We have had the pleasure of housing some of the best motorcycles out there in the xBhp Garage. While all of those motorcycles have been special for us in one way or another, the Indian FTR 1200 will always be at the sharp end of that particular list. It was an Indian Motorcycle machine that was nothing like any other Indian Motorcycle machine. From riding it in Los Angeles at the global launch to being the first customer of the FTR in India, our time with this beast has been very special.
Despite having let go of ours, we can never give up any opportunity to get a taste of this unique blend of American Iron. We happened to be in Australia, adding another special machine to the repertoire when the opportunity came along to ride another motorcycle alongside this one. We chose the latest iteration of the Indian FTR 1200 for the job. As it turns out, the new FTR 1200 is even more of a hoot than before!
The major difference between the Indian FTR 1200 that we had and this new one is the application. Ours was what Indian Motorcycle would call a street-tracker- a road bike with the tyre size and tyre kind that made it suitable for some dusty endeavours as well. A 19” front wheel with bespoke Dunlop DTR-3 tyres made it possess somewhat of a dual personality. The one we rode this time around… 100% road-focused!
The major difference here is the presence of regular 17” hoops on both ends, wrapped in Metzeler Sportec M5 RR tyres. A few more differences between the one we had and this one would be the full-FT screen and Akrapovic exhaust on ours and the lack thereof on the one in question here. While those features are available on the higher-specced variants, the fact remains that this FTR is a tarmac-dweller through and through. If off-roading is your thing, a Rally variant is on offer as well.
Coming back to the one we rode, it is a revelation. Putty Road is one of my favourite stretches in Australia and this time was no different. The serpentine nature of the road gives one plenty of wiggle room to really put a motorcycle to the test. Now, our Indian FTR 1200 was no slouch on the tarmac despite geometry and tyres being more biased towards a dual use of sorts. The one here though has given up its off-roading ability to be a significantly better motorcycle on the tarmac.
With the revised geometry, a smaller front wheel, and amazing tyres, the new Indian FTR 1200 is a proper hoot to ride in the twisties. The handlebar is a little less wider but the sharper rake and smaller wheel more than make up for it. There is much more grip on offer, of course, along with less effort needed during side-to-side transitions. The chassis of the FTR 1200 is already an amazing base but with these changes, we believe that the new Indian FTR 1200 can be banked upon to keep up with some purpose-built motorcycles.
Talking about the engine, most of it remains the same as before, Around 120 bp of power and around 120 Nm are ever-present to entertain you. Since the engine is a large-capacity V-twin, the FTR 1200 can dole out a whole lot of torque at the drop of a hat. But with these tyres, it is much easier to manage and tame. This combination of grunt and agility makes this new FTR 1200 instantly likeable.
We often wonder what makes this new FTR 1200 tick and we found the answer rather quickly. Despite weighing around 232 kg, it is the weight distribution that makes it such a lithe motorcycle on the move. A major chunk of the fuel tank of the Indian FTR 1200 resides under the seat, like a MotoGP motorcycle. This not only lowers the CoG but also makes way for a larger air box so the FTR’s engine can breathe freer and go harder. Overall, the new Indian FTR 1200 is a very refined package now. And with the changes carried out, it has become an absolute ripper. The best news though is that it has still not lost any of its FTR-ness.
