Heavy Duty – July-August 2019

DIFFERENT

STROKES

The FTR1200 is available in

three different guises, with the

standard FTR1200 featuring

an analogue dash,

non-adjustable suspension

and anti-lock brakes only in

the electronics department.

At $20,995 it’s an affordable,

great looking bike that’s still

going to make you smile.

But if you can, we’d suggest

stretching the wallet a little

further and going for the

S-version ($22,995), which gets

the dash upgraded to the TFT

screen, the full-monty electronics

suite and a couple of standout

colour combos that set the FTR

off (red over steel gray / titanium

metallic over black pearl).

And if you want to give

yourself a really decent present,

then add another couple of

grand and go for the Race

Replica, which has a unique

paint scheme and the sweetest

set of Akropovic cans which not

only make the FTR look racier

but add a bit of rumble too.

The final piece of the puzzle is the tyres, with styl-
ists wanting to retain the unique look of the rubber
used on the flat track bikes. Dunlop accepted the
challenge and came back with a set of hoops that
complement the design of the FTR. Although the
FTR has an off-road slant, the tyres needed to be
able to cope with road and gravel work, and despite
not getting to try them off-road, I can testify that
they can be pushed hard on the road with no feeling
of squirming under heavy braking or acceleration.

Modern Heart
The FTR looks retro yet a glance at the dash shows
the electronics package is bang up-to-date, with the
S-model receiving a stunning, and clever, full-colour
4.3in TFT touchscreen that lets you manage the
suite of electronics with a swipe of your gloved hand.
Featuring traction control, wheelie control, ABS, rear
wheel lift mitigation and switchable power modes
that alter the electronic throttle, there’s plenty to play
with. You can even connect your phone to handle
calls and flick through music on the go, as long as
it’s synced to a Bluetooth system in your helmet.
It’s all intuitive and easy to use, with the ability to
swipe through display layouts a particularly cool
touch. There’s even a Track mode which allows you
to switch off all the electronic aids, although it’s
a shame you can’t choose what modes you want

individually. Switching it off turns everything off,

when it would be nice to have the option to turn

wheelie and traction control off for a bit of fun time

while keeping the ABS on for when you run out of

talent. If you’re going to play hero on this bike you

need to be the real deal.

Thankfully, the braking package on the FTR is

a primo Brembo monobloc calipers and master

cylinder combination offering plenty of power with

exceptional feel. It’s a sublime set-up , not a braking

package that wants to fire you over the handlebars

with a slight brush of the front brake lever. It would

ruin the easy-going nature of the machine to have

fierce braking. Instead, you can scrub off speed

deep into corners without fear of overwhelming

the front tyre as the Brembos let you know exactly

how much pressure your pinkies are putting on

twin 320mm discs.

The 6-axis IMU stability control system also helps

keep the FTR in line when your inner hooligan

emerges – something that’s very easy with this

machine and almost encouraged – limiting the

“I SELECTED THIRD GEAR AND

LEFT IT THERE, SUCH IS THE

EXPANSE OF THE POWER CURVE.”