How Does the New Sportster S Compare To the Indian Scout?
By Brett Foote

Harley went back to the drawing board to modernize its iconic model.

 

It will be interesting to see how it stacks up against the Indian. Will it compete in the AFT series? Indian has been cleaning up.

 

If I were in the market for that "type" bike I would opt for the Indian.....looks have a lot to do with it.

 

I prefer the cruiser look and feel, will keep my Scout vs this new things. But I am looking at adding another "real" sportster to the garage

 

Very interesting indeed. Only if the MoCo made this new drool-worthy Sportster a little more affordable for Gen-Z riders, it would be a slam dunk.

 

No they didn't . They designed a totally new motorcycle and decided that the only way to sell this thing was to discontinue the Sportster and transfer the name .

 

Ding, ding, ding, and we have a winner...

 

Hope this new model does not go the way of the v-rod.
I friend of mine had one (v-rod) and sold it after a couple years. Said it 'wouldn't turn'.

 

For what it's worth... I really like the look of the new Sportster S and couldn't wait to test ride one, especially as I'd owned a Scout 60 for a couple of years. The Sportster S feels like a high quality machine compared to the Scout, with much better finish, and first class controls and electronics; the performance and handling are excellent, and even the exhaust sounded good, although not loud enough to hear above wind noise at highway speeds. That said, the seat pushed me so far forward that my legs felt cramped, and the fenders offer no protection from road spray. For short trips it'd be great, but I don't think it'd be much fun to tour on. In contrast, the ergonomics of the Scout were perfect for me (6' with 32" inside leg), and I toured for thousands of miles on it; the only downside being the seat, which became very uncomfortable after 90 minutes, meaning regular stops to let the discomfort pass. So, the Harley seems a better built machine that's worth the extra money; and yet the Scout seems easier to live with.

 

Thank you for that objective comparison . I'm sure that the S is a wonderful bike and I'm equally sure that riding it would be like a breath of fresh air after chugging along on a cranky old Sportster . I just lament the decision that Harley have made to call it a Sportster .