We expect many Scout Sixty owners, enchanted by their riding experiences, will succumb to a natural case of “Scout Envy” and step up from the base 60ci Scout Sixty to the 69ci Scout, where they’ll find significantly more robust performance. We live and breathe numbers, and we think you’ll like these: The Scout has 13.4 percent more displacement than the Scout Sixty but pumps out 28.2 percent more horsepower (now a claimed 100 hp), plus 10.8 percent more torque. Given that the curb weight of the Scout is just 4 pounds more (550 versus 546), this bumps the Scout’s weight-to-power ratio to 5.5 pounds per horsepower compared to 7:1 for the Scout Sixty. In muscle-car terms, this puts the Scout ahead of the latest Camaro ZL1. Okay, then!
Besides performance, another plus for the Scout is its dual seating, with the deeply bucketed (too much for our liking, actually) solo seat complimented by a rear-fender-mounted pillion. The tan dual seats, plus bright engine finishes, identify the Scout at a glance.
Likes: Amped-up horsepower, minimal weight increase.
Dislikes: Locked-in seating position, stingy suspension travel.
Verdict: For a nominal price surcharge, the Scout is way more bike.