Out of the silence, a screeching sound and a sudden wobble wake me up in an uninviting way – the train is reaching its next station. I’m on my way to Munich, where the all new Indian Scout will be revealed, the second iteration of the model that revived the long gone legend. 

My lack of sleep goes back to another machine of the american brand, a friend’s 1928 Indian Scout 101 that we have been working on these last days (Bernhard Elflein, Herzbube Motorcycles, Revival of the machine: Herzbube’s Indian Scout 101 | Bike EXIF). He’s had the 101 for ages, one of those perfect, hard to finish projects. We spent long hours giving the old Scout its life back, the perfect anticipation to seeing the new icon, almost a century after its forefather was first brought to life. Midnight wrenching proves to be a great metaphor to describe the character one could associate to Indian: a restless, driven, maverick attitude. And I’m about to find out what has been made out of it.

Meeting other attendants upon my arrival already gives a small preview of what could be expected: actors, racers… a wide array of backgrounds with a motorcycle brand as the touching point. Unusual, considering the homogeneity that brands tend to breed. But nothing about this reveal seems to be usual in any way. The chosen place for the occasion: Motorworld Munich, the automotive mecca of the German city, a huge event location packed with the rarest, most impressive machines of recent history. 

Soon after entering the room where the reveal will take place, we notice the covered silhouettes of the bikes we are here to see, parked on the side. Standing in the center, another beauty of early Indian years, this time courtesy of the Indian Motocycle Club Germany. You read that right, Motocycle, without the r, as read on original bikes. Indian people have been riding their lane since the very beginning, when attempts to register the full name led to dodge regulations by letting a letter out of the equation. Clever gentlemen. Christoph – caretaker of the old machine above – also had plenty of other stories to share. It seems like you might meet the nicest people on a Honda, but those with the greatest stories ride an Indian.

After warming up the atmosphere, those responsible for the launch take the stand to introduce the brand and the man leading its renewal, Ola Stenegärd, who guides the public through the creation of the latest machine, in a way very appreciated by anyone with a background in design or motorcycle building. In Ola’s words, the team focused on timeless aesthetics, concentrating on making stuff lean and clean while always keeping customizing in mind. The inspiration? The hot rod scene with legendary cars like Zephyrs, and the unmistakable lines of the original Indians. The design of the new Scout was considered through every layer, giving attention one can notice in every read: from afar, closer or in the smallest details, in the words of the designers.

All the anticipation leads to the covers being finally removed, revealing five models based on the new Scout: the Scout Classic, Scout Bobber, Sport Scout, Super Scout, and 101 Scout (a homage to the original 101, called the best motorcycle Indian ever made). All five share the same tubular frame design that has cleaned the overly heavy, casted feel of the previous model, a design that favors a connection to the vintage Scout and the current Chief. It now features a smaller radiator between the downtubes, neatly integrated rear shocks and that classic Indian downtube line. Features like shock travel, fenders, seats and wheels vary across the line, just like the final trim the customer can choose.   

The new engine – called the Speedplus – has been completely redesigned, bored out to 1.250 cc and now pulls between 105 and 111 horsepower at 7.250 rpm, with 108 Nm of torque at a slightly lower 6.300 rpm. Many will miss the machined engine covers that contributed to the industrial look of the first modern Scout, but there is a general smoothness the bike has in its lines, angles and details that feels coherent and thought through. A very clean look altogether. Of course, it’s not the 1930’s anymore and no manufacturer will offer an exhaust system that doesn’t look like it belongs as a fuel tank in a multiplanetary rocket, but considering everything, the job done is more than acceptable.

Making a bike look like those built 90 years ago only goes so far, and so does losing oneself in poisonous terms like heritage. Throwing some chrome on everything won’t make anything better, neither will doing as if not a single decade has passed, and I think Indian have managed to create a modern machine that knows where it belongs, while not forgetting where it comes from. They put their hands in the fire and cast one hell of a piece out of the heat. Judge for yourselves.

