in all its glory, but the 2- piston front caliper pinching a 298mm disc lacks power and feels wooden at the lever. A firm press on the rear brake pedal helps slow things down, but that 1- piston caliper out back can only do so much. ABS is standard and only works in a straight line.

The RT’ s nonadjustable 41mm fork offers 4.7 inches of travel and delivers decent ride quality. Not harsh, not plush, it gets the job done. Its dual preload- adjustable shocks have only 3 inches of stroke to soak up whatever the road throws your way. With a feet- forward riding position it’ s not always possible to rise up out of the seat, so big hits often send jolts up the rider’ s spine.

Admittedly, being 6 feet tall with long arms, I find the rider triangle on Scouts to be on the cramped side. The RT’ s saving grace is its 5.5- inch bar risers, which allow the rider to sit more upright than on some other Scout models. At nearly 40 mpg, we averaged only about 134

Left and below: The RT’ s bar risers allow the rider to sit more upright than on some other Scouts. Right top: The 4-inch TFT packs a ton of info into a compact gauge. Right bottom: The front wheel looks trick, but the front brake is weak.

miles from a tank of gas, so frequent fill- ups provided a good opportunity to unwind myself and do a few stretches before getting back in the saddle.

AMERICAN MADE

This year is a Big Deal for the United States. We’ re celebrating 250 years of independence on July 4, our most famous road, Route 66, turns 100 this year, and Indian built its first motorcycle 125 years ago. Sure, Indian has had its ups and downs since it went bankrupt in 1953, but who doesn’ t love a good comeback story?

The Indian Sport Scout RT is a fine example of what we’ re good at making here in the U. S. of A. It’ s a muscular,

18 / AUGUST 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM