VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P113
a cruiser, and ease of use is al-
ways nice, but that balance of feel
and soul is so very delicate.
The Bobber is the only model
with shorter rear shocks, provid-
ing only two inches of travel to
every other model's three inches,
but also defined by its short
rear fender, which is now shared
through Sport Scout and 101
Scout models. With short travel, it
makes sense that the rear shock
felt a bit stiff and relayed a little
too much road feel through the
city, but in contrast, it also high
-
lighted how the Scout's seat has
radically improved. In previous
models, the seat's contour was a
little tight and didn't fit all riders
well. Foam padding was a little
stiff, and it left something to be
desired in terms of plushness.
New seats across all models
are a radical improvement with
higher-quality padding and a
much-improved contour shape.
We made our way to the bayside
of the city and climbed Lombard
Street, which was a unique experi
-
ence as San Francisco's steepest
street is one-way only, and typi-
cally, that means downhill. This
fun photo op also really showed
the Scout's low-speed handling
capabilities as the bike was easily
maneuvered through very tight
turns at an extreme road angle.
We did a few passes for photos
and video before moving on to
Fort Point, a small area at the
base of the Golden Gate Bridge
that provides arguably the best
view of the monument. With the
light reflecting off the Bay, the new
contours and shapes of the Scout,
especially on the matte-painted
Bobber, were able to shine.
The tight, hilly streets of San Francisco were an excellent proving ground for the new Scout's low-speed handling capabilities.
