Kermit takes the crown: Custom Indian £3K challenge winner announced

This customised Indian Scout Bobber built by Thor Motorcycles in Cornwall has been crowned winner of Indian’s ‘Project Scout 3K’ dealer build-off challenge, which restricted customisation to a budget of £3000.

Dubbed ‘Kermit’, it’s a ‘West-coast style’ bobber featuring an Indian mini-ape handlebar conversion, LED headlight, Thor’s own side-mount number plate mount and curved exhausts. The green finish meanwhile is a gel vinyl wrap.

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In second place was Midwest Moto’s ‘MWM-3K’, a Scout Bobber Twenty with a one-off subframe, hand crafted leather seat, stainless exhaust and Midwest Moto’s own hand-made mufflers. While Alba Customs’ ‘Freakshow’ placed third, another Scout Bobber Twenty this time with a ’50s influence with hand-made rear fender, straight-through shotgun pipes, beach bars, white walls and pinstriping.

Nine dealers entered the event, the competition closed on May 31 and the winners were chosen by public vote.

“The Indian Scout family have become firm favourites with custom bike builders due to their clean lines, minimalist yet powerful liquid cooled engines and modular construction,” said Andrew Simpson for Indian UK.

“Our customers tend to invest an average of £3000 upgrading and customising over their ownership period, so we wanted our dealer network to showcase that average customer spend in our Challenge and the resulting builds have been astonishing given the budget allowed.

“Owners simply undertaking a bolt-off and bolt-on build can create a unique showstopper with modest engineering experience from a huge portfolio of official Indian Motorcycle accessories and aftermarket products.”

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Indian challenge UK dealers to build the best custom Scout for less than £3k

First published on 21 May 2021 by Dan Sutherland

Thought building a radical custom cruiser would cost the earth? Think again. Indian Motorcycle have challenged their UK dealer network to come up with the maddest, baddest custom machines they can for just £3000.

Called the ‘Project Scout 3K’ challenge, the build-off is based on the Indian Scout model, with both parts and labour included in the three-grand total – the idea being to prove to customers that they can build a one-off bike on a very modest budget.

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A total of nine machines have been built over a 16-week period, with public voting available online until Monday, May 31 to crown the overall winner. This year’s champion will then be announced later that week on nineteen01.co.uk and Indian UK’s social media channels.

“Our customers tend to invest an average of £3000 upgrading and customising over their ownership period,” UK sales manager Andrew Simpson said. “We wanted our dealer network to showcase that average customer spend in our Project Scout 3k Challenge.”

All of the featured machines demonstrate an impressive level of skill and ingenuity on a budget; however our personal favourite is ‘Bad Company’, by Krazy Horse, in Bury St Edmunds.

Based on an Indian Scout Bobber Twenty, the firm have transformed the standard bike into a ’70s-inspired chopper, complete with a decoupage tank and rear fender made up of old bike and car magazines that were lying around the workshop. There simply wasn’t budget for a fresh paint job, but we reckon it looks great!

Using a stock Bobber rear wheel and chromed standard front hub, laced to a larger 21in rim, the bike now runs on Avon Speedmaster tyres for that authentic classic chopper look. Also new is a mock crocodile skin ‘King and Queen’ seat, trumpet silencers, catseye tail light and mini chrome triangle headlight.

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Watch our 2015 Indian Scout long-term test review video below: