The number of sales and pre-orders garnered by the new Indian model already rivals that of the 1.8 litre Chief and its Chiefly siblings here, which had a five-month head-start on their new more-affordable upstart.
Crunching the numbers shows that the Scout will easily become the bestselling bike in the burgeoning Indian range during 2015.
Australia has ordered more than 200 Scouts for the sales year, the UK a couple of thousand, and Indian's factory in Spirit Lake, Iowa, is struggling to meet the demand for the Scout in its domestic market.
There are several keys to the Scout's instantaneous success.
For starters, it costs $19,995, making the Indian brand much more accessible than the previous entry-point model, the $28,995 Chief Classic.
And the Scout is more accessible in more ways than price.
Compared to the 370kg leviathan Chief Classic, it's light (253kg wet) and ultra-low with a seat positioned just 653 millimetres above the tarmac. This means that there's none of the white-knuckle awkwardness that the heavier Chief displays at car-park manoeuvring speeds, and swinging your leg over that beautifully-crafted brown leather solo saddle is easier than playing a game of hop-scotch with the grandkids.
Where 1.8 litre Indians demand a certain quota of upper body strength and an army-reg inside leg measurement, the Scout can be ridden by anyone above five feet (1.52 metres) tall regardless of age, sexual orientation, political loyalty, or religious persuasion.
This is the Scout's second coming after the model name last appeared in an Indian catalogue back in 1928, and I quickly began to appreciate that 74-year absence from the global marketplace. For the gap encouraged Indian-maker Polaris Industries to begin with a clean sheet of paper instead of simply letting the design and engineering follow similar heritage-dictated directions as those traced by the Chief.
I'd also like to think that Polaris dusted off some of the drawings that the late John Britten drew up for a 21st century Scout when employed as a consultant by a previous owner of the rights to the Indian name.
For there are hints of the Britten V-1000 racer to be found all over the Scout. The engine is also a 60-degree liquid-cooled V-twin, and mounted in the same frameless chassis pioneered by Britten, only without all the exotic carbon-fibre. Instead, cast alloy forms the two structures that bolt onto the front and rear of the engine to tie the two wheels together. I suspect Britten would be chuffed at how the Scout turned out if he was still with us today.
The look of the bike successfully takes the signature features of the 1928 Scout and gives them a more modern interpretation. There's the same stance, the same use of identical-sized wheels front and rear, and the fuel tank has the same arrow-like lines to its leading edge. Yet the bike looks more contemporary than any other American-branded cruiser. It also offers more bang- for-buck than any other freeway-inspired bike from the so-called land of the free. For the Scout arguably delivers V-Rod levels of performance at a Sportster price when the inevitable Harley-Davidson comparisons begin.
If the looks of the Scout say Indian updated an older sense of style, then the opposite is true of bike's state-of-the-art engine. Running chain-driven dual overhead camshafts, with combustion chambers aerated by four-valve heads, and a 10.7:1 compression ratio, this motor has a lot more power and torque to give than just the 100bhp (74kW) and 97Nm that it develops while on Scout duty. There must be at least 140bhp lurking within such free-revving architecture if it wasn't strangled by the Scout's relatively restrictive intake and exhaust systems. Not that I felt any need for more, mind, particularly in a cruiser format. The Scout's linear torque delivery, well-tuned throttle response, and smooth running for the first three- quarters of the 9000-rpm rev range felt just fine for this application.
Like the engine, the Scout's frameless chassis also feels capable of more performance if given the opportunity for increased lean angles and suspension travel.
As it stands, the Scout is one of the more chuckable cruise-cycles around, its neutral steering and well- damped spring movements handing out setup lessons to its Sportster competition.
A little more front braking power than the Indian's single 298mm disc and twin-piston caliper would be nice, as would lean angles above 31 degrees (a MotoGP bike has twice that). Such improvements would break the Scout out the cruiser mould and elevate it to the growing sports-cruiser niche.
Also on the wish-list are mirrors that don't self-adjust and drilled handlebars that would conceal the unsightly wires leading to the switchblocks. These are the only details that betray the fact that this bike is the world's cheapest Injun. Otherwise, the Scout is as honourable and honest as Indians come.
AT A GLANCE
Engine: 1133cc liquid-cooled 60-degree dohc 8-valve fuel- injected V-twin; 74kW of power at 7950rpm, 97Nm of torque at 5250rpm.
Transmission: six-speed sequential gearbox, belt final drive.
Frame: Alloy sub-frames use engine as stressed frame member with alloy rear swingarm; unadjustable 41mm front forks with 120mm of travel; twin shocks adjustable for spring preload with 76mm of travel.
Price: $19,995
Hot: Arguably offers V-rod performance at a Sportster price; lowers entry point to Indian range by $9000 while providing sportier riding dynamics, easier to ride than a Chief.
Not: Sportster offers more torque earlier in the rev range; could use another disc up front; sporty capable handling restricted by cornering clearance; mirrors don't stay put.