Indian Unveils FTR1200 And FTR1200S: Intermot 2018

Going sideways (intentionally) is always fun on a motorcycle. Sadly, in India, the options for flat-track motorcycles are limited to a few custom creations. But that was until now. Remember the FTR1200 concept Indian Motorcycle displayed at the 2017 EICMA? Well, now it’s a reality! The company showcased not one, but two production versions of their record-breaking flat track motorcycle - the FTR 1200 and FTR 1200S, at the Intermot exhibition in Cologne, Germany. Here’s why we’re excited -

For starters, both motorcycles get similar styling cues inspired by its racing counterpart, the race-spec FTR1200. This means the round LED headlamps, the exposed frame and the teardrop-shaped fuel tank have been carried over here. However, to make the distinction clear, the base variant comes with a blacked-out theme on the engine, wheels and the twin exhaust, while the 1200S gets a gold-finish on the forks along with a black/grey, grey/red and 'race replica' colour scheme.

In terms of features, the 'S' variant also gets a 4.3-inch touchscreen TFT display instead of the 4-inch analog instrument cluster seen on the standard bike. Then there are three riding modes common to both variants - Sport, Standard and Rain. Traction control, wheelie control and lean-sensitive stability control system are offered as standard.

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Powering the motorcycle is the same 1203cc V-Twin motor seen on the Indian Scout. Tuned for more sideways fun, this engine churns out 120PS of power (20PS more than the Scout) and 112.5Nm of torque (14.8Nm more than the Scout), mated to a 6-speed transmission and a slipper clutch.

The FTR1200 is built around a tubular space frame which is suspended upon Sachs USD forks at the front and a gas-charged monoshock unit at the rear on the standard variant. The S variant, on the other hand, gets Sachs suspension on both ends. Braking is taken care of by Brembo 320mm Ffour-piston callipers disc at the front and a two-piston calliper 260mm disc at the rear. While the concept weighed just 193kg, the production model tips the scale at 221kg (dry).

Indian Motorcycles has priced the standard variant at USD 12,999 (Rs 9.56 lakh approx.) and the 'S' variant ar USD 14,999 (Rs 11.04 lakh approx.). As is the case with most of its fleet, we expect Indian to launch the two motorcycles in India as well. The FTR1200 and the FTR1200S will go on sale in the US early next year. Hence, a launch is expected sometime during the second half of 2019.