FLAT TRACK FEVER
Motorcycle
What does it say when the most anticipated bike
from one of the brightest stars on the American cruis-
er market is a street-legal flat tracker? First, "people
want flat trackers," and second, "we want your flat
tracker because your Wrecking Crew has been laying
the smack down every race for the last two seasons."
Flat track junkies have been chomping at the bit to
get their mitts on the Indian FTR 1200 ever since it
was teased over a year ago and now they've got their
chance.
For you kids who've been living under the proverbial
rock, the FTR 1200 and the even sportier FTR 1200 S
get their design and styling cues from the American
Flat Track-slaying FTR 750 purpose-built race bike and
the one-off FTR 1200 Custom. Each model combines
race-inspired design and nimble handling with an
upright riding position.
The FTR 1200 and FTR 1200 S are propelled by a
new liquid-cooled 1203cc V-Twin engine that makes
a claimed 120 horsepower and 85 lb-ft of torque. The
engine features a 12.5:1 compression ratio, high-flow
cylinder heads, and dual throttle bodies for optimal
airflow and power. Additionally, the engine covers
make wide use of magnesium to reduce weight and
utilize a low-inertia crankshaft that allows the engine
to rev to its redline quickly.
In the suspension department, the front-end equation
for both bikes includes 43mm upside-down cartridge
forks with 5.9 inches of travel. The front suspension has
a hollow axle to minimize weight, with a 26.3° rake and
5.1 inches of trail. What's more, the gold FTR 1200 S
suspension is fully adjustable with preload, compres-
sion, and rebound adjustments available.
Out back, the design of the rear suspension and
swingarm are similar to the FTR 750 race bike, with a
tubular steel construction and a side-mounted mono-
shock with 5.9 inches of travel. The swingarm pivot
attaches directly to the engine's crankcase in order to
keep the wheelbase more compact, while a hollow
rear axle helps reduce weight. The FTR 1200 features
a monoshock with preload and rebound adjustments,
while the FTR 1200 S unit features an aluminum pig-
gy-back reservoir that is fully adjustable for preload,
compression, and rebound.
The FTR 1200 S features a host of additional ride-en-
hancing technologies to let riders further customize
the bike like stability, traction, and wheelie mitigation
control with an IMU (inertial measurement unit) that
allows for lean-angle sensitive adjustments to these
systems to provide more control and confidence.
Riders on the FTR 1200 S also have the ability to
disable ABS. Furthermore, FTR 1200 S riders can select
between three ride modes; Sport, Standard and Rain,
with unique throttle response and traction control
intervention levels to further customize the bike to
their riding preference.
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