Indian Motorcycle confirms production of FTR™ 1200 Plans announced for new flat track-inspired street bike, with on sale date in 2019; Australia – Indian Motorcycle has put months of public speculation to rest. Today, at the Wheels & Waves festival in France, the iconic American motorcycle company confirmed that an FTR 1200, inspired by Indian’s storied history in flat track racing, will be going into production. While a formal release date has not been set, plans point toward the bike going on sale in 2019. In addition to announcing production intentions, Indian also announced a competition where riders can enter to win one of the first bikes to come off the assembly line. Riders intent on owning the new Indian FTR 1200 can visit www.win-ftr1200.com for a chance to win the highly anticipated new model. “When we unveiled the FTR1200 Custom at EICMA, we said we’d listen to feedback from riders around the world,” said Steve Menneto, President, Indian Motorcycle. “Riders definitely have spoken and the response has been overwhelming. We’re proud and excited to announce that we will be putting the FTR 1200 into production.” The announcement comes in response to months of speculation and demand for a street version of the company’s wildly successful FTR750 – a purpose-built flat track racer that has dominated the American Flat Track professional racing series since its introduction in 2017. That speculation was intensified by the company’s development of the FTR1200 Custom, a one-off build that toured global motorcycle shows this past year. The new FTR 1200 will take inspiration, design and performance cues from these two predecessors, but will maintain a look and style all its own. The FTR 1200’s full specification is yet to be announced, but it will embody a flat tracker style, housed in a trellis frame and powered by a new V-twin engine. Also present at the announcement was Indian Motorcycle Senior Designer Rich Christoph, who was instrumental to the design of the FTR 1200, FTR1200 Custom, and FTR750. “We wanted to make sure that the FTR 1200 wasn’t merely a regurgitation of the FTR1200 Custom, but something uniquely ‘street,’ albeit flat track inspired,” said Christoph. “We’re thrilled about the character this bike possesses, and its ability to take American V-twin motorcycles into new territory.” A small group of industry VIPs viewed an early production version of the FTR 1200 behind closed doors at Wheels & Waves, showing that Indian is indeed serious about bringing the new model to market. “From the very beginning, our intention was to develop Indian Motorcycle into a global brand,” said Michael Dougherty, President, International. “Armed with a strong foundation, it’s now time to break new ground for an American motorcycle manufacturer and the FTR 1200 is where that begins.” FAQs Q: When will it go on sale? A: We have not announced an exact date yet, but it will be on sale sometime in 2019. Q: How much will it cost? A: Pricing is not finalised, but it will be competitive against other motorcycles with a similar engine size and style. Q: Is this a race bike adapted for the road? A:No. The FTR 1200 is a fully homologated street bike, with design and aesthetic inspiration coming from Indian’s incredible pedigree and success in flat track racing. Q: Why haven’t you brought out an FTR with the 750cc engine in it? A: The 750cc engine in the FTR750 was purpose-built specifically for racing. It was never intended for a production street bike. In this segment, consumers are looking for competitive power and torque which is exactly what this new motor delivers. Q: Will the FTR 1200 look like the FTR1200 Custom? A: The production FTR 1200 will carry lines and styling that were inspired by the FTR750 and FTR1200 Custom. Those are the bikes people fell in love with and we want to bring those race inspired design characteristics to the street in a way that only Indian Motorcycle can. We’ve leaned heavily on those characteristics to give the production FTR 1200 its own unique look and style. Q: What kind of power will the FTR 1200 make? We’ve seen videos of the Custom making 100hp. A: The FTR 1200 will feature a new V-twin engine. We’re not going to be disclosing the engine’s specs regarding size or output at this time, but we are confident it will be very competitive with other bikes in its class. Q: You must have been working on a production version all along. Why announce this now? A: We chose to announce the bike at Wheels & Waves because the event’s global prominence provides an ideal platform that reaches our target rider. In addition, it’s an event we’ve become heavily associated with over the past two years, and it’s very reflective of the lifestyle and energy of this new flat tracker for the street. Q: Were there any external designers involved with this? A: No. This has originated from Indian’s existing team, headed up by Greg Brew and senior designer Rich Christoph, with support from many other designers and engineers. Q: Will Indian be unveiling the production version at Intermot or EICMA? A:We will have something to show later this year, as we are aiming for this to be a 2019 model. Where and when we launch is yet to be confirmed. Q: Is flat track racing too US-centric to appeal to a global audience? A:Far from it.Flat track racing has experienced an incredible spike in interest over the past few years around the world. It’s now the fastest growing form of motorcycle racing, and the global intrigue and interest surrounding it continues to expand. Q: Why make such a bold move in expanding beyond Indian’s current cruiser/bagger/tour categories? A: From the beginning our goal has been to be a globally relevant brand, and that means bringing best-in-class products to a wide variety of segments. Indian’s DNA is founded in innovation and constantly moving forward – a mentality established by our founders back in 1901. In light of that history, not to mention our racing pedigree, we see this as a natural extension of the brand. Q: I have questions about the FTR1200, who can I speak to? A: Contact your nearest Indian Motorcycle Dealer
