I am a lucky boy….I have just become the very first member of the public allowed to ride the glorious Indian Scout based MWM115. Before now only the creator of the bike Mark Grinnall, proprietor of Midwest-Moto has ridden the bike. The 115 was on the Indian stand at the NEC Bike show last November and only last week was running up the hill climb course in front of an appreciative crowd at the Prescott Bike Fest!
On the stand at the NEC last November
In action at Prescott last week
The 115 in the showroom at Midwest Moto
The 115 is a special developed by Midwest Moto to lend the Scout a somewhat more sporting edge. The transformation has been pretty comprehensive: The rear suspension mountings are on a new and bespoke sub-frame, with the shock mountings repositioned to give the bike a more upright and sporting stance. Up front the forks are now USD units topped out with an LED headlamp. The Tank has been remodelled and flows smoothly into the new single seat unit. The paintwork is new for the 115 too with a dramatic graphic depicting an Indian warrior. The tail piece is particularly elegant and effective and makes you wonder why so many look so ungainly these days
Climb aboard and memories of the Scout are banished immediately. No high bars and feet forward cruising here….The bars are low and pulled back to meet the rider, the foot pegs are behind you on machined rear-sets. The bike has attitude! This all topped off with curvaceous pipe that barks when you fire up the 1200ccV twin…man I couldn’t wait to get on the road
Suits you sir
I rode the 115 for about 10 miles or so, but most of it was on a cracking piece of tarmac known locally as ‘The Switchbacks’….this road bobs and weaves it way across the Severn Valley: Sinuous, undulating but it opens out it a long straight as it runs alongside the River Severn before you complete the section with a tight left and then an uphill right/left sequence as you get to the outskirts of the local town. It is a challenging piece of road, and the 115 lapped it up! I have ridden the standard Scout, it is cool, composed, laid back…it is ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ on wheels. The 115 in contrast is firm, aggressive and composed. That re-modelled suspension, barking exhaust and sporting riding position working in harmony to produce a genuinely sporting ride, more guitar riff from ‘Freebird’ to maintain the Lynyrd Skynyrd analogy! What Midwest Moto have produced is a later day two wheel ‘muscle-bike’ and I for one love it.
What a glorious bike to ride, it is fun, dam good looking and something totally individual. You will definitely stand out in the crowd if your roll up to your local bike meet on one of these! Midwest will tailor the bike to suit your tastes and budget, and you can even taken elements from it and fit to an Scout, most notably that curvaceous exhaust.
Curvier than a very Curvy thing!
It is not a cheap bike, but in a world where a factory stock Ducati Diavel or Yamaha V-Max can spoil the look of £20K it is not that expensive either.
Well done to Mark and the team at Midwest Moto, you have nailed it…and thanks for trusting me with it