Nikki Lane’s 2025 Indian Sport Scout Customized by Racer/Builder Brittney Olsen

Two women inspired by vintage style build a motorcycle

By Tricia Szulewski, Editor
Feature Articles, Female Friendly Motorcycles /

Customizing the Indian Scout

Indian Motorcycle’s Forged custom build series highlights how customization is at the forefront of Indian Motorcycle’s next evolution of its Indian Scout WRN reviewed earlier this year. The Scout’s new steel tube frame delivers an approachable platform for customization, as the tank, fenders and subframe can be easily removed and replaced.

Brittney Olsen Nikki Lane Indian Scout
This custom Indian Scout hits the nail on the head for its new owner, country musician Nikki Lane. Taking cues from Sport Scouts of the 1950s, Brittney Olsen designed a bike that combines modern technology with the style and feel from many decades ago.

The Forged custom build program is a six-part video series highlighting three unique interpretations of the all-new 2025 Indian Scout, inspired by the stories and personalities that have made the Scout such an icon for more than a century. The first woman builder in the Forged custom build series, vintage motorcycle racer Brittney Olsen drew her inspiration from another female motorcycling pioneer, Cecilia Adams. 

“You have these guys that are just throughout the history of motorcycling showing what the Scout can do. But then here’s something that doesn’t really get hit on,” says Olsen. The historical foundation for her bike build are women riders in the early 1940s and ’50s who would ride (and race) Indian Sport Scouts back in the day, such as Cecilia Adams.

Cecilia Adams LIFE magazine Royal Indianfield
This photo, shot by Loomis Dean for a story in LIFE magazine, highlights Cecilia Adams and her “Royal Indianfield” racebike (an Indian Scout engine in a Royal Enfield frame) that she customized to win women’s enduro races with.

Building Nikki an Indian Scout

Olsen’s custom Indian Scout, built for country music singer Nikki Lane, is right on point with Adams and what women’s Sport Scouts were like in the 1950s, though built for riding on the street. Adams’ well-known enduro racebike was actually named a Royal Indianfield, because the Indian Scout engine was housed in a Royal Enfield frame. 

Because Nikki Lane, like Brittney Olsen, is a lover of all things vintage, transforming the new Indian Scout into a modern vintage custom came quite naturally. Watch the video here to see Nikki’s reaction when her new motorcycle is delivered by Olsen and Roland Sands.

 The 1950s-style girder front end stands out and is 100% hand built custom just for this Scout. Combining 1946-48 Indian Chief parts with the modern Sport Scout, two springs and a shock make up the front end suspension components.

girder front end Nikki Lane Brittney Olsen custom Indian Scout
The front end girder offers a real vintage look and feel. It’s usually a pair of uprights attached to the triple clamp by linkages with a spring between the top and bottom triple clamps. Olsen did a fantastic job customizing these parts to make the Scout look and feel like a bike from the 1950s.
Custom Indian Scout tank Brittney Olsen
The Scout’s custom lettering, striping, and gold and silver leaf was done by Jeremy Pederson.
Custom Indian Scout rear fender
The rigid rear fender is low, blending vintage and modern nicely.

See More

Check out more videos and see the other builds from Indian Motorcycle’s Forged custom build program online. Check out Brittney Olsen’s build video here and visit IndianMotorcycle.com.

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