Indian Scout

Indian Motorcycle Announces Three Finalists to Battle Head to Head in “The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build Off” Competition

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Indian Motorcycle today announced the three finalists for The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build Off, a custom motorcycle competition that spotlights amateurs who build bikes purely for the love of turning a wrench. A judging panel of professional builders and experts, including Roland Sands, Satya Kraus, Jason Paul Michaels and Hot Bike Editor-in-Chief, Jordan Mastagni along with an online fan vote, selected Alfredo Juarez, PJ Grakauskas and Christian Newman as the top three entrants. The three selected finalists will face off in a custom-build battle for a grand prize of $10,000 and a feature spread in Hot Bike Magazine.

From March 15-30, hopefuls from across the nation entered for the chance to win a new 2018 Indian Scout Bobber and a budget of $10,000 to design and customize the stock bike. From over 100 submissions, 12 top designs were showcased online and available for fan voting until April 19. Juarez, Grakauskas, and Newman, who received the three highest vote counts, each come from distinctly unique backgrounds and offer concepts that are as equally diverse.

Scout Bobber Build Off CT Newman scout

Christian Newman – Age 36 | Buffalo, NY

Newman, a mechanical engineer of mining equipment from upstate New York, is an incredibly creative amateur builder who shook up the chopper scene with his recent build of a 1940 V-twin fabricated almost entirely out of stainless steel. Newman will be building a swingarm-chopper-style Scout Bobber with old-school custom components, including a Crazy Frank fender and raw metal fabrication. Newman uses many old-world techniques which are more painstaking than most modern methods but require a more intensive attention to detail and higher level of craftsmanship.

“I’m excited to take a modern Indian motorcycle and infuse it with an 80’s chopper aesthetic,” said Newman. “I love that Indian is doing a 180 with this contest and shining a light on the guys that build for nothing more than the love of creating something totally personal and totally unique”.

Scout Bobber Build Off PJ Grakauskas

PJ Grakauskas – Age 39 | Avon, OH

Grakauskas is a family man from Ohio working as a safety inspector for OSHA, but it’s inside the shed in his backyard where his real passions are fed. With several polished and refined café racers under his belt, the Scout Bobber will be a totally unique platform for Grakauskas, but one he has been dreaming of building for quite a while. Inspired by his love for road racing, Grakauskas is building a full-fairing café racer with race-inspired brakes and suspension, as well as taking additional measures to increase the stock engine’s output. Grakauskas’ drawing looked good, but he promises it’ll be nothing compared to the finished product.

“I’m looking forward to creating a bike that expresses my passion and love of all things moto and paying homage to those who paved the way for what custom motorcycle culture is today,” said Grakauskas. “I couldn’t be more grateful or humbled to be chosen to build for a company with as much history as Indian.”

Scout Bobber Build Off AlfredoJuarez

Alfredo Juarez – Age 34 | Las Cruces, NM

Juarez is a NASA engineer based in Las Cruces, N.M. He started wrenching at the age of 12, but his fabrication journey began in college, building bikes and hot rods for his friends, and making all of the tools and tables he needed to do the job right. Spending his work days building things like flammability testing chambers makes the complex designs and ideas he submitted seem simple to him. When developing his concept for the competition, he visited an Indian Motorcycle dealership with an engineer’s scale and was able to glean all the necessary measurements to design his draft perfectly to scale—including his proposed rake, trail wheelbase and seat height within his entry. While his design concept is incredibly ambitious within the short timeline, Juarez has built frames in a matter of weeks and is confident he’ll can produce an incredible rigid Scout Bobber on deadline.

“I’m very blessed to have this opportunity put before me, and I’d like to express my appreciation and gratitude to Indian Motorcycle for including me in such a unique competition,” said Juarez. “After all the hours I’ve spent working on bikes over the years, it’s amazing to be recognized with something like this contest.”

The three custom Scout Bobbers will be unveiled on August 5th at the Buffalo Chip during the historic Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The public unveil will trigger a second fan voting process, which will determine the grand prize winner. The winner will be announced two weeks later and will receive a $10,000 grand prize along with a feature spread in Hot Bike magazine.

 

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE, JACK DANIEL’S® & KLOCK WERKS KUSTOM CYCLES HONOR FIRST RESPONDERS WITH LIMITED EDITION SCOUT® BOBBER

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2018-jack-daniels-scout-bobber-01 (1)

Indian Motorcycle, America’s first motorcycle company, and Jack Daniel’s, America’s first registered distillery, today introduced the Jack Daniel’s® Limited Edition Indian® Scout® Bobber. For the third straight year, the two iconic American brands have joined forces with Klock Werks Kustom Cycles of Mitchell, SD to celebrate their shared values with an ultra-premium, limited-edition motorcycle. This year, they looked to the Jack Daniel’s Fire Brigade and their impressive gold and black firetrucks for design inspiration.

Jack Daniel’s® is the only distillery in the world with its own fire brigade, which is staffed entirely by employee volunteers. The Jack Daniel’s Fire Brigade is an impressive showcase of the company’s commitment to quality and a remarkable symbol for the passion and dedication shared by Jack Daniel’s employees. The employees at Indian Motorcycle share that same passion for their craft and developed this bike as a tribute to the people who are committed to keeping their communities safe, the state-certified firefighters of Jack Daniel’s, as well as firefighters and EMS professionals everywhere.

The Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Indian Scout Bobber maintains the low-slung, blacked-out and stripped-down attitude of the Scout Bobber, but also boasts several ultra-premium, custom features that create a truly unique motorcycle. As a nod to the “Old No. 7 Brand”, only 177 of these bikes will be built globally, making anyone who owns one a member of an extremely exclusive club.

