Indian FTR 1200 Patent Leaked; Teases Multiple Variants

Indian Motorcycles’ flat-track team, the ‘Wrecking Crew’, has won all sorts of accolades in the past few years. So it doesn’t come as a surprise when the Massachusetts-based bikemaker says it’s spent no time in green-lighting the production version of the famed FTR 1200. The company also showcased a concept at the 2017 EICMA Show in Milan.

While we already knew that Indian Motorcycles was cooking up something new in its labs with this project, patents that were filed recently reveal some serious details regarding the motorcycle. For starters, the patent describes the FTR 1200 being a “compact two-wheel vehicle with a modular configuration”. This suggests that the production version of the motorcycle might come in different variants - cruiser, street bike, cafe racer and even sportbike! It goes without saying that each of these models will have their own unique riding style, ergonomics, etc.

However, all the motorcycles in the platform will pack the same V-twin, liquid-cooled engine sourced from the Indian Scout along with a new trellis frame. Other common elements include the crankshaft design, fuel tank assembly and placement of the electric box. These common elements ought to reduce the engineering and manufacturing cost by a good margin.

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The patent images also suggest that the motorcycle will get dual exhaust units and an asymmetrical swingarm design, with a single coil spring mounted on the right side. If that doesn’t give you a clear idea of what the motorcycle might look like, there are some leaked pictures of the prototype on the internet. While we can’t validate its authenticity, it does look eerily similar to the patent drawings.

That said, we won’t have to wait for long to see the motorcycle in the flesh. With FTR 1200 slated for an early 2019 launch, Indian Motorcycles is likely to showcase the motorcycle at the upcoming Intermot or EICMA motor show. Until then, stay tuned for more updates.

Source - Free Patents Online