Youth is wonderful. The future is bright, and it stretches away into the distance beyond the horizon. Whatever happens, there is enough energy and positivity to overcome. However, as you grow older and the appetite for risk reduces, a change occurs. You start weighing benefits versus downsides and taking more left-brain decisions even for right-brain things like motorcycles.
Yes, motorcycle sales are driven by passion in our market rather than logic, but when you reach a certain age, you want your money’s worth. It needs to be worth the effort, even when you’re buying a premium motorcycle.
What We’re All Looking For Is Value
“Value” can be such a varied thing; it means different things to different people. If it looks good and goes fast, it delivers value. At the same time, if it is fuel efficient, has low service costs, and offers a lot of features for the money, it also delivers value. The perspective is what matters. And that perspective is extremely important when you’re looking at a brand like Indian Motorcycle.
America’s oldest motorcycle company has only premium products, but they deliver a lot of value, no matter which way you look at it. But which is the cheapest Indian motorcycle worth buying? That’s what we’re here to find out.
The Sport Scout Sixty Limited Is The Cheapest Indian Motorcycle Worth Buying
Indian’s range starts with its cruiser range, and it got the Scout Sixty range in 2016. This is an entry-level cruiser range with a headlining base price of $9,999 for the Scout Sixty Bobber. However, that is the price for the Scout Sixty Bobber, which is a great motorcycle if you’re looking for a non-standard American V-twin cruiser on a budget. However, it being a bobber, it is minimalist, and we all want more than the bare minimum out of both life and motorcycles.
The Indian Cruiser That Rivals The Harley-Davidson Softail At A Lower Price
The Scout brings you the American cruiser experience while saving you money over the popular Harley Softails
The Price Is Right
So we look at the Sport Scout Sixty, which is not as stripped down as the Scout Sixty Bobber. It has a base price of $11,749, but a much better value proposition would be to opt for the ‘Limited’ trim that adds all the bells and whistles for approximately $1,950 more, bringing its price to around $13,199. That means instead of just a single ride mode and ABS, you get traction control, ride modes, and a touchscreen TFT display with Bluetooth and navigation capabilities. It retains the same cycle parts and driveline for both variants, which is the same across the Scout Sixty range, which in turn means that you’ll get value there as well.
Indian’s Smallest Engine Powers The Sport Scout Sixty
That might sound like a bad thing, but it really isn’t all that bad, especially if you’re new to the segment. The Speedplus 999 is one of two engines that power the Scout range, and it is exclusive to the Scout Sixty models. It displaces 999 cc (no points for guessing that), with a 60-degree bank angle, short-stroke design, and a compression ratio of 11.0:1. It generates 85 horsepower and 65 pound-feet of torque at 6,500 RPM. In a surprising twist, it has only a five-speed gearbox—you’ll need to upgrade to the Scout range and its bigger engine if you want the six speeds. A drive belt is chosen to get the power to the wheel.
How This Indian Scout Quietly Beats Harley At Its Own Game
This is the American V-twin that outdoes Harley products handily
Traditional Chassis Complements The Modern Engine
The Scout Sixty range has a common chassis, which is a steel cradle frame. The suspension is just as traditional, with 41mm telescopic forks at the front and dual shocks at the rear. There is preload adjustment at the rear, and the travel available is 4.7 inches at the front and 3.0 inches at the rear.
There is a single 298mm brake disc at each end, with a two-piston floating caliper at the front and a single piston at the rear. The Sport Scout Sixty is the only one in its lineup with a larger 19-inch front rim. It is coupled with a 16-inch rear wheel.
Small Stature, But Curb Weight Could Be Better
The Sport Scout Sixty is a proper cruiser, as evidenced by its dimensions. It is nearly 87 inches long, 33.4 inches wide, and has a wheelbase of 61.5 inches. The dual shocks contribute to the amazingly low 25.7-inch seat height. Its ground clearance also reflects how low it is, with the figure being 4.4 inches. It has a small-ish fuel tank that can hold 3.4 gallons. It weighs approximately 549 pounds in running order. This is a high figure because of the choice of steel cradle frame—rivals that use trellis frames are much lighter.
The Limited Has A Great Feature Set At The Price
The Sport Scout Sixty Limited asks for a little extra money, but you get the full-fat result when it comes to features. It gets the circular 4-inch touchscreen TFT display that you will find on the more expensive Indian models as well. This display not only has Bluetooth connectivity and navigation capabilities, it also has connected features.
The Limited trim also gets you an upgrade to the safety suite – ABS is standard on the base model as well, but the higher trim adds traction control, ride modes, cruise control, and a USB charger to it. You also get different colorways with the Limited trim: ‘black smoke’ and an attention-grabbing bright orange are available, while the base trim only has a black colorway.
Harley-Davidson Nightster vs. Indian Scout Sixty: 5 Differences That Matter In 2025
We pit the Nightster and Scout Sixty against each other and look at where they are the most different.
The Other Cheap American Cruiser Is A Real Threat
If you’re looking at an Indian cruiser that delivers value, you’re probably in the market for a good ol’ American V-twin cruiser. And at the price point of the Sport Scout Sixty, you’re going to discover the Harley-Davidson Nightster Special. The ‘Special’ is the Harley equivalent of Indian’s Limited trim. It gives the Nightster a TFT screen with Bluetooth and navigation, plus cruise control, tire pressure monitoring, and drag torque slip control.
The Nightster has a by-wire throttle but no six-axis IMU, so you get a similar kind of safety suite as the Indian, with traction control and ABS. However, it does have a six-speed gearbox and 91 horsepower output—but the big performance difference will come from its 483-pound running weight, a whopping 66 pounds lighter.
Harley’s base price for the Nightster Special is $12,499, but you will want to add the $650 paint, so you’re going to end up with a base price of $13,149. Which is a fair price considering the performance advantage it has over the Indian.
Source: Indian Motorcycle USA