Check out our impressions of the new Indian Scout launch on YouTube!

The only custom show fully dedicated to Indian Motorcycles is gearing up for its third edition, with registrations open as of today!

The Budweis Custom Indian Motorcycle Show will take place again in České Budějovice – aka Budweis – in the Czech Republic, from June 13 to 16, 2024.

Ola Stenegärd, Director of Product Design for Indian Motorcycle, is a strong supporter of the show: “There isn’t much in life that gets me more excited than a custom motorcycle show. As a designer and custom builder, I really feed on that creative energy. As a long time Indian Motorcycle fan from way back as a kid, the growth of this show in such a short time is food for my soul.”

Registrations for the Budweis Custom Indian Motorcycle Show are open as of today, the organizers are inviting builders of all levels, from aspiring rookies to seasoned veterans…

You can enter your custom Indian Motorcycle for one of the seven classes:

• Indian Scout
• Indian Chief / Non-Fairing
• Indian Motorcycle Bagger
• Indian Motorcycle Vintage
• Indian FTR / Sportbike
• Indian Motorcycle ClubStyle / Performance Bagger
• Indian Motorcycle Freestyle

The ClubStyle/Performance Baggers class is new for this year, welcoming this exciting new trend to the show.

And the Freestyle class is also new, this is also the only category where entrants do not need to be road legal. However, entries in all classes must be able to start and ride their builds onto the podium to accept their awards.

Finally, one build will be awarded the Best In Show trophy…

The Budweis Custom Indian Motorcycle Show has gathered a really impressive judging panel to evaluate the entries for all these classes. Brian Klock, President of Klock Werks, is joining as President of the Jury. Brian – aka the “Godfather of Baggers” – confirmed taking this role for the 2024 Show, saying: “Indian Motorcycle is near and dear to my heart. Having been part of the aftermarket advisory team since 2014 and designing many of the limited editions coming out of the factory, just like Ola, a custom show dedicated to Indian Motorcycle is something I’m really excited about. I cannot wait to meet everyone at Budweis next year and see their craftsmanship and incredible skills.”

Brian will be joined in the judging panel by other dignitaries, including his wife Vanessa, Ola Stenegärd and Onno Wieringa (Official AMD World Championship photographer), to evaluate the entrants.

So if you want to show off your custom Indian Motorcycle with the chance to win a prestigious award in one of the seven classes, pre-register your bike between now and Friday, May 31, 2024, at: www.budweiscustom.show/#BCS24form.

And if you are not ready by that time, ride-in entries will still be accepted until Saturday, June 15.

For more information about the 2024 Budweis Indian Motorcycle Show visit www.budweiscustom.show

And in case you missed the 2023 edition of the Budweis Indian Motorcycle Custom Show, check out the Indian Riders Fest 2023 Official Video!

Flat Track racing may not be that well-known here in Europe, but it is certainly one of the most fun, and – importantly – most accessible forms of motorcycle racing out there. So, when Royal Enfield invited me to try it out, I was quick to accept and showed up for my day of training at the Flat Track in Noordeloos (South Holland).

Royal Enfield already has started these so-called Slide Schools in India, Thailand, the USA, the UK, and Italy. Now Royal Enfield Europe is also launching this in the Benelux, under the name of “Flat Track Academy powered by Royal Enfield”

What these Slide Schools have in common is that the riding is done on flat-track prepared Royal Enfield Himalayan 411cc motorcycles… What does that mean? Well, these bikes are stripped down versions of stock motorcycles – no mudguards for instance, but what jumps out immediately is that there is no front brake!

The other thing with flat track riding that really pulls you out of your comfort zone – as a more or less experienced motorcyclist – is the steel shoe you get to put on your left foot. Put on your gear, strap on the steel shoe and on to the track! An oval track, dirt or gravel with short straights and a 180-degree left hand corner at both ends, it’s that simple.

