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What It’s Like to Ride the Indian FTR1200, A Review

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It is here, finally. The Indian FTR1200 is arriving in dealerships in the next few weeks, which means that the motorcycle press can finally hop on this street tracker and talk about it.

But, we have already done that. Asphalt & Rubber was one of a few publications that got to ride a prototype of this machine back in October 2018, and since then we have seen countless outlets and social media darlings swing a leg over the Indian FTR1200.

Furthermore, racers already have the bike in their garages and are competing in the Super Hooligan National Championship series, and while the press launch for this bike was underway in Mexico, other outlets were busy getting exclusive tastes of the machine, including A&R.

So, while we are very excited to be the first to tell you how the new Indian FTR1200 does the business, this is very much a machine that has been in the sphere for quite a while, and thus is already a known quantity.

We didn’t let the hold us back too much, and I can confidently say that no other publication has spent more time in the saddle of the Indian FTR1200 S than us, getting to know every bit of this new motorcycle and where it takes the Indian Motorcycle brand. Let me explain.

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Rumors

Indian Has Two More FTR1200 Based Bikes Coming Soon

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When we first rode the Indian FTR1200 prototype motorcycle – one of our better A&R Pro stories, if I do say so myself – it was clear that the American brand was seeing this model as the first iteration from a platform of machines.

When pressed the Indian reps on whether we would see more bikes with the new v-twin engine arriving, and the answers in reply were deliciously vague, though hints of an ADV machine and other models could be read between the lines.

So, it doesn’t surprise us today that our colleagues at Motorbike Writer have gotten wind of Indian releasing two more variations of the machine, a “Street” bike in 2020, and an “Adventure” bike in 2021. Though, the story looks to have originally come from the ADV Rider web forum.

This is a very interesting proof of what we suspected, but we should say that the conclusions reached by Motorbike Writer are mostly incorrect.

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Podcast

MOTR Podcast #4 – Reid Wilson, Indian Motorcycle

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In Episode 4 of the MOTR Podcast, I sit down with Reid Wilson, Senior Director of marketing and planning at Indian Motorcycle.

Our conversation comes just hours after I rode a pre-production version of the Indian FTR1200 street bike, which serves as a jumping off point for a conversation about where Indian is headed as a company and a brand.

The FTR1200 is a pivotal motorcycle for Indian, as the machine helps mark the transition occurring at the American motorcycle company. Up until now, Indian had wanted to be the next Harley-Davidson…and now it wants to be the next Honda.

Reid’s insights into the Indian FTR1200 and the company’s overall positioning help us understand what is going on behind-the-scenes at Indian, which makes for an interesting conversation. I think you will enjoy his insights.

You can find the latest episodes of the MOTR Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud, or via your RSS feed, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well.

If you’re not already, you should also listen to our sister podcasts, the Two Enthusiasts Podcast and The Paddock Pass Podcast.

Source: SoundCloud

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Products

The Four Flavors of the Indian FTR1200

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The Indian FTR1200 is coming soon, and it promises to be the American brand’s first proper sport bike. The funny thing is though, it is unlike any other sport bike currently on the market.

It is a complicated concept to understand, so we will save it for another story, but part of the big news surrounding this bike is the robust number of accessories that Indian is making available when the FTR1200 is finally on the market.

As such, there will be four aftermarket flavors that you can use to customize the Indian FTR1200, if you so happen to put one in your garage. Those four flavors are as follows: Tracker, Rally, Sport, and Touring. 

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A&R Pro

INTERMOT Round Up – Digesting What We Saw in Cologne

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The INTERMOT show is done and dusted, and we have had some time to chew on the models that we saw in Cologne, Germany...or didn't see, as the case might be. The second largest trade show in the motorcycle industry, one can wonder though whether the INTERMOT show is the second most important.

Having two major shows on European soil, with INTERMOT coming every other year, creates a Sophie's Choice for motorcycle manufacturers. EICMA might draw the crowds and the press, but it is also a maelstrom of new models, and it is easy for a bike's launch and debut to be lost in the chaos.

To that vein, INTERMOT provides an opportunity for manufacturers to see the forest for the trees. It is less pressure, with most manufacturers choosing to debut more minor releases at the German show, but this makes it ripe for some surprises as well. For 2018, things were no different.

To continue reading this story, you need to have an A&R Pro subscriber account. If you have an A&R Pro account, you can login here.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the Indian FTR1200

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The belle of the INTERMOT ball, the Indian FTR1200 made its debut in Germany this week to much fanfare. We should all make note that the American brand has released its first non-cruiser motorcycle…and it did so on foreign soil. This is not an accident.

The FTR1200 marks an important moment in the Indian Motorcycle Company’s history, as it is the first of several machines to come from this historic marque that will take it into the future.

As I have said before, we should all pay attention, because Indian doesn’t want to be the next Harley-Davidson…it wants to be the next Honda, and that means worldwide domination.

