JSR Speed & Performance: 9-second Indian Scout Bobber…
In 2017, Indian introduced the Scout Bobber, a blacked-out variant of the standard Scout with lower suspension, chopped fenders, solo seat, headlight cowl, and other changes to give the bobber a lower, meaner presence on the street. The engine is the same liquid-cooled 1133cc, 94-bhp V-twin as the regular Scout — an engine that’s drawn high praise across the board:
“Everyone who has ridden the new Scout praises its strong, easy-to-use power. This engine actually has the flat torque curve that others talk about, and it does not sag as the engine revs up.” -Kevin Cameron, Cycle World
Enter our new friend Jack Cambra Jr. of JSR Speed & Performance, a Hawaii native with drag racing in his blood. Jack’s father raced NHRA Pro Comp and Top Alcohol (“but he’s raced everything”), and Jack has been riding and racing streetbikes since his first street/strip machine, a ’98 Buell S1. His Kawasaki ZX-12 was was “Hawaii’s Quickest Streetbike” from 2001-2009, and Jack raced AMA/ProStar with a best 1/4-mile time of 7.89 @ 189mph.
Unfortunately, in a short period of time, AMA/ProStar folded, the track on Jack’s home island of Oahu closed, and the ferry to Maui — the next nearest island with a dragstrip — shut down. That was back in 2008. However, more than a decade later, Jack’s wife, Stacia, decided it was time he got back in the saddle…and on the track.
“I stopped riding till my wife got me my Indian Scout as a gift in June 2020. I planned the build from 2018 and it’s been a roller coaster ride ever since! Our workshop is just me and my wife building bikes we like and having fun.”
Their vision for a street/strip Scout Bobber was clear from the beginning, and they had a goal in mind that would warm the heart of old Burt Munro of “World’s Fastest Indian” fame:
“My bikes are always street ridden, no wheelie bars, and a street tire — I knew that was the main focus of the build. I set out to build her to be the world’s quickest Indian Scout and to be different from anything out there; those were the only rules for the build.”
The result is “Hannibal,” a nitrous-injected 1300cc “Thug Tracker” that’s earned the title of
the “World’s First 9 Second Indian Streetbike,” running a 9.8 at 135 mph.
As you might imagine, the modifications are vast. Jack details everything below, but highlights include the 1300cc Revolution big bore kit, White Knuckle Speed Shop head cleanup, Andrews 450 cams with Kibblewhite valve springs and titanium retainers, and JSR dry nitrous system.
“Hannibal makes 118hp on motor and 139hp on nitrous. Bike weighed 489lbs with a gallon of gas before we put the swingarm on.”
To get that power to the pavement, the bike is running a 207 Kustoms 8” extended swingarm, 17” x 6” rear wheel, Rekluse TorqDrive Clutch, and DynoJet electronic quick-shifter. Still, Hannibal is one beast of a machine to tame on the strip. Says Jack:
“I’ve raced 7-second streetbikes and this bike is still a handful to ride. Shifting is electric but it’s still by foot so trying to 60’ hard and get my foot to the shifter has become increasingly more challenging as the 60’ got quicker. But it’s loads of fun!”
Jack has a whole army of family and friends he thanks below — from fabricators to tuners to fellow racers — but his biggest thanks go out to his wife, Stacia (“she’s made it all happen from getting our bike to racing in Hilo, Hawaii”) and his father, Jack Cambra Sr.
“My father…was an inspiration to this build and key to teaching me about drag racing… This bike was a tribute to his favorite race car ‘Rough & Ready,’ a 1948 Anglia (English Ford) he raced in A/Gas. He passed before we could get on the track but he got to see the build.”
No doubt, the old man would be duly proud of his son and daughter-in-law, who’ve built this incredible 9-second ground-pounder. Best of all, “Hannibal” is no trailer queen. Jack’s photos of the bike touring the islands with a tankbag or riding out to karaoke night speak for themselves.
This Indian is one true street and strip machine, and we’re damn proud of the Cambras for building, riding, and racing it out of their home garage. Surely Burt Munro and the whole army of Indian boardtrack racers, flat trackers, and “slant artists” (hillclimbers) of a century ago would be proud, too.
Below, we talk to Jack Jr. for the full story on “the world’s quickest Indian streetbike.”
Indian Thug Tracker: Racer Interview
• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.
My name is Jack Cambra Jr. And I started riding in 1998. In 1999 I started racing and fixing up my first street/strip bike, a 1998 Buell S1 Lightning. Drag racing bikes was love at first sight for me. I progressed into a Kawasaki ZX12 streetbike that ran a best of 8.53 @ 161mph. This was the Hawaii’s Quickest Streetbike from 2001-2009.
I then went on to race in AMA/ProStar’s quickest streetbike shootout where my best time was a 7.89 @ 189mph. AMA/ProStar folded up and our racetrack on my island of Honolulu closed in 2006. I raced a few times on Maui when we had a ferry to travel island between islands. The ferry shut down in 2008 and I stopped riding till my wife got me my Indian Scout as a gift in June 2020. I planned the build from 2018 and it’s been a roller coaster ride ever since! Our workshop is just me and my wife building bikes we like and having fun.
• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?
2020 Indian Scout Bobber.
• For what class of racing was the bike built?
My bikes are always street ridden, no wheelie bars, and a street tire — I knew that was the main focus of the build. I set out to build her to be the world’s quickest Indian Scout and to be different from anything out there; those were the only rules for the build.
We mostly have bracket races here in Hawaii where all bikes race each other. There are turbo sport bikes racing “gas bikes”, pedal bikes with engines on them. It’s amazing and takes skill to bracket in such a diverse class.
• What custom work/upgrades have been done?
- JSR modified RSD Subframe, JSR modified RSD mid controls (Flo Motorsports pegs modified to fit), RSD countershaft cover and RSD risers
- 207 Kustoms 8” over swingarm
- FOX piggyback shocks out back
- GP suspension internals out front
- RC Components 17” x 6” rims out back and matching 17” x 3” rims out front
- Zippers chain drive conversion
- Rebel Gears Custom Sprocket
- Fabricated chain guard
- 2001 ZX-12 front fender modified to fit
- Vintage Honda flat track tail section modified to fit
- Fabricated drag seat that works with passenger
- Trask passenger peg mounts
- Modified Free Spirits number plate headlight
- 1980 Suzuki GS windscreen
- Indian analog tach
- Raptor shift light with custom plug and play harness
- Rizoma handlebars and Oury Grips
- Rizoma bar end signals
- Barnett clutch cable
- Rekluse TorqDrive Clutch with heavy springs
- Spectrum P7 lithium battery
- DynoJet quick-shifter
- DynoJet PC3 & PV5
- Dyno tuned by Unicorn Garage
- Zippers intake
- Trask 2-1 tracker exhaust
- JSR dry nitrous system
- Schnitz micro storm progressive nitrous controller
- Revolution big bore kit (1300cc)
- Andrews 450 cams
- Kibblewhite Precision Machining Inc. 450 valve spring kit and titanium retainers
- White Knuckle Speed Shop head cleanup
- Stock bottom end
- Titanium bolts throughout
• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride/race this bike?
The bike is “Hannibal,” her nickname is “Rough & Ready,” and the build style is a JSR Thug Tracker. Hannibal makes 118hp on motor and 139hp on nitrous. Bike weighed 489lbs with a gallon of gas before we put the swingarm on; I’m guessing weight is about 500lbs now with a gallon of gas.
Best time all motor in the 1/4 mile is 10.49 and the best 1/4 mile on nitrous is a 9.80 @ 135mph, making us the Quickest Indian Streetbike on Earth! I’ve raced 7-second streetbikes and this bike is still a handful to ride. Shifting is electric but it’s still by foot so trying to 60’ hard and get my foot to the shifter has become increasingly more challenging as the 60’ got quicker. But it’s loads of fun! This Indian is strong and durable and always shows up on race day. It’s the most durable bike I have raced!
• Anybody you’d like to thank?
First and foremost I’d like to thank my wife, Stacia. Without her there would be nobody else to thank! If not for her I’d still be dreaming about racing. She’s made it all happen from getting our bike to racing in Hilo, Hawaii. I started planning a bike in 2017, a build that was mostly just a dream. She made it a reality. Thank you and I love you.
I’d like to thank my father who was an inspiration to this build and key to teaching me about drag racing. He was most known racing NHRA Pro Comp and Top Alcohol but he’s raced everything. This bike was a tribute to his favorite race car “Rough & Ready”, a 1948 Anglia (English Ford) he raced in A/Gas. He passed before we could get on the track but he got to see the build.
- Thank you Jamie and family and mom for always supporting me.
- Thank you Little Greg for original build assembly and for always being grouchy.
- Thank you Gary for all your fabrication work.
- Thank you Raptor Shift Lights for all your help with custom harnesses and best shift lights in the game.
- Thank you Dean Speed for letting me pick your brain and for all the sick parts!
- Thank you AVP Coatings for all my powder coating work.
- Thank you Imagery Graphics for all my graphics and now my wraps! Over 20 years he’s been taking care of me! Thank you.
- Thank you Shayne Kamahele and Family, he took us in and made racing on another island possible, and he is also a hell of a fabricator making our swingarm and much more.
- Thank you Nick Busher for building my motors and dyno tuning them to perfection.
- Thank you Derek Anderson and KYT Helmets America for providing us with the best helmets I’ve ever used.
- Thank you Montgomery PowerSports and Montgomery PowerSports Hilo for sponsoring our program and shipping our bike to the island we race on and back. Thank you for supporting us.
- Thank you to Rebel Gears for all the help with custom sprockets and gearing. These guys are SHARP!
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Web: www.jsr01.com
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I Like It!! Glad for you!!