When the Indian Scout first rolled out in 1920, it didn't just move people—it started a revolution. Designed by Charles B. Franklin, the original Scout was a marvel of low-slung agility and reliability. Fast forward nearly a century, and under the stewardship of Polaris, the modern Scout has returned as a high-tech powerhouse. With its liquid-cooled V-twin and distinctive cast aluminum frame, the modern Scout provides a canvas that custom builders find irresistible.
The magic of the Scout lies in its duality. It carries the weight of a century of history, yet its 100-horsepower engine and balanced geometry are thoroughly modern. From the "Iron Man" Kretz era of flat track dominance to today’s high-end cafe racers and bespoke sidecars, the Scout is a shape-shifter. It is a bike that honors its past while demanding a seat at the table of future design.
Here are five of our favorite custom Indian Scouts ever featured on Bike EXIF.
The RSD ‘Forged’ Sport Scout
Roland Sands Design (RSD) has been synonymous with performance V-twins for decades, and when they were tasked with building a "Dyna killer" for the 'Forged' series, they looked to the legendary Ed 'Iron Man' Kretz for inspiration. The result is a rowdy, high-performance street tracker that hybridizes the Scout with its sportier sibling, the FTR 1200. The goal was simple: take the Scout’s West Coast style and crank the performance to eleven.
To achieve this, Aaron Boss and the RSD team grafted an FTR 1200 front end—complete with inverted forks and twin Brembo brakes—onto the Scout's neck. Out back, a custom aluminum swingarm from Track Dynamics works in tandem with piggyback shocks to handle the power. The bike rolls on forged aluminum RSD x Dymag wheels shod with sticky Dunlop Sportmax Q5 tires, giving it the aggressive stance of a Super Hooligan racer.
The finishing touches include a custom-fabricated titanium two-into-one exhaust system and a one-piece tail section that takes cues from flat track racing. Finished in a menacing black and yellow livery, this Scout proves that with the right geometry and high-end hardware, a cruiser can be transformed into a weapon for the canyons. [MORE]
The Blacktrack BT-06
Sacha Lakic of Blacktrack Motors doesn’t just build motorcycles; he creates objects of industrial desire. Collaborating with luxury watch brand Bell & Ross, Lakic transformed a modern Scout into the BT-06, a neo-futuristic cafe racer that blurs the lines between horology and high-speed engineering. The bike’s geometric bodywork—a symphony of sharp angles and ceramic-like surfaces—directly mirrors the squared bezels of a Bell & Ross watch face.
The technical execution is as sharp as the design. Much of the bodywork was 3D-printed using stereolithography, allowing for complex, seamless forms that hide the bike's plumbing while exposing the best of the V-twin motor. The BT-06 sits on blacked-out Öhlins suspension and rolls on 17-inch carbon fiber Rotobox wheels. To tie the project together, a bespoke CNC-machined mount sits in the cockpit to showcase the limited-edition Bell & Ross watch created alongside the bike.
Performance was leveled up alongside the aesthetics. The BT-06 shed a massive 35 kg (77 lbs) compared to the stock Scout, making it a "white-knuckle" performer. With Beringer brakes and a custom-made aluminum fuel tank hidden under the resin panels, it is a masterclass in how to modernize a classic American platform without losing its mechanical soul. [MORE]
The Alternative Sidecar ‘Gran’Sport’
If you’ve ever admired the mahogany elegance of a Riva Aquarama boat, you’ll understand the inspiration behind this rig from Alternative Sidecar. The French specialists teamed up with master carpenter Jacques Jouvin to create a sidecar outfit that brings a level of nautical sophistication to the Indian Scout. It is a build where the materials—solid mahogany and sycamore—are as important as the mechanics.
The sidecar itself is a reworked 'Gran'Large' design, lowered to match the Scout’s proportions and attached via a proprietary system. To handle the asymmetrical load, the rig features a Hagon shock and a Brembo disc brake linked to the bike’s rear pedal. The Scout was also beefed up with stiffer fork springs and Shock Factory rear dampers to ensure the handling remained precise despite the extra weight.
The artisan details are what truly set this build apart. From the burgundy leather upholstery to the hand-painted gold tank logos, every element feels bespoke. The mahogany floor and armrests are hand-shaped, while a 50-liter trunk adds a dash of practicality to this high-style cruiser. It is a stunning example of how the Scout can be dressed up in the finest materials and still look perfectly at home. [MORE]
The Herzbube 101 Scout Restomod
Bernhard Elflein of Herzbube is a builder who operates on a different frequency. His 1928 Indian 101 Scout project began with an engine that spent years powering a tractor in East Germany before being saved from a crusher. Bernhard spent over a decade resurrecting this piece of history, combining 1920s soul with some clever "old school" tuning tricks.
Under the hood—or rather, between the frame rails—the 750cc engine features a 1940s WLA crankshaft, shaved car pistons, and modified Ironhead hubs. Bernhard used his blacksmithing skills to marry the antique engine to an original 101 frame and girder front end. The result is a machine that looks every bit like a survivor, but one that breathes through a modern Dell’Orto carburetor for actual rideability.
The bike’s most recent chapter saw it racing in the Auerberg Klassik hill climb, where it proved its grit despite a last-minute clutch failure. It is a "resurrection" in the truest sense of the word, taking a machine that was once a piece of farm equipment and returning it to the road as a celebrated show-stopper. [MORE]
The ‘Hasty Flaming Buffalo’
Luuc Muis was just 27 when he won a contest to build a custom Indian Scout Bobber, but his industrial design background and a 20-week deadline resulted in a machine that feels light-years ahead of the pack. Inspired by 1910 boardtrackers, the 'Hasty Flaming Buffalo' answers the question: "What if motorcycle design stayed the same for a century, but technology didn't?"
The build is a technical tour de force. Luuc scanned the engine to design a new three-piece aluminum frame in CAD, which was then CNC-milled from solid blocks. The 1,133cc V-twin is the only original part left; the rest of the bike features a full carbon fork with ceramic-coated tubes and a rear suspension system inspired by modern mountain bikes. The fuel tank is a structural element of the frame, hiding the electronics and the engine management system within its sheet-metal skin.
To finish the project, Luuc drove the bike across Europe to the Akrapovič headquarters in Slovenia, where the titanium masters fabricated a custom exhaust system in just two days. The result is a bike that hits the "Hasty" part of its name perfectly—a high-tech homage to Indian’s heritage that looks like it's doing 100 mph while standing still. [MORE]
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