Words Paul Lance – Bike Rider Magazine NZ Pics IndianA
s with any launch, the first
thing is a briefing for details
of the bike we’re about to
ride, why they made it
and where it fits into the
market. Plus, the usual trumpet
blowing about how well the said
manufacturer is performing.
Only a couple of slides into the pres-
entation it became evident that Indian- despite only being in the game since
2014 – have a lot to shout about,
with sales across the globe show-
ing double-figure percentage
increases everywhere except
North America, where they
still managed growth despite
the market shrinking.
And it’s only going to get
bigger, with the FTR1200
set to turbocharge those
sales figures. This unique
model will open up an
entirely new genre for
the Polaris-owned brand.
Until the release of the Scout
a couple of years ago any Indian
showroom would be crammed with
large capacity fully-dressed tourers. That was all they
did. But now the young, the sporty and the custom
lovers all have a reason to visit an Indian store and
we reckon they’re gonna love what they see.Dirt To Road
Flat track racing is big in the States. Flat track in the
States consists of 750cc V-twins, loosely based on
road bikes, battling it out on mile-long ovals. And, as
it turns out, Indian are rather good at racing. They
kicked butt and won 17 out of 18 races in 2018,
taking back-to-back AMA titles in the process. But
would the racer make a good road bike?
Well, the team from Indian made some mock-ups
and went alll around the world asking dealers and
focus groups what they thought, and the resulting
whoops and high fives (this is America after all)
showed they were on the right path.
The design has been kept true to the racer, with a
solid resemblance letting you know they’re from the
same family. However, a handbuilt 750cc V-twin race
engine however wasn’t going to cut it so the motor
was taken from the Scout (a great powerplant in its
own right) and then tweaked, nipped and tucked till
it provided the sort of performance they required
to match the styling of the FTR. That saw the new
motor get high-flow cylinder heads, dual throttle
bodies, an increased compression ratio of 12.5:1
and a low inertia crank giving the FTR a maximum
power output of 123hp from the 1203cc 60-degree
V-twin, and a stomping 120Nm /88ft/lbs of torque
kicking you in the pants. Oh yeah!Styled to look like their FTR750 which white-washed the
American Flat Track championship in 2018, the new Indian
FTR1200 is set to take American V-twins to a new level...
TRACKER