Indian 2019: FTR1200, FTR1200S | Intermot show
By Ben Purvis
Has written for dozens of magazines and websites, including most of the world’s biggest bike titles, as well as dabbling in car and technology journalism.
01.10.2018
2019 Indian FTR1200 and FTR1200S
Indian has been tempting us with plans for its road-going flat-tracker for years now – but it’s finally revealed the finished FTR1200 and higher-spec FTR1200S, and we’re not disappointed.
While it shares little more than its general layout and colour scheme with the all-conquering FTR750 race bike that’s demolished the competition in American flat-track racing, the FTR1200 still shows a sporting intent that’s a far cry from the usual Indian cruisers.
At its core is a new 1203cc water-cooled, DOHC V-twin with four valves per cylinder and a peak of 120bhp at 8250rpm. Before you complain that it’s a far cry from the output that Ducati can squeeze from similarly-sized twins, it’s worth remembering that 120hp is more than a Ducati 916 could muster in stock form. So while it’s not a superbike, the FTR1200 should be no slouch.
The torque – 85lbft of it – is superbike-worthy, and it kicks in at a lowly 6000rpm, promising a fat midrange wallop. Opt for the ‘S’ version and it’s not short of techy goodies, either; there’s IMU-equipped, lean-sensitive traction and stability control, wheelie control and ABS. You get three riding modes, as well; standard, sport and rain. Both versions have cruise control as standard.
The motor’s bolted to a steel trellis frame with an aluminium rear subframe that tucks the fuel tank under the seat. Up front there’s a pair of 43mm upside-down forks, fully adjustable on the ‘S’ version, while an offset monoshock deals with the rear suspension. Again, the ‘S’ gets better kit, with a piggyback reservoir and a full range of adjustments.
Brembo supplies the brakes, with Monobloc radial 4-pot calipers at the front on 320mm discs, and a 260mm disc and 2-pot caliper at the back.
Styling-wise, both versions of the bike get LED lighting but they differ when it comes to the instruments. The base model uses an analogue speedo with a small LCD display set inside it for other information. The ‘S’ uses a full-colour, touchscreen TFT display incorporating Bluetooth and a USB port to link and charge your phone. It’s customisable with a selection of configurations for the speedo and other gauges.
2019 Brand model spec
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