Indian Scout Rogue 2023 Review

I’ll have to preface this yarn by admitting that I do have an Indian motorcycle in my garage. My Scout is a standard model from 2017 with a few accessories, namely Ikon suspension, a set of Roland Sands Design pipes (when I feel like annoying the neighbours), a mini fairing, as well as panniers and a sissy bar from the Indian accessories store.

So, when I was offered a ride on the new Scout Rogue, naturally I grabbed it with both hands to see what differences the factory modifications made to the already fun and functional Scout.

In terms of styling, the Scout Rogue is dark. It doesn’t matter what colour you get, it’s dark. The Rogue is offered in two blacks, Metallic and Smoke (matte), Gray Smoke, Sagebrush (green) and Copper Metallic, which is a dark coppery orange and looks quite nice in the pics.

Our test bike was the green, which is a matte green not unlike an army green, which sounds crook but isn’t – even my wife liked it.

All of the Rogues get the blacked-out treatment not unlike the Dark Horse Indians in the Chief, Chieftain, Springfield and Roadmaster ranges – I don’t think there’s an ounce of chrome on it, apart from the fork tubes.

But it’s not just the dark hues that make up the Rogue. You also get mini-ape bars, a mini fairing, chopped guards, a 19-inch front wheel (as opposed to a 16-inch on the standard Scout), and bar-end drop-down mirrors.

Instrumentation on the Scout Rogue is similar to the other Scouts with the single analogue gauge with a screen built in giving a digital tacho, odometer, trip meter, and a volt meter, which is strange as my Scout and others I’ve ridden have a temp gauge rather than volts, which I think makes more sense.

Information in the screen is changed using a trigger-style switch on the front of the left-hand switch block.

You don’t get a fuel gauge on the Scout but instead there is a low-fuel light that gives about 20km of range before you run out. On that note, the tank is pretty puny at 12.5L, so I find that keeping an eye on the trip meter is a good policy.

If you’re not familiar with the engine, it’s a beauty. It’s a liquid-cooled 1133cc V-twin that puts out around 95hp (69.9kW) and 97Nm of torque. It’s quite over-square with a bore and stroke of 99 x 73.6mm and it will happily spin out to the rev limiter that’s somewhere north of 8500rpm, with peak torque quoted as being at 5600rpm.

The engine is mounted in a cast aluminium frame with a low-slung seat and regular twin-shock rear suspension with 51mm of travel and front forks with a quoted 120mm of travel. It’s a neat compact package that’s nicely put together with a high level of fit and finish.

Ever since I first chucked a leg over a Scout about five or so years ago, I’ve liked them. No doubt, that’s why I own one. They are a very easy and agreeable bike to ride. From the low seat – the Rogue is at 649mm, the same as the regular Scout – to the light feel of the bike, to the lovely engine, they are just, well, easy.

The Rogue in particular has some aspects that I really like. The mini-ape handlebar setup is great. I like the ride position, it’s not too high and not too low. I’m of average height and I found it just right for me. Better than the standard bar on my bike.

I think the pegs are bit further back too, which I prefer. Not so much of a stretch. The seat is fine for around town but I wouldn’t like to do an interstate run on it – not that you could with the small tank, which is a bit of a bug-bear for me as I like a bit more than 200km of range on a bike.

Interestingly though, somewhere along the line Indian has changed the gearing of the Scout (well, this one anyway). At 100km/h in sixth gear, the Rogue was ticking over at 3000rpm, whereas my regular Scout shows 3300rpm on the tacho at 100km/h.

Whether the guys at Indian did this to eke out another 10 per cent of range from the tank isn’t known, but it could mean another 20-or-so kilometres between fuel stops. The taller gearing doesn’t make a difference to the performance of the Rogue though, as it will still pull away nicely from 3000rpm in any of the six gears.

In terms of handling, the Rogue is better than you’d think. The 19-inch front wheel seems to stand it up a bit so it seems to have a bit more of a lean angle – whether it does or not, I don’t know, but it feels like it does.

Scouts are a bit deceptive in that they feel like they’re going to scrape but they don’t initially, and will only touch down if you really push them. Handling is light and for a cruiser you can flick it around quite easily.

I prefer the apes here too as they give a bit more feel and are not quite as wide as the standard Scout bars. The 150 rear grips nicely and the bike tracks well through the curvy bits.

It’s worth noting here that Indian has dropped the standard Pirelli Night Dragon rubber for Metzeler Cruisetec.

I like the Pirelli Night Dragons: I had them on my last bike and I have them on my current Indian. I don’t know the reason why Indian Motorcycle has swapped them out for the Metzelers, maybe they’re just sharing the love. I didn’t have a problem with the Metzelers but I’d just feel happier on the Pirelli rubber. It’s a personal thing.

On the highway, I didn’t like the drop-down mirrors. They might look cool, but I found them impractical, if not dangerous. I don’t know if it’s my jacket or my riding style, but a good chunk of the rear vision was hindered by the wrist of my jacket or my glove. Also, I found I had to adjust my vision of the road too far to get a look in the mirror.

If I owned a Scout Rogue I’d swap them out for regular mirrors (the mounts are still there) and forego that extra bit of cool for practicality.

Apart from the few minor gripes I had, I really enjoyed my week on the Scout Rogue. It’s a fun, grunty, easy-to-ride bike that looks the goods and can back it up with performance.

The engine is a ripper and apart from the limited range, it really is a bike that, with a few bits from the Indian accessories department, you could do some light touring on, provided you’re put off by the regular fuel stops.

Recently, Indian upped its pricing on the Scout range so that the Rogue now comes in at $25,995 ride away, which is getting closer to its rivals and partially negating one of the Scout’s selling features, but it’s still a great bike, and I won’t be selling mine for a while yet…

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, 60-degree V-twin
Capacity: 1133cc
Bore x stroke: 99 x 73.6mm
Compression ratio: 10.7:1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 95hp (70kW)
Claimed maximum torque: 97Nm at 5600rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate
Final drive: Belt

ELECTRONICS
Rider aids: ABS

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Aluminium
Front suspension: Fork, non-adjustable 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable preload, 51mm travel
Front brakes: 298mm disc with two-piston caliper, ABS
Rear brake: 298mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS
Tyres: Metzler Cruisetec 130/19 front, 150/16 rear

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed wet weight: 250kg
Seat height: 649mm
Wheelbase: 1576mm
Fuel capacity: 12.5L

OTHER STUFF
Price: $25,995 ride away
Colours: Black Metallic, Black Smoke, Stealth Grey, Sagebrush Smoke, Copper Metallic
Test bike supplied by: Indian Motorcycle Australia
Warranty: 24 months/unlimited kilometres