TESTED: INDIAN’S FTR 1200
The revitalised Indian have proven to be a very deep thorn in the side of Harley-davidson. Now they’ve decided to pick a fight with the likes of BMW, Ducati and Triumph with their new retro, tracker, naked…
Indian’s latest contender ridden in the California hills.
TURNING OFF THE world famous Pacific Coast Highway towards the Santa Monica hills, the road ahead is brand new black tarmac. We’ve covered five or so miles from the hotel, in busy traffic. Glimpsing down, everything about the Indian FTR1200S looks and feels premium, the touchscreen TFT dash, radial master cylinder front brake, Pro Taper fat bars…
Suddenly the road tightens, becoming an unpredictable and relentless series of blind loops and hairpins as it passes driveways and turns. The pace is fast and I don’t feel comfortable. Before leaving the hotel Indian’s engineers say they tend to always ride in Sport setting rather than the other options of Standard or Rain. I follow their lead but in this setting the throttle’s initial feel mixed with the wallop of engine braking means I’m struggling to get on
and off the gas as smoothly as I’d like on the unfamiliar road, at least at this aggressive pace. And new bike launch rides tend to be conducted with rabid ferocity. There’s less than 100 metres between each blind bend and progress is all slightly jerky when I’d prefer silky.
I keep pressing on and have a couple of small, rear wheel slides and I’m not a rear wheel slides on the road kind of rider. The FTR is fitted with specially developed Dunlop DT3-R tyres with a pattern very similar to those the company have used to dominate flat track racing since their full-time competition comeback in 2017. It’s a tread pattern not really seen on a new bike since the Suzuki RV125 Vanvan roamed the earth. When mixed with a dry weight of 222kg and an instant delivery of torque that comes in like a deranged gravedigger’s shovel to the back of the head, the quirky choice of tyres is a little questionable. Part of me hates to say that, because from a styling point of view I like them and they’re an important element of the overall look.
The new bike comes in two versions, 1200 and the 1200S, and with a huge array of accessory options. The 1200S has adjustable front forks; a nacelle around the distinctive headlight; TFT screen dash and two-tone paint with a subtle metalflake. The rangetopping ‘Race Replica’ version of the 1200S also has a maroon frame, different paint and Akrapovic pipe with twin silencers. The route continues on rougher mountain roads, the ocean receding behind and I feel the S’s stock suspension settings are too firm for me. I assume Indian definitely didn’t want this bike to be cursed with a label of soft cruiser with faux flat track pretensions. Nothing about it is doughy. It’s all chest out, steroid swagger. I think there is a more compliant road bike in there, but the desire to give it some sportsbike edge has changed the overall character and perhaps not for the better. There is only one base model in our group, and the lead rider is on it, with his satnav set up on the bars. Those who get the chance to ride both say the base model feels plusher and they prefer it overall, so this is very much a launch report of the ‘S’ and Race Replica.
Describing how a motorcycle is ‘typically American’ is no doubt easy to decipher. The FTR1200 is not that, despite being inspired by that most American of bike sports – flat-track. The frame is a composite of alloy tubes with castings around the swingarm pivot and a cast alloy subframe. It is a very familiar solution in 21st century bike design and is the kind of chassis employed by a potential rival, the Ducati Monster 1200. With their 120bhp FTR, Indian are drawing a line in the sand. The company is aligning this big roadster with those coming out of Europe, not anything currently being built by their Milwaukee rival. Yet while it has a very refined finish, it isn’t as instantly engaging to ride as the best European heavyweight roadsters or scramblers.
Another 30 miles of the twistiest of twisties and we’re waiting to turn back onto the world’s most iconic coast road. I still feel slightly clumsy on the bike. A few traffic lights give me chance to launch dragbike style and it stomps away with the front wheel going light, but not every clutchless shift is performed perfectly adding to the impression that the FTR and I are not made for each other. The 1203cc, 60-degree V-twin is all new for the model, sharing nothing but a handful of minor components with the Scout motor. Indian describe how much weight they’ve taken out of the motor, how much the rev limit has increased and repeatedly
‘Indian definitely didn’t want this bike to be cursed with a label of soft cruiser with faux flat track pretensions. Nothing about it is doughy. It’s all chest out, steroid swagger’
use the word ‘snappy’. The engine is used as a stressed member, with the swingarm bolting through the back of the cases. This core will form the guts of a long line of FTR variants for years to come. Like Triumph have done with the Bonneville and Ducati with their Scrambler, one model tweaked for niches to give longevity and a new twist every year. The route turns back into the mountains and our convoy scuds up another busy mountain road this time, mercifully, with a very different series of bends. A few miles of top gear sweepers are torn through at step-away-from-the-motorcycle-with-your-hands-inthe-air speeds and the 1200 S finally feels right at home. Doubts about those Dunlop tyres are, thankfully, forgotten and much higher speeds and more momentum mask the engine braking lurch I previously suffer. Bigger throttle openings mean I no longer need surgeon-like precision with the twistgrip. The motor is a beast and the firm suspension now translates to taut and planted. I am smiling for the first time during this ride. If we had only been testing on this kind of road, I think I would have had a very different story to tell.
Fuel is carried under the seat, the ‘tank’ is actually an airbox cover. It helps give the FTR good balance and it carries its bulk well. I use the touchscreen dash to click out of Sport into Standard mode and it improves the throttle connection. Indian say the engine management is intelligent and will ‘learn’ the owner’s behaviour to change the fuelling, and presumably the throttle feel. I would prefer it if the factory just nailed it right from the start. One of the other testers is so perturbed by the fuelling he asks to swap bikes. It isn’t that bad for me and I feel nit picky for highlighting it, but this is a £14,000 motorcycle. And that is significant money in most circumstances.
It’s just five years since Polaris bought the Indian brand, fewer still since they shelved their Victory marque to put all their efforts into the long dormant name. Being part of the Polaris family means the engine was developed by teams in
‘Torque that comes in like a deranged gravedigger’s shovel to the back of the head’
both Minneapolis and at Swissauto’s HQ in Switzerland. The reanimated brand is growing market share and often stealing headlines from the other US V-twin manufacturer. The fight is compelling and will continue for decades to come. The FTR already has the mature feel usually bestowed by a long-established brand. It’s not trying to win favour with too many gimmicks or quirks, but it’s certainly not a ‘me too’ machine hoping to cash in by copying someone else’s well-proven recipe. The Indian design team say they couldn’t find a direct competitor, but benchmarked it against the BMW R ninet and Ducati’s big Monster during development. I’d be a little surprised if it wins Bike group tests when it is inevitably pitted against the best Europe has to offer but that won’t be the end of the world for Indian. The FTR’S looks and attitude have already sold it and I don’t think any of those who have already put down deposits before test riding will be disappointed. Indian’s new FTR is thoughtfully designed and detailed – even the rubber bands that tie cables to the bars have an Indian ‘I’ on them and the wires running under the left of the engine are routed in a dainty bolt-on conduit. Little about the design makes me turn my nose up, except the official optional rear fender eliminator kit. Ugh…
For decades, and with very few exceptions, American bikes have only sold to riders wanting an American bike, with a legion of Japanese copies being built for those who couldn’t afford prime US iron. The FTR1200 has broken that mould. It might not be perfect, but it’s a serious contender.
‘For decades American bikes have only sold to riders wanting an American bike… The FTR 1200 has broken that mould’