Because Indian is a brand of American V-twin heritage, there are major loaded questions about the design of the 2015 Indian Scout. Whether Indian likes it or not, the V-twin engine configuration is a matter of political and aesthetic controversy. For an American made, American designed motorcycle, for a brand that refers to itself as “America’s First Motorcycle Company,” there are certain expectations and restraints as to what’s allowably “American.” Let the marketplace decide.
So, in this tale of technological Darwinism, the narrative of what the all-new 2015 Indian Scout should be is just as important as what the bike is as a functioning motorcycle. Can a brand heritage of "Cannon Ball" Baker, dirt tracking, hill climbing, walls of death, and going to war in the olive drab of the Greatest Generation, rise to the needs of today's world while still being that brand? Or does marketing from an American V-twin heritage require a new bike to be imitation vintage, and have an air-cooled 45-degree pushrod engine? We had a few exclusive minutes with Richard Christoph, to learn Indian's answer to these questions. Christoph, Senior Industrial Designer at Polaris Industries, earned his BFA at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. After graduating in 2003, Christoph worked at another motorcycle company (yes, that one) for a short while before joining Polaris in 2004.
Cycle World: When did you first begin working on the Scout project?
RC: Late 2011 the project began, with pen to paper.
CW: Which bikes were the Scout conceived to compete with?
RC: It competes with the Sportser, the Bolt, or even the V Rod, which is a much higher priced and larger bike for seasoned riders. But the Scout has the width and breadth to not only be your first motorcycle, but also to last your lifetime, your career at riding.
CW: Do you consider it a performance cruiser?
RC: It’s a performing cruiser. How we tuned the throttle bodies, the ECM and the ETC, to respond to rider input, it’s very well behaved. So, you can be a beginner and ride this bike within your riding experience, your comfort zone, very well, but as you progress, maybe you want to go faster, maybe you want to dive into corners a bit more, maybe you want to go across country, and there’s plenty of chassis and power to support you.
CW: How does your design team function?
RC: We compete to win projects. And then the winner takes the design to production with all of the others contributing. You have to respond to everyone’s input. It takes a team. Everybody has to do their part and do it very well. Everybody has to be on point, very focused, and very dedicated to the process. So there’s a lot of passion involved here with a small team. Look at Polaris Industries. We’re not as large as, let’s say, Harley-Davidson, but we’re producing these bikes at a much faster pace. I think that’s because of the dedication.
CW: What was your design goal as far as making this a modern Scout?
RC: It may break away from the early Scout technology-wise, but it doesn’t break away from it spirit-wise, as far as the legend of the Scout goes. When the Scout came out it was so well received because of its performance. The Scout is all about performing well in all of its environments and scenarios. Its power-to-weight ratio, how a rider feels and interacts on it, a very spirited ride, a competent machine, multifaceted in its disciplines, and in what the rider asks from it. That is the Scout mentality. We carried forward Scout’s identity and impression on the riding public. It captures the spirit, the essence of what Scout was.
CW: How do you answer to those who might have been hoping for an air-cooled 45-degree pushrod engine?
RC: If you want to carry forward the performance, if you want to carry forward with a well-balanced, confident chassis, there are certain avenues you’re going to take. You’re going to focus on weight, on power-to-weight ratio, on the stability of the chassis, on ergonomics, and what you’re asking from it. So I think we answered, and still dedicated this bike to the Scout and didn’t follow the Harley way of thinking to just make it look old, keep it air-cooled, try not to offend the customer, keep it simple. But you know what? The future of the motorcycle industry needs to be pushed. This is the first step in the right direction. Harley’s going to respond, and we’re going to respond, and BMW and everybody’s going to respond. Friendly competition will evolve the industry. The more you think about it, the more sense it makes for the longevity of the brand. Pushrod technology and air-cooled is great for some applications, but not for this one.