But that does not mean Flat Track is easy though! You have to forget a lot of stuff – like having a front brake… There is none so the only way to slow down is the engine and the rear brake.  And then putting your left leg out to slide on the metal also takes some time to get used to! The idea is to hit top speeds on the straight of the oval before leaning over, sticking your left leg out and sliding into the corner to make the 180-degree turn, and then race back down the other straightaway. That slide into the corner is really what makes Flat Track very different from any other kind of racing I have done….

Maikel Dijkstra, our fully licensed motorsport trainer and international Flat Track racer, started us out with trying to make really small ovals, to get a feel for sliding with your left foot out, as your main cornering technique. Then on to practice runs on the whole track with some cones laid out to get to the optimal lines. Maikel showed us the basic techniques that will allow you to get around the track, but there are more – harder – ways to round that oval track much faster… Flat Track as it turns out is a sport that is easy to ride, but hard to master!

Anyway, by the end of just a couple of hours we got to do some real laps, even a quick race or two, and that really was a whole lot of fun!

Flat Track racing is one of the fastest growing motorsports, and Royal Enfield and the Flat Track Academy are obviously keen to have many more folks getting into it… To celebrate the launch of the Flat Track Slide School in the Benelux, they are giving our readers a chance to win one of these courses!

So, do you want to win a Slide School course, worth €190,-, given by the Flat Track Academy powered by Royal EnfieldBenelux?

The Flat Track Academy organizes these 3-to-4-hour courses at tracks in Vledderveen or Roden in the Netherlands. All you have to do is send me a note (jaco@bikebrewers.com)  telling me why you would like to win this Flat Track course… Please send in your entry by July 22 to be eligible to win! Keep in mind that the winner must be 15 or older, and you will have to bring your own motorcycle-riding gear (helmet, gloves, protective jacket/trousers and shoes over the ankle) to the course, date and place to be arranged with Maikel.

Disclaimer: By participating in this promotion, you give MotoMondo (Royal Enfield’s distributor on the Benelux) permission to use your personal data. MotoMondo processes your personal data for marketing purposes and will treat your personal data confidentially.

The motorcycle industry, at least on the combustion engine side, has not seen a lot of new brands come to life the past few decades. Yes, we did witness the successful resurrection of famous brands from the past, like Indian and Royal Enfield, who are developing and pushing out impressive ranges of truly great motorcycles. But we haven’t seen many new brands of combustion engine motorcycles lately.

However, the birth and subsequent rise of electric motorcycles has resulted in a whole slew of new manufacturers. Zero was an early starter in 2006, and especially in the last few years quite a few new entrants, like Energica and Cake, have emerged.

But for the motorbike enthusiast with a fondness of classic styling – like myself, I have to admit – many of these motorbikes just don’t look right… Mainly due to the necessity of big battery racks I guess, but it seems quite a few new builds either go for sportsbike-like fairings which hide these batteries (like Energica), or for quite radical new styling accentuating the difference with combustion engine bikes (Cake or Sondors). And the ones who take their styling cues more from ‘regular’  motorcycles, look, at least in this author’s admittedly biased opinion, clunky at best…

There are exceptions of course, like RGNT Motorcycles from Sweden, and now there is a promising new brand out of Brazil just starting up, called RTR Electric motorcycles!

Because what better base for a real commitment to classic lines than founders who share a 30-year history of designing and building award-winning custom motorcycles under the label ‘Retrorides By Lourenço’. You may know them from their book “The CafeRacer Bible”, a great “How to build” resource, and from their sublime proprietary suspension for the BMW K100…

So now, following their desire to play their part in creating a cleaner and smarter future for humanity, they founded RTR Electric motorcycles.

Their first model, the 799e, is an electric scrambler targeted at urban use. Its design is inspired by the iconic Scramblers of the 1970s – and it looks the part!

Pre-production exemplars are undergoing the homologation process in Brazil now, production of the RTR 799e is scheduled to start December 2023. They plan to start selling these bikes in Brazil, the United States and in Europe to begin with.

