INDIAN SCOUT SIXTY (2016 - on) Review

Highlights

  • Entry level bike in Indian's range
  • A slice of genuine Americana for under £10k
  • Smooth 999cc V-twin engine

At a glance

Owners' reliability rating: 4.6 out of 5 (4.6/5)
Annual servicing cost: £300
Power: 78 bhp
Seat height: Low (25.3 in / 642 mm)
Weight: High (542 lbs / 246 kg)

Prices

New £10,250
Used £8,000 - £9,900

Overall rating

Next up: Ride & brakes
4 out of 5 (4/5)

The Indian Scout Sixty is a great-looking, well-built, quality bike that is a more affordable entry to an authentic cruiser made by one of the world’s oldest motorcycle firms. The smoothness of the engine and the lightness to the ride is very enjoyable.

The Sixty part of the name denotes the smaller 999cc engine with less power (and cost) than the full-size Scout. Indian also gave the Scout Bobber a Sixty version in 2019.

Indian Scout Sixty on American roads

Additional reporting by Andy Downes

Ride quality & brakes

Next up: Engine
4 out of 5 (4/5)

Sitting on the bike for the first time gives an immediate impression of lightness and it feels friendly and approachable. This is no scary beast for sure.

The feeling of lightness and agility is helped by the low 642mm seat height which allows most people the option of putting both feet flat on the ground for maximum control when stopped. Riding the Indian Scout Sixty proves as easy as the company hoped it would.

It’s not perfect for sure. The suspension is not going to keep press-on riders happy for long as it seems under-damped and reacts to sharp-edged mid-corner bumps which knock the bike off line.

Indian Scout Sixty right side on the road

It’s not scary; just something you have to be aware of. The standard tyres are Indian-branded but made by Kenda and while they are OK; they aren’t as good as some more mainstream manufacturer cruiser rubber.

The seat was giving me a numb backside after about 40miles of riding but this is always something that affects other people differently of course.

Engine

Next up: Reliability
5 out of 5 (5/5)

The bike is heavily based on the existing 1133cc Indian Scout model but has a new 999cc engine, large amounts of the chrome parts changed for black and has been aimed at a younger, more urban customer who wants something a bit less flashy and classic looking.

The new motor is smooth, free revving and feels beautifully connected to the throttle. It’s just nice to ride as it’s so simple.

Indian Scout Sixty engine

The engine capacity change has come from narrowing the bore to give the 999cc overall engine size with a corresponding drop in power to 78bhp and peak torque of 65.6ft lbs. The power may be down on the larger Scout model but it remains class-leading according to Indian.

Reliability & build quality

Next up: Value
5 out of 5 (5/5)

Opinions have been divided by some elements of the finish on the Scout sixty. I like the more technical appearance of some of the engine parts but others thought they looked a little cheaper than they should.

Indian Scout Sixty on UK road

The most obvious changes to the bike over the most expensive in terms of the appearance are the blacked out engine parts, fork bottoms, a modified headlight, clock surround, crackle-finish black frame and black wheels. The overall impression works well and the quality if the paint, the fit and finish and the style all look much more expensive than the £8999 asking price might suggest.

Our Indian Scout Sixty owners' reviews don't show anything massively troubling. One owner states it has a small battery, so trickle-charging is useful, while another reports a failed thermostat - although the latter had done a lot of miles beforehand.

Value vs rivals

Next up: Equipment
5 out of 5 (5/5)

This is a classy bike for the money which, while not perfect, is going to be able to give a great deal of pleasure and a real feeling of quality for a very reasonable price.

As a sub-£10k cruiser when it was launched the Indian Scout Sixty’s closest rivals were the Yamaha XV950 Racer and the Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight, neither of which are still available to buy new. Fast-forward to 2022 and the price of the Indian has increased to £10,250.

Indian Scout Sixty with closest rivals

The Yamaha XV950 Racer is the cheapest and arguably the boldest. It’s not a bad bike – far from it – but the motor is lazy.  The Harley Forty-Eight looks amazing, feels authentic and, despite its stretched and unnatural riding position, scores highly. I’m not sure I could live with a tiny 7.9-litre fuel tank, though.

The 2016 Indian Scout Sixty is impressive, so good it makes me wonder why would you want anything more from a middleweight cruiser. If you can live with the water-cooled motor, which lacks the character and soul of the Harley’s air-cooled V-twin, you’re not going to be disappointed. Just change the tyres if you’re ever going to ride in the wet.

