Indian 1133 SCOUT Bobber Jack Daniel's 2018 — Specifications

Imagine a Friday evening in Nashville, the scent of white oak permeating the Lynchburg cellars, and a black motorcycle waiting in the garage shadows. Indian didn's invent the collaboration with Jack Daniel's, but the Springfield brand has managed to make it an annual ritual as anticipated as a good bourbon vintage. For 2018, it's the Scout Bobber that inherits the treatment, the third opus in a series that began with the Chief Vintage and was continued with the Chieftain.

The 1133 cc 60-degree V-twin engine hasn't changed, and that's a good thing. Its 94 horsepower and 97.1 Nm of torque available at 5600 rpm make the Scout Bobber an agile custom despite its 255 kg when fully fueled. The 649 mm seat remains accessible to a wide range of builds, and the six-speed belt transmission ensures a cruising fluidity that not all of its Japanese rivals in this category possess. Facing a Harley-Davidson Iron 1200 or a Kawasaki Vulcan S, the Scout holds its own without forcing it.

But what distinguishes this edition from the usual catalog is first the work of Klock Werks Kustom Cycles, the American customizer commissioned to dress the beast. The source of inspiration was unexpected: the private fire brigade owned by the Jack Daniel's distillery. The result is a deep black paint scheme accented by genuine 24-carat gold ornaments applied to the tank and fenders. This isn't a sticker from a low-end deco workshop, it's two-wheeled goldsmithing. The footrest tips engraved with the number 7, the specific brake and clutch levers, the screen printing on the seat, and the gold badge bearing the serial number screwed onto the rear of the frame complete a coherent ensemble, never ostentatious. The polished finish on the exhaust outlets adds a touch of light without visually weighing down the line.

The real peculiarity of this series lies in its absolute rarity. Indian produces only 177 copies, numbered from 001 to 177. Each buyer receives a wooden firefighter's axe engraved with their name, their machine's number, and their VIN, with the Fire Brigade logo on the head of the tool. It is a collector's item as much as a garage accessory. Previous Jack Daniel's editions had been liquidated in a few hours for the 2016 vintage, in ten minutes for the 2017 one. At 14,330 euros, this Scout Bobber is clearly not aimed at the motorcyclist looking to optimize their power-to-price ratio, but at the collector capable of deciding quickly and storing the motorcycle dry.

French enthusiasts will have to settle for dreaming, or go through import. The hexagonal legislation on advertising for alcoholic beverages makes the official commercialization of this edition impossible on the national territory. Absurd paradox for a country that produces cognac, armagnac and calvados, but that is the situation. For those who can access it, this Scout Bobber represents a rare object, carefully finished, backed by an engine whose reputation is no longer to be built. It is not the most performing motorcycle in its category, nor the most versatile with its 12 liters of tank, but that is not its purpose. Its purpose is to exist in 177 copies around the planet.