The first Indian Scout model first saw showrooms in 1920, so that means the model-name hits that incredible 100-year mark in just a few months. The 2020 Scout 100th Anniversary Edition is built as a tribute to that era on the thoroughly modern new Scout platform. Classic touches and design high points combine with the new Scout platform to deliver a potent dose of nostalgia along with 21st century performance.

2020 Indian Scout 100th Anniversary Edition Design

Indian Motorcycle enjoys a special place in history as America's oldest motorcycle manufacturer. Sure, you could argue that since it has seen periods of time when it was out of commission or otherwise non-operational, and that it's changed hands half-a-dozen times or so, but nothing can change the fact that the marque got its start all the way back in 1901. The historical nature and limited-edition production run of the Scout 100th Anniversary Edition makes it a very special machine that's as likely to sit in someone's private collection as it is to see actual use.

Laced wheels and fat tires set the stage, and the blackout treatment on the fork sliders makes a connection to the old-school custom culture that the original arguably helped to develop. The blackout treatment continues into the tripletree for a bit of contrast with the polished inner fork tubes and chrome headlight can. A black instrument housing and chrome bezel dress up the single round gauge that has an analog speedometer face and a small LCD screen plus LED indicator lights to bundle all the critical metrics together in one spot.

Chrome handlebars rock a crossbar that we only see on dirtbikes nowadays for another historical touch. A 3.3-gallon teardrop gas tank defines the flyline as it gently slopes to the saddle that is hard-mounted to the bike but looks a lot like the old floating-pedestal style seats from back in the day. Rather than running with any sort of two-up seat, a generous old-time chrome luggage rack rides along to give you some open-air cargo capacity. It ain't much, but it's better than a backpack and less obtrusive than saddlebags.

An LED taillight has a tombstone-like appearance for yet another historical reference, same with the bullet blinker housings that also rock LED technology to help you be seen from the rear. The saddle is clad in Desert-Tan leather, just like the old seats, but the sheet metal is shot in Indian Red with gold trim to put the finishing touches on the look.

2020 Indian Scout 100th Anniversary Edition Chassis

Unlike the machine it emulates, the modern Scout platform on the 100th Anniversary Edition runs with a liquid-cooled engine, so the frame is obligated to mount a radiator and shroud up front. The frame itself is of the double-downtube/double-cradle variety that strikes such a classic figure, but the real magic is in the geometry. A steady slope in the backbone leaves the model with a stance not unlike the old hardtail bikes, and the dual coil-over shocks are laid over to pick up that angle and carry it all the way to the rear axle. No, the factory doesn't go quite as far as Harley-Davidson's Softails or Triumph's Bonneville Bobber line, but the suggestion is still there and it certainly contributes to the overall panache.

Seat height is slammed at 27.4 inches off the ground for a comfortable position and plenty of leverage at stops. Steering geometry points to a sporty ride that tracks well with a 29-degree rake angle and 4.7 inches of trail over a 62-inch wheelbase for a nice compromise that keeps it from feeling wooden in the corners, and if you have the stones for it, you can count on 31 degrees of lean to either side before you start making sparks.

Pirelli Night Dragon hoops line the laced rims with a 130/90 up front opposite a 150/80, both of which come in a symmetrical 16-inch diameter, and I hate to say it but I think some whitewalls would have been boss on this bike. Non-adjustable forks float the front end on 41 mm inner fork tubes and 4.7 inches of travel. Out back, a pair of coil-over shocks take care of business with only three inches of travel, and while that falls toward the shorter end of the spectrum, that's the trade off for that fabulous floating seat.

The factory abandoned the drum brakes from the original in favor of hydraulic-disc brakes with front-and-rear, 298 mm rotors and a twin-piston caliper up front opposite a single-pot anchor that haul the bike down without the benefit of ABS interference, er, I mean intervention. Yeah, that's the ticket.

2020 Indian Scout 100th Anniversary Edition Drivetrain

The engine is the item that's least affected by the historical bent the 2020 Scout 100th Anniversary Edition brings to the table. Sure, it's a V-Twin like the old mills, but it's liquid cooled instead of air cooled with over-head cams instead of pushrods to actuate the valves. On the right side, there's a quartet of details that are meant to give the suggestion of external pushrod tubes, but it's a half-hearted effort that pales in comparison to the flathead-tastic Thunder Stroke mills that power Indian's larger machines.

A 99 mm bore and 73.6 mm stroke adds up to 1,133 cc (69 cubic-inches) with a 10.7-to-1 compression ratio that'll demand top-hook gas. Induction control falls to a 60 mm throttle body that rocks a model-specific 100th anniversary badge between the jugs on the right side. It's a rather essential machine with nothing in the way of engine-control electronics or safety equipment such as traction control, rider modes, or the like, but I think that's entirely appropriate given the nature of this bike.

Power flows through a standard wet clutch and a six-speed transmission before it heads to the rear wheel via a carbon-reinforced belt drive. As far as performance is concerned, the 2020 Scout 100th Anniversary Edition generates 100 ponies and 72 pound-feet of torque, and at the governed redline, the overall drive ratio will push the bike up to 125 mph though acceleration really takes a dive after around 70 mph or so.

2020 Indian Scout 100th Anniversary Edition Price

You can own a piece of history for $15,999 MSRP. It only comes in the aforementioned colors, but even the palette itself strikes a nostalgic chord.

He Said

“Indian has really come on in leaps and bounds since it found itself under the Polaris umbrella, and I'm glad to see the brand embrace its own deep roots that underpin American motorcycling. The 100-year mark is a major milestone to be sure – one that any company should be proud to hit – and I, for one, am digging what the factory did to celebrate. If I had to pick a downside with this machine, it would be the price tag, because the newer generations of riders are less willing to pay a premium for a little name recognition.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “It's a beautiful bike. What can I say? The Scout platform is agile and the engine is responsive so you put that in elegant and historically appointed wrappings and you have something special like this 100th Anniversary Scout.”

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