These days,it would be worth considering the excellent but inauthentic Honda Rebel 1100, which puts the parallel twin engine from the Japanese firm’s Africa Twin into a cruiser chassis.

Equipment

4 out of 5 (4/5)

There are people out there that aren’t going to enjoy the small tank range available from the fairly miserly 12.5litre tank. It’s going to result in stopping far more than some people find acceptable on longer runs. This is clearly not a bike designed for long touring runs; the lack of wind protection is another factor against that; but 12.5litres (albeit normal for the class) does seem a bit mean.

In fact the wind protection isn’t too bad at all. Anything over 80mph is a bit blustery but normal motorway, fast A-road speeds are all fine. During the test in Nevada I covered several hundred miles on the bike and never found the windblast to be of note.

Indian Scout Sixty clock

There’s nothing to learn about in terms of rider modes, digital this or that or anything complex. It’s a motorcycle that has an engine, a steel fuel tank, a simple dash layout and the minimum of controls. There is a digital LCD display at the bottom of the analogue dial and with the switch on the left handlebar you can scroll through other information including revs, engine temperature, mileage and the trip mileage too.

Specs

Engine size 999cc
Engine type liquid-cooled, four-stroke V-twin, DOHC, 8v, 5 speed, belt-drive
Frame type Steel double cradle
Fuel capacity 12.5 litres
Seat height 642mm
Bike weight 246kg
Front suspension -
Rear suspension -
Front brake Single 298 mm disc with two-piston caliper, ABS standard
Rear brake single 298 mm disc with single-piston caliper. ABS standard
Front tyre size 130/90-16
Rear tyre size 150/80-16

Mpg, costs & insurance

Average fuel consumption -
Annual road tax £117
Annual service cost £300
New price £10,250
Used price £8,000 - £9,900
Insurance group -
How much to insure?
Warranty term 5 years

Top speed & performance

Max power 78 bhp
Max torque 65.6 ft-lb
Top speed 115 mph
1/4 mile acceleration -
Tank range -

Model history & versions

Model history

  • 2015: 1133cc Indian Scout launched as an all-new model
  • 2017: New colour revealed - a two-tone Star Silver/Thunder Black, with gold piping on the fuel tank

Owners' reviews for the INDIAN SCOUT SIXTY (2016 - on)

5 owners have reviewed their INDIAN SCOUT SIXTY (2016 - on) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.

Review your INDIAN SCOUT SIXTY (2016 - on)

Summary of owners' reviews

Overall rating: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Ride quality & brakes: 4.6 out of 5 (4.6/5)
Engine: 4.8 out of 5 (4.8/5)
Reliability & build quality: 4.6 out of 5 (4.6/5)
Value vs rivals: 4.4 out of 5 (4.4/5)
Equipment: 4.2 out of 5 (4.2/5)
Annual servicing cost: £300
4 out of 5 The Bike I Always Wanted
02 September 2022 by Greg

Version: Non ABS

Year: 2017

Annual servicing cost: £300

Worst: Front suspension too soft (easy to remedy) Seat upgrade is a must - to be fair, most stock seats are pretty bad Headlight and turn signals are anemic, upgrade to LED is required. Best: Darn near everything else.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

Single seat feels great at first. Shape is very good, padding awful. Hard on the tush pretty quickly. Plan on getting the seat redone, replaced or (as I did) using an aftermarket cushion (Air Hawk). Great bike for 50-70 all day. Roll on in 4th gear from 55 - 70 mph is nice. Great passing power.

Engine 5 out of 5

Awesome. One fast cruiser. High reving engine. Plenty of power with little effort, but note that the real muscle is above 4k. Unlike most V-twins, the serious powerband is in higher revs than one normally associates with this type of bike. To really appreciate the engine one should keep the revs humming more. Took me a little while to get used to that having ridden cruisers with the torque in the lower end of the powerband.

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

Cooling thermostat stuck, had replaced. Stator gasket leaked coolant, had it replaced. I've put 35,000 miles on it in 3 1/2 years. It had 5,800 when I bought it. Hit 41,000 total this month.

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

Honestly, I just pulled $300 out of my hat. Service done at the dealer is painful. Oil changes are much less done by the owner. All bike owners should be doing oil changes, belt adjustments and the like themselves. Basic maintenance is reasonable then.

