I was ahead of them as I bumped along off the asphalt on the strip of rutted mud track. I was throwing the bike around in a manner that I wouldn’t possibly dream of with a big bad cruiser. I could grab the Sixty by the scruff of its neck and shake it up like a rag doll and like a happy puppy, it kept wagging its tail! At no point does it intimidate the rider, instead always pumping up the rider with confidence.
Of course, that is not how you are supposed to cruise on a cruiser, however tempting it might be! And the bike changes colour like a chameleon the moment you go easy on the throttle. You can admire that large windscreen as you hit triple-digit speeds. At 5’ 11” I was safely hidden away from the wind. A boon if you want to munch up countless miles on the highways.
The Sixty also continues with the good genes of the Indian Motorcycle family. The bikes handle far better than what you would expect from a traditional cruiser. It holds the line through the corner as if on rails at no point letting you feel that you have bitten off more than you chew. It is, after all, a cruiser, so it is a wise decision to not try biting off too much!
The suspension is decent for a cruiser and is soft and plush without allowing me to experience an instance of bottoming out. The one negative I noticed was a bit of buzz in the bars at higher revs, not enough to spoil the ride quality, but is present nonetheless.
The Indian Scout Sixty does well in the style, performance and general oomph departments. It makes a strong case for a prospective buyer to give it some serious thought. So much so, that the larger Scout might get a bit antsy!
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