Indian Motorcycle has a rich history not only in the motorcycle industry but also in the world of motorsport. The American brand has successfully established a special bond with motorcycle enthusiasts all over the world. Here in the Middle East, too, Indian Motorcycle has a huge loyal fan following. It has a good number of products available in the UAE, but the one that I’m going to talk about today is quite different from the rest of the pack and hence is very unique. It is the Indian FTR 1200 and here are three reasons that I think make it so special.
Only one of its kind
Honestly speaking, whenever I hear about Indian Motorcycle, my mind automatically starts a slideshow of all the cruisers that the company has got on sale. And it gets a bit boring. Don’t get me wrong, in no way I’m saying that Indian products are bad. It’s just that most of them are cruisers: the Scouts, the Chiefs, the Springfields, the Chieftains, and of course, the Roadmaster. I think only the Scout Bobber is a bit unconventional. But that’s it.
The FTR 1200 breaks that monotonous pattern. It is a fast, agile, nimble, handsome, street motorcycle that doesn’t want you to sit down and relax but to hop on and have some fun and excitement in your life. It is only one of its kind in Indian’s catalog. And Indian has thrown in everything to make it such a work of art.
Inspired by the FTR750 race bike
The FTR750 race bike is a phenomenal machine. It has been designed to fulfill the purpose of winning Flat Track races. Indian Motorcycle has got years of experience in Flat Track Racing and it put all of its knowledge and passion to build the mind-blowing FTR750. But this is a race bike and not road legal. To solve this problem, Indian developed the FTR 1200.
The FTR 1200 is inspired by the FTR750 race bike. Most of its parts are directly drawn from the FTR750. This makes it so special and very close to Indian’s heart. Indian Motorcycle wanted to make the FTR 1200 as much similar to the FTR750 as possible. And the design team has done it.
A trellis frame, rear swingarm, and chain final-drive are just a few of the features taken from the FTR750. Even the looks of the FTR 1200 remind so much of the race bike. I love the fact that Indian has utilized the frame as a design element too. Its red color matches with that of the rear mono shock and the paint job of the fuel tank. That’s pretty cool.
Another eye-catching feature of the Indian FTR 1200 is its dual exhausts. They are purpose-built and very solid to handle a large volume of exhaust gases oozing out from that 1200cc V-twin. The exhausts look a bit heavy but that’s alright because the FTR 1200 is a road-legal motorcycle and it has to follow certain emission norms.
It has a touchscreen display
Indian’s Ride Command is one of the most advanced systems that you can find on a two-wheeler. We’ve seen it in some high-end Indian bikes. And now Indian Motorcycle has included it in its FTR 1200 S. It is simply awesome.
On the FTR 1200 S, which is the premium variant of the bike, there is a 4.3-inch Ride Command LCD touchscreen display. It features Bluetooth connectivity and fast charge USB port. It displays various information like digital tachometer, odometer, trip meter, engine temp, and low fuel lamp.
Today there are many motorcycles out there that feature large fully digital instrument clusters, but I think I really dig the one on the FTR 1200 S. It looks very neat and tidy and is a touchscreen unit.
These were three reasons that I think make the Indian FTR 1200 that much more special. I know that three is only a small portion of the large and delicious pie, but I didn’t want to make this story a never-ending one. I’m pretty sure that you’ve got your favorite feature/s of the FTR 1200. Do let us know in the comments.
