Bobber Clash

Bobbers appear to be all the rage these days. So, here are a couple – the Indian Scout Bobber and the Triumph Bonneville Bobber. Quite a divergent duo by all accounts, mind you.

- Jared Solomon

What we have here are the new Indian Scout Bobber and Triumph Bonneville Bobber. However, the original Bobber that came to India was neither of these. It was, in fact, Harley-Davidson that introduced the Bobber style in India with their timeless Street Bob. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the new 2018 Street Bob for this showdown, but I’ll still keep it in mind as I go through the comparison.

The Beast – Indian Scout Bobber 

The newest Bobber in India is based on Indian’s hugely popular liquid-cooled, 1,133cc V-twin Scout cruiser. The engine remains entirely unchanged and still offers a nice output of 94bhp. The biggest changes include the tasty array of chassis and styling upgrades that make the Scout feel and look like a proper old-school custom Bobber of the 40s and 50s. The rear suspension travel has been reduced by 26mm, and, for a more aggressive riding position, the foot pegs have been positioned 38mm closer to the rider. Also, the new handlebars make you lean forwards a bit – which only adds to the overall aggressive riding stance. The suspension has become a whole lot stiffer. The Scout Bobber also gets the new Indian tank badge. Almost everything on its body, including the frame, exhaust, headlight surround, handlebars, mirrors and even the instrument dials have a satin black finish. The fenders are chopped down and the rear is narrower. It does have a retro touch, but with the humongous tyres and the alloy wheels it looks the most modern out of all the Bobbers.