American motorcycle manufacturer Indian has been running a high-profile custom build program every year for some time now, called Forged. The idea is pretty simple: a specific Indian motorcycle is selected and given to some of the most famous customizers of our time, who are then asked to build something unique for a famous person, while adhering to a limited set of guidelines.
This year’s Forged was all about the 2025 Scout Cruiser, and the three custom builders selected to participate were Roland Sands Design (RSD), Brittney Olsen and Ronna Noren. Each of the three had to come up with a custom vehicle with a design “rooted in a historical figure, machine or inspirational era from Scout’s 100+ year storied history.”
All three bikes are now complete and have been demonstrated by Indian on various occasions. We have spoken about each one in due course, but I think a summary of what has come out of this effort is in order. So we have all three bikes under one roof for each of you to enjoy properly.
Roland Sands designs Custom Scout for Joshua Dun of Twenty One Pilots
Neither Roland Sands nor Joshua Dun need any introduction. The former is an icon of the American custom bike industry, while the latter made a name for himself as part of the music duo Twenty One Pilots.
The Scout that Sands put together for Dun transformed the standard cruiser into something resembling a powerful street motorcycle. Granted, no mechanical changes were made, but the way it was designed certainly makes it look like one.
The main change to the bike was the blending of its DNA with that of the standard FTR bike, giving the project a flat track look. The forks and triple clamps at the front were taken from that model, while the rear received a swingarm and piggyback shocks, also forming an FTR setup.
RSD modified the bike’s fairing, installed an FTR 1200 front fender, completely removed the rear fender, and mounted a Pro Taper Carmichael Bend handlebar and a custom Saddlemen seat on top of the bike’s backbone.
The wheels of the converted Scout are also custom-made, measuring 17 inches at both ends. Both are fitted with Dunlop Sportmax Q5s tyres with yellow markings to match the overall look of the body.
Here, in the paintwork, RSD references Indian’s heritage, namely motorcycle racer Ed “Iron Man” Kretz, who was a real sensation in the 1930s and 1940s.
Brittney Olsen Custom Scout for Country Singer Nikki Lane
Brittney Olsen is a lesser-known name than country music star Nikki Lane, but it’s one that people are likely to remember from now on, because the vehicle that the founder of the 20th Century Racing project has built is something truly extraordinary.
The Scout modified by this manufacturer is a tribute to the Indian Chief motorcycles from the 1940s, but also to an Indian rider from the same era, Cecilia Adams – and so the custom bike remains true to the guidelines of the motorcycle manufacturer.
Chief’s heritage is best seen in the springs, shocks and risers used to build the bike, all of which are original Chief parts from the era and are perfectly matched to the FTR wire wheels (19″ front and 18″ rear), as well as the cosmetic modifications to the bodywork.
The Scout received a modified rear fender, but lost the front one entirely. The rear of the bike now features a teardrop-shaped fuel tank with Springfield and Chieftain fairings. The body of the bike was given a neat dark paint job with lots of yellow and chrome accents.
The engine of this Scout also remained in its original condition, but a stainless steel exhaust system was installed to make the motorcycle even more unique.
Ronna Noren Custom Scout for Scorpions drummer Mikkey Dee
Ronna Noren is the founder of a custom shop called Unique Custom Cycles, and the bike he built for Scorpions drummer Mikkey Dee is certainly the most extreme of all three Scouts modified as part of this year’s Forged series. That’s for the simple reason that the cruiser has been transformed into a chopper.
The manufacturer achieved this by significantly changing the angles and some of the dimensions of the bike. The frame was stretched by four inches, the reach of the fork was increased with four degrees of offset and a narrower, unique upper frame was installed.
The Scout’s wheels were swapped for stainless steel spoked wheels measuring 21″ in the front and 18″ in the rear. A custom exhaust system with unique headers and stainless steel mufflers was also added to one side to draw attention to the bike and help the stock engine breathe easier.
As for the body of the vehicle, almost nothing was spared from modifications. There are custom-made fenders, a modified handlebar, a shorter and narrower fuel tank and a special seat.
You can enjoy all three Forged Custom models in the attached gallery, but also in the reveal videos that accompany each of them. The images should be more than enough to keep us interested in what Indian has planned for next year.