RTR are determined to preserve their custom DNA, their reputation for delivering great motorcycles, and their spirit of “handcrafted by hand”. 

They aim to accomplish this by offering full customization options on the website as part of the purchase process, by using the best high-quality parts and by completely hand-assembling the RTR 799e in Brazil…

On the website, customers will for instance be able to choose the colors, the type of seat, the type of tires, the type of front fenders, the type of headlight, to use side plates or not – making each motorcycle unique. 

High quality also means that these motorcycles are built with noble materials that do not harm the environment, and are built to last while also designed to be upgradable.  A really neat detail is that where gas would be stored before, the 799e has a 7-liter glove compartment to store your stuff!

While the 799e’s range is not stellar today at 120 km with a full battery, RTR are partnering with major battery developers to significantly increase this autonomy. You can charge it by just plugging into a regular 110/220V outlet.

Top speed of 127km/h is certainly acceptable for its intended mostly urban use. And the ‘kick’, as with all electric motorcycles, is the instantaneous torque thanks to the electric motor delivering “everything” at once, which propels you like a bat out of hell as soon as you twist the throttle!

So all in all RTR are well underway on this exciting journey. Driven by passion as they are, they still want to achieve their goals faster and more efficiently, so they are currently selecting investors to help them. But help them in a way that allows them to stay true to their starting points: Really change the way people get around, by providing a cleaner and more sustainable electric alternative, but also to construct these beautiful motorcycles in their native country of Brazil! 

www.rtrmotorcycles.com

If you are ready for a fika, join RGNT Motorcycles in Årsunda (Sweden) next weekend 24-25th February, where they are looking to set a new electric motorcycle speed record on ice!

What is a fika you might ask? Well, it is a Swedish custom where you take a break from your activities to drink coffee, eat cake, and relax with others.
So, we’ve been invited to join the fika, but what’s going on over there in Sweden?

Well, RGNT Motorcycles is a young (founded 2019) Swedish electric motorcycle manufacturer who pride themselves on sourcing and manufacturing all components of their motorcycles as locally as possible. They also say they are wildly ambitious, aiming to push new boundaries all the time. And what better place for a native Swedish motorcycle brand to do that, than on a frozen Swedish lake?
To beat the World Speed Record on Ice for EV-motorcycles, they started project Aurora – bringing together all RGNT’s 40-some employees during evening hours and on weekends to build a complete in house designed and hand-built custom motorcycle.

While RGNT “plan to silence boulevards, backroads and beaches globally by quickly expanding”, what sets them apart – in my view – in the fast-growing market of electric motorcycles is that they are also passionate about iconic motorcycle design. Their bikes – in any case the two models they brought to market so far, the Classic and the Scrambler, are, in their words: “an ode to classic design – from the days when machines were built to last.” “Premium components, groundbreaking tech and hand-crafted details add up to an exclusive, state-of-the-art motorcycle.”

This desire to not only perform but also look great really shows in the Aurora project.
Taking the RGNT No. 1 Classic SE production model as its starting point, the team modified several components in the battery to maximize power output. They unlocked the software and power output of the drivetrain, and built a full aerodynamic lightweight fairing. Resulting in an EV racer with a peak power of close to 30 kW (standard 21 kW). Add spike-studded tires and you’re ready to go! RGNT-engineer Timmy Eriksson is all geared up to race Aurora next weekend, aiming to break the current electric motorcycle speed record on ice….

Check www.landracing.events for more details of the races at Årsunda, and check out RGNT’s site for more info and pics: rgnt-motorcycles.com.

Knox have appointed Jopa Racing Products as their sole distributor in Germany, Benelux, Denmark and Austria.

This collaboration is part of Knox’s strategic plan for growth over the coming years by forging strong, long term export partnerships.

Quote from Margaret Travell, Sales Director at Knox.

“We are really excited to announce the appointment of a new European distributor, Jopa, who will be looking after Knox in Germany, the Benelux region, Denmark and Austria. Jopa are an experienced company with a great set up and team and we agree Knox will fit well into their existing portfolio.