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A&R Pro

The Story About How Asphalt & Rubber Got To Ride the Indian FTR1200 Before Everyone Else in the World

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Today, I am going to share with you a look behind the curtain - a look at several sides of the motorcycle industry that you don't usually get to see. Our story concerns the Indian FTR1200 street tracker motorcycle, which just debuted in Cologne, Germany at the INTERMOT show...but really, this story started three months ago, back in the United States.

It starts with a leaked photo of the Indian FTR1200, taken from a production event in Los Angeles, which was then sent to Asphalt & Rubber by a loyal reader. This turned into A&R finding its way to Minnesota to ride a prototype of the FTR1200, and us being amongst the first to ride this highly anticipated motorcycle.

An exclusive media event, Indian's plan was to have the largest publication from each critical market present, to give an early evaluation of this ground-breaking machine for the American brand.

While there were sole-representatives from the UK, Italy, Germany, Australia, Asia, etc - because of our efforts, from the United States there would now be two publications. Sorry for partying.

I have no doubt that the coverage from these other publications will read like initial reviews, part critique and part marketing pieces for the Indian Motorcycle Company. That's not a slight to my colleagues, that is just the reality of the situation. How do you evaluate a prototype motorcycle?

"I have no idea what they are talking about," I told an Indian staff member, while our post-ride video reviews/debriefs were being filmed. We had just ridden for a half a day on a motorcycle that we knew nothing about, and now we were expected to stand in front of a camera, and espouse our impressions of it.

Because of the looming weather, our tech briefing was after the ride, which is a frustrating thing when it comes to evaluating a motorcycle. As such, our impressions would be limited and relative. The power felt "good"...the brakes were "ok"...this exhaust looks like the work of a drunk plumber.

With no specs, no prices, no production volumes, no set list of features...what were these journalists talking about in their videos? I still don't know.At $9,000, the FTR1200 could be one of the best motorcycles on the market, but at $20,000 Indian would have clearly missed the mark.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the $13,000 / $15,000 price points for the base and S models, respectively. It feels high...but we will get to that in a minute.

To continue reading this story, you need to have an A&R Pro subscriber account. If you have an A&R Pro account, you can login here.

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Bikes

Behold, The Indian FTR1200 Street Tracker Is Here

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They did it. They actually did it. Debuting today at INTERMOT, the Indian Motorcycle brand released its newest motorcycle, the 2019 Indian FTR1200.

The only production street tracker currently available on the market, the Indian FTR1200 takes its inspiration from the Indian FTR750 Scout race bike that is dominating the American Flat Track series, and in the process brings the company’s first non-cruiser motorcycle to market.

Answering the calls of many, the FTR1200 production bike is visually very close to the FTR1200 Concept we saw several months back, and it will come in two flavors: the base model Indian FTR1200, and the up-spec Indian FTR1200 S. Expect it to drop, Q1 2019.

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Rumors

Indian FTR1200 Confirmed for INTERMOT Debut Next Week

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We’ve seen patent design images and spy photos, and now we only have a week until the Indian FTR1200 debuts. We know this because Indian has begun teasing the street tracker’s debut in a short YouTube video.

In the video, we see American Flat Track champion Jared Mees sliding around on the Indian Scout FTR750 race bike, before he heads into an open garage. From there, we hear revving what is presumably the motor to the FTR1200 street bike.

Details on the 2019 Indian FTR1200 street tracker have been tight, but the American brand has been sloppy on keeping things under wraps. Design patents filed abroad have given us a good glimpse of the machine’s inner-workings, and the crafty Australian’s at Motorbike Writer have a spy photo which looks to give us the full monty on the machine.

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Rumors

Patent Application Shows Off the Indian FTR1200 Street Bike

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The Indian Motorcycle company has been teasing us about the upcoming FTR1200 street bike that it’s bringing to market next year, and now we have a pretty good look at the machine, thanks to a patent application with the USPTO.

Showing the engine and chassis of the Indian FTR1200 in line drawings, we can see that the new street bike will have a trellis frame, and an engine that looks very much like the v-twin motor found on the Indian Scout cruiser.

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Bikes

Indian Scout FTR1200 Teases a Coming Street Tracker

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Indian Motorcycle dominated this year’s American Flat Track series, and what a better way to celebrate the success of the Wrecking Crew than with a custom street tracker concept.

The Indian Scout FTR1200 shares the name with the donor bike it comes from, but in reality it aims to look and feel like the American brand’s 750cc flat track racer. Though without the über-trick 750cc v-twin engine found on the Indian Scout FTR750 race bike, this 1200cc variant looks pretty good too.

Word is, we might see it go into production…just not for the 2018 model year. As such, don’t hold your breath – but also, never say never.

Indian created the Scout FTR1200 in house, wedging the 1,133cc v-twin engine from its production Scout into a custom frame that resembles its racing Scout.

Built like a race bike, the Indian Scout FTR1200 shaves massive amounts of weight, compared to its production counterpart – to the tune of 117 lbs. This means that the Scout FTR1200 hits the scales at only 427 lbs.

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