Equipment 4 out of 5

By today's standards the features are somewhat minimalist. Which, IMO, is as it should be. Sufficient, but not distracting. I don't want and RV on two wheels Stock tires, meh. Front suspension? Mushy with dive. Changed to progressive springs, big improvement in breaking dive and handling. Probably the one thing I would have them change in the design is I would really prefer an analog tachometer. Speedo is analog and an analog tach is just easier to use and style wise is more desirable, especially in a retro styled bike.

Buying experience: Bought it used. Low mileage from a dealer. Cut a fair deal on my trade

5 out of 5 Changed from Japanese to American
21 May 2021 by Death or pain

Year: 2020

Had a few bikes over the years 1 EL 250 2 GSX 600 3 FREEWIND 650 4 DL 1000 5 GSX 1250 6 B KING 1340 7 VN 800 8 INDIAN SCOUT SIXTY Wanted a change so had a look around don’t think the Harley is worth the money. Scout sixty. Purely over the scout because I wanted Indian red can fault this cruiser cheaper than all the others Kawasaki dropped the ball with the vn600 Only drawback 130 mile range on tank

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

For a custom bike it has a relatively high fun factor and plenty of power along with a good lean range with no rubbing metal on tar Ride time is 130 miles or rest brakes but you can drive it all day without feeling like you’re wrists are going to fall off

Engine 4 out of 5

Nice cast black matte finish easy to clean and good power

Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5

Small battery needs frequent use or trickling charger

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5

Kit includes filter oil and new crush washers easy no need to panic about service costs

Equipment 4 out of 5

Good as a factory bike the sky’s the limit on aftermarket parts Go easy 😁

Buying experience: Fair not much to compare with usually just do some online checks and rider checks etc

5 out of 5 Proud Indian Scout in USA
28 September 2020 by Kevin

Year: 2016

Great style, unique among bikes, looks like no other brand. If you like American bikes and like both cross county and ease around city, the Sixty is a good choice.

Ride quality & brakes 4 out of 5

Could use more padding in seat

Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5
Value vs rivals 5 out of 5

After initial $5K service, now only due at 10,000, 20,000, etc miles

Equipment 4 out of 5

OEM Kindra tires were poor choice. That has now been changed.

Buying experience: Purchased new from dealer. Paid sticker price but received generous financing.

5 out of 5 Indian Scout Sixty
10 April 2020 by Roadpirate

Year: 2018

Love my Indian Scout Sixty, she is a dream to ride and own, the best bike in the world. The best thing about owning a Indian Scout is the ability to customise it, which I did.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

Riding my Indian Scout Sixty is a dream, low centre of gravity makes a stable fun ride, with floorboards makes riding feel comfortable and pleasurable. She handles really well, especially around bends and corners. Braking is perfect, have ABS brakes.

Engine 5 out of 5

1000c engine rides beautifully, love the sound of a V twin, plenty of power when I need it. You can feel the power, at low speeds, she just wants to go, only takes a slight twist of the throttle to scare the heebie-jeebies out of you.

Reliability & build quality 5 out of 5

I have owned my Indian Scout Sixty for 2 years, no issues at the moment, only done 2500 miles, so too early to tell.

Value vs rivals 5 out of 5

So far not too expensive

Equipment 5 out of 5

I have replaced some stock parts with custom parts, beach handlebars, Indian stage 1 exhaust, floorboards, Matt black heat shields, tractor seat. It’s disappointing that you cannot add picture of your bike on this review.

Buying experience: Bought my Indian Scout Sixty from Krazy Horse, Bury St Edumds, had it ordered direct from the Indian factory. John the sales guy was friendly and helpful, he made the process of buying my first Indian really easy experience.

5 out of 5 Indian Scout Sixty review
10 January 2019 by alan blake

Version: 2016

Year: 2016

I love the power and torque, which are decent for a cruiser. It puts a big smile on my face every time I ride it. The build quality is far better than my 2016 America. Being really picky, a helmet lock would be good.

Ride quality & brakes 5 out of 5

The bike seems to be a good all rounder. It handles really well and the ABS brakes are good. I have a single seat version and find the original seat comfortable for over 100 miles. I'm 12.5 stone.

Engine 5 out of 5
Reliability & build quality 4 out of 5

I've owned the bike since October 2018, 600 miles done so too early to comment.

Value vs rivals 4 out of 5
Equipment 4 out of 5

I love the engine and gearbox. I have fitted Avon tyres which seem to suit the bike. I also have Hepco/Becker panniers which will be good for touring.

Buying experience: Bought from MSR locally, first class experience, paid £8695

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