The team at Jopa are focussed on supporting our existing dealers in these countries and then building a network of excellent stockists that align with the Knox brand”.

Quote from Matthijs Verbei, Director at Jopa.

‘Because of the unique philosophy and products of the brand Knox, we strongly believe that Knox is an absolute key-player in the future of motorcycle garments. We are convinced that we can be the bridge between Knox and dealers/customers to get these absolute top products there where they belong; on the road!’

About Planet Knox

Knox is a British company, based in the beautiful UK Lake District.  Since it started in 1981 the brand has had an innovative and unique approach to the development of motorcycle rider protection and apparel.

For Knox, making protective gear is much more than just the next wonder material, more than just the science of kilo newtons, CE levels and impact testing, more than a CE certificate. It’s a passion for making great products, developing new materials, designing better feeling, better looking, better performing garments that work for all riders in any climate and on any bike.

It’s about the synergy and balance between protection and motorcycle clothing, so they work in harmony.

About Jopa

Jopa Racing Products is an international distributor of road, racing and motocross products. Jopa serve a wide network of dealers throughout Europe with brands such as Sidi, Rusty Stitches, Furygan, PMJ, Just1, Simpson, FLY and many more.

With a close-knit team of enthusiastic staff, Jopa is committed to serving their customers every day. For more than 40 years, Jopa Racing Products has been the partner in road, racing and motocross products. Despite the growth, the philosophy remains the same: Jopa only want to provide you with the best possible products and service.

Mooyong Zeus is the founder, owner, designer, builder and all-round nice guy of Zeus Customs in Bangkok, Thailand. I last met Mooyong during my visit before Covid – so I was mighty curious how he is doing now that the pandemic-storm has subsided a bit.

Mooyong started Zeus Customs in 2014, when he decided his love for motorcycles – and customizing them – was more important to him than his secure income as a software developer… He started out customizing 150cc Stallion bikes, lightweight Chinese bikes which are very popular in Thailand, these are basically the same bikes as those sold under the brand name Mash in Europe. His first workshop was just a room in an apartment building, but he had to look for another place pretty soon as the neighbors complained to the landlord about the noise… That happened again with his next location, so then he moved to a large more industrial building on the outskirts of Bangkok. That’s where I met Mooyong three years ago. Covid was a difficult time for Zeus of course, but he survived! After Covid, he moved to a slightly smaller but more central place in a nice neighborhood of Bangkok, where he now has a much more intimate and really pleasant place with a great showroom, plenty of bikes on display and couches to hang out on, as well as a fabulous yard with more bikes and tables to enjoy your coffee or a drink…

Given his software developer background, no surprise that Mooyong is an avid and expert user of social media. His Instagram posts went viral in Thailand and before long he got requests to customize bigger bikes. After he did a first brat-style conversion based on a Ducati scrambler for a lady which got a lot of attention on Instagram, demand skyrocketed. Still, cutting up a big expensive bike for the first time was a big step, so Mooyong bought a Triumph to work on for himself first. But he only cut into the frame after a strong push from his girlfriend!

So now Mooyong does a max of 30 full customizations per year, not more to maintain quality, together with his 2 mechanics – which he kept on staff during all the difficult Covid period.

Zeus customizes mainly for Thai customers and long-term expats. His Thai customers tend to ask for full customization of for instance café racers, and then use the bikes mainly for special events and to decorate their homes. The expats usually do use their bikes on a daily basis, their modifications range from again full café racers to scramblers – depending on their need for comfort on the road… Zeus also do more light conversions for both groups, such as just handlebars and seats.
While Mooyong is very interested in exporting his customs, a lot of times the regulations of his customers’ countries get in the way. But while an export to Germany serves as a decoration piece because the owner cannot get it legalized, another bike is out on the streets of Moscow, Russia – as the rules seem less strict over there. He does have a partner in Japan now specifically for fully customized Honda Monkeys, which are wildly popular over there.

