You often hear the term bobber in the cruiser segment. Harley-Davidson, Triumph and Moto Guzzi each have one in their line-up. And with the Scout model, Indian even has two: the Scout Bobber and the Scout Bobber Twenty. But what makes a bobber so special, and how does it ride?

Minimalist

‘Bobbing’ originated in the custom scene of the 1930’s. By removing unnecessary parts, motorcycles were made lighter and therefore faster. No front fender, a minimalist rear fender, as little metal or chrome as possible.

Today, a bobber has more to do with looks and ‘coolness’ than actual weight savings. This is also the case with the Indian Scout Bobber: short fenders, a solo seat, low and far forward positioned handlebars on the Scout Bobber and a mini ape hanger on the Scout Bobber Twenty. Both with forward controls.

The seating position seems spartan but when I sit down in the showroom it feels quite comfortable. Whether I’ll still think the same after half a day of riding … we’ll come back to that later on.

Beach cruiser

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