“Our partnership with Jack Daniel’s celebrates American craftsmanship of the highest order,” said Steve Menneto, President – Indian Motorcycle. “This year’s limited-edition bike draws inspiration from the incredible story of Jack Daniel’s Fire Brigade, while honoring the passion and dedication of firefighters and emergency medical responders who serve our country.”

Each of the 177 individually-numbered motorcycles are accented with Jack Daniel’s Fire Brigade themes.  The bike has subtle two-tone matte black paint, a first for Indian Motorcycle, and is covered in real 24-karat gold graphics on the tank and fenders. The 24-karat gold carries through to the Fire Brigade emblem on the tank and the “Bottles and Throttles Don’t Mix” emblem on the front fender.  Other custom details include a perforated genuine leather seat with “Jack Daniel’s” embroidery and custom grips, pegs, and shift levers inspired by the “Old No. 7 Brand.” Premium gloss black finishes on the fender struts, hand control levers, engine valve covers, and exhaust tips, while a gold colored Indian Scout badge further showcases the attention to detail given in the design of this limited-edition bike. Also unique is a one-of-a-kind Montana Silversmith badge that’s individually numbered and coated with real 24-karat gold.

In addition to the bike’s custom accents, it also features chopped fenders, bar-end mirrors, vented exhaust shields, knobby tires and a sleek headlight nacelle.

“The public’s response to the motorcycles that Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s have collaborated on has vastly exceeded our expectations year-over-year,” said Greg Luehrs, Director of Events and Sponsorships for Jack Daniel’s. “In celebration of this great partnership and our own Jack Daniel’s Fire Brigade, we are delighted to deliver a bike that honors firefighters and EMS first responders while also reinforcing the message that ‘Bottles and Throttles Don’t Mix.’”

To celebrate the hard work, commitment, and bravery of all firefighters and EMS first responders, Indian Motorcycle and Jack Daniel’s are hosting a sweepstakes only open to these service members. Participants can enter to win bike #001 at a variety of events this year, including Daytona Bike Week (March 9-18), Fire Department Instructor’s Conference (April 23-28), Sturgis Motorcycle Rally (Aug. 3-12), and Red Knights Motorcycle Club International Convention (Aug. 16-19).

The Jack Daniel’s® Limited Edition Indian® Scout® Bobber will be available globally for order starting 12 p.m. EST on March 13. To reserve one, visit or call an Indian Motorcycle dealership. The 2016 Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Indian Springfield and Chief Vintage models sold out in less than 8 hours, while the 2017 Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Indian Chieftain sold out in less than 10 minutes.

Each bike will come with a commemorative fireman’s axe, which will be engraved with the owner’s name, motorcycle number (#001-#177) and VIN.  Pricing starts at $16,999 in the U.S. and $20,999 in Canada. Each bike also comes with a two-year unlimited mileage factory warranty and free membership in the Indian Motorcycle Riders Group™ for one year. Each bike will be built to order with delivery starting in August 2018.

For more information on Indian Motorcycle, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE SPOTLIGHTS UNKNOWN BUILDERS WITH “THE WRENCH: SCOUT BOBBER BUILD OFF” COMPETITION

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There was a time when building custom motorcycles came with zero promise of fame or fortune. Instead, it was purely about the love of chopping, welding and grinding on sheet metal. Indian Motorcycle, America’s first motorcycle company founded in 1901, today announced The Wrench: Scout Bobber Build Off competition. A custom motorcycle competition unlike any other, The Wrench celebrates those who find their sense of identity, purpose and glory, spending painstaking hours wrenching on garage builds.

Indian Motorcycle, along with Hot Bike magazine and a panel of expert judges, featuring Roland Sands, Satya Kraus, Jason Paul Michaels and Hot Bike Editor-in-Chief Jordan Mastagni are seeking three of the most-talented motorcycle craftsmen in the country with the vision and talent to transform stock Indian Scout Bobbers into one-off works of custom motorcycle art. The competition is not open to professional builders and contestants cannot make a living customizing motorcycles.  Instead, Indian Motorcycle is looking for everyday wrenchers, home builders and amateur customizers who tinker in the garage for the passion, not the pay. Motorcycle industry professionals, such as a mechanic or salesperson, are welcomed to submit.

From March 15-30, amateur builders can submit to be one of three chosen participates. From April 3-13, the top submissions will be showcased online and available for fan voting.

“We wanted to create a program that would celebrate the unsung heroes who spend countless hours wrenching on their bikes. The men and women who don’t do it for recognition or notoriety, but solely for self-expression and the pure art of customizing a motorcycle,” said Reid Wilson, Senior Director – Marketing and Product Planning for Indian Motorcycle. “Last year we saw what professionals could do with the Scout Bobber platform when Kraus Motor, Keino Cycles and RSD unveiled incredible designs at the Brooklyn Invitational. This year, we’re turning the spotlight away from the pros, and shining it on everyday wrenchers.”

Indian Motorcycle will arm each amateur builder with a new 2018 stock Indian Scout Bobber and provide a build budget of $10,000. Participants will design and create their own take on the stripped-down, 100 horsepower cruiser. The three custom Scout Bobbers will be unveiled in July, followed by a fan vote. The winner will be announced at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and will receive a $10,000 grand prize along with a feature spread in Hot Bike magazine.

To enter, wrenchers can visit IndianMotorcycle.com and submit 500 words explaining their build plans and why they’re deserving to be one of three participants. Submissions should include a sketch or digital design rendering of their customized Scout Bobber concept, along with descriptions and imagery of previous builds. Those submitting are asked to include any references who can reinforce their talent and justify their skills. Video submissions are also welcomed.