Tricks of the used bike trade
FTR1200 patent reveals close relation to 750cc race bike
The engine has had a makeover for the new bike
Indian have been teasing us with the FTR1200 for nearly a year, revealing their gorgeous FTR1200 Custom concept in November last year. And now new patent images have emerged suggesting that the production bike hasn’t fallen too far from the concept tree.
Just like the FTR750 race bike, the FTR1200 will have a steel trellis frame, with the engine acting as a stressed member. The swingarm will also be a steel trellis with a monoshock, although it will now be side-mounted rather than centrally positioned. The engine appears to have had a makeover for its newly exposed position, while the rad has shrunk compared to the unit on the Scout, a move which appears to have necessitated a low-slung oil cooler. As handsome as high pipes are, they’re not that practical, so Indian have made the right choice and repositioned them lower down. To reinforce the flat tracker stance the front wheel appears to be 19in with an 18in on the rear. It also appears that Indian have opted for a chain drive, rather than belt as per their other models. To go with this racy new look, Indian also appear to have equipped it with high-end hardware throughout.
Up front the FTR1200 has USD forks with twin discs and what we assume will be Brembo monobloc calipers, paired with what looks to be an MCS lever. The lights look very small, suggesting they will be LED throughout. It also appears to have a fully LCD or TFT dash, which will likely support Bluetooth multimedia as well as managing riding modes. With two models rumoured, we’d expect the base model to cost around £11,500, and the top-spec version to retail for closer to £14,000, putting it firmly in Ducati Monster and Scrambler 1100 territory.