Right now, Zeus is converting 8 Royal Enfield Himalayans to competition-ready flat-track bikes, commissioned by the factory who want to open a flat-track school in Thailand! He is also working with Suzuki Thailand on a full café racer custom to inspire more customers to buy that particular model, and they then plan to auction it off…

Zeus’ main exports to Europe today are his homemade leather side-bags and tank straps. Custom parts are a little harder as specifications can differ even for the same model bikes.
He also sells quite a bit of merchandise to tourists who visit the shop to get some new ideas or just hang out. T-shirts, caps, mugs, bag-tags, you name it… These are all his own designs – great stuff if you ask me!

The saga continues
We wrote about Danny Schneider’s first build for Indian Motorcycle back in July 2021.
The then new partnership between the man behind Hardnine Choppers and Indian Motorcycle was launched with a custom built 1931 Scout.

Last week he was back on the scene when Indian Motorcycle revealed his latest custom build during EICMA in Milan. the bike was presented alongside the new 2023 models from Indian Motorcycle on their freshly designed booth.

Bagger inspiration
With its distinctive paint scheme inspired by the factory’s King of the Baggers racers, stripped back front end and performance parts, Danny’s Scout Rogue was an eye-catching addition to the Indian Scout lineup on the booth, inviting visitors to take photos and discover the finer details of this intriguing build.

From action hero to creative icon
As a former FMX star and award-winning vintage custom builder, Danny Schneider has honed a reputation for exciting, performance orientated custom bikes and is no stranger to working with Indian Motorcycle. In fact, the build he credits as his best ever was the aforementioned 1931 Indian Scout, the bike that started his love of (and partnership with) Indian Motorcycle.
“Ever since they launched the FTR, I’ve been hooked,” says Danny.

Roughing up the Rogue
“My idea when I first saw the Scout Rogue, I actually liked it a lot, was performance racing – this is where I’m coming from – I really wanted to craft it to suit my hard riding style and we’ve done everything we can to enhance the machine with performance parts. We started out with the Öhlins front forks and Öhlins rear shock, suspension is the most important thing for me coming from a motocross background.”

Modifying the triple trees to accept the Öhlins front forks, the handlebar has been replaced with a 22mm higher ProTaper unit fitted with ProTaper soft grips and the Scout Rogue’s mini-fairing adapted to work with the new bar placement. The stripped back, racing feel is also enhanced by miniature turn signals and the removal of the front fender.

Racing look
The racing look and spec continues with performance tracker wheels from Roland Sands Design allowing the use of twin OEM discs grabbed by dual Beringer calipers operated by a Beringer master cylinder/lever with Danny creating bespoke adapters and mounts for the wheels and the braking system. For performance gains during starts and gear changes, the clutch lever is also by Beringer with a Dynojet quickshifter ensuring the slickest of shifts and a one-off 2-into-1 exhaust by Jekill and Hyde ramping up the soundtrack.

“I’ve added some custom touches, by cutting down the primary cover to the minimum that’s still safe but making it lighter and giving it a more performance look and I’ve also added wider footpegs to suit my riding style. But, look closer and you’ll see the gold leaf applied to the iconic insignias on the engine and the gas cap, the gold stitching in the seat which all complement the awesome paint by Vince Customs.”

More to come
“I’ve been building bikes for about 10 or 12 years now. But I stopped for a while as I’d lost a bit of the passion. When it came to the Rogue, it just came back, the light just fired up again. Indian Motorcycle engineering is amazing, they think further than other brands. If you need to do something, it’s done super quick. This is what I love.”

“Now it’s just a case of setting up the bike, dialling in the suspension and going for a ride. Riding to me is everything. It’s absolute freedom.”

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/avHMZdTFWGI” width=”800″ title=”Indian Motorcycle Scout Rogue by Hardnine Choppers”]

Builder details:
Builder: Hardnine Choppers
Address:
Zentweg 15
3006 Bern
Switzerland
email: danny@hardninechoppers.com

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