With the dirt track style Indian FTR1200S, American V-twin nakeds are not just back – they’re better than ever, reports Phil West.

It’s fair to say that American motorcycle manufacturers’ attempts to produce a Ducati Monster-rivalling sports roadster haven’t had the greatest success.

The offerings from Buell and subsequent EBR, not forgetting the mighty Harley-Davidson itself, with its XR1200, may have been worthy, but for the most part their cruiser-derived motors lacked pep, their chassis were too heavy (or plain wacky) and they failed to hit the mark. (Buell’s late, Rotax-powered 1125CR was, arguably, the exception but by then Buell itself was on the rocks…)

But now that all looks about to change thanks to Indian’s new FTR1200 S.

Since being bought by automotive giant Polaris in 2011, Indian, Harley’s historic rival from the 1920s and ’30s, has once again started making a name for itself. First, an all-new range of ‘big twin’ cruisers, powered by an equally all-new ‘Thunderstroke’ 1811cc V-twin, launched in 2014 and immediately gave H-D their first credible US rival in over 50 years.

Second, a similarly all-new ‘junior’ V-twin cruiser, the 1133cc Scout, arrived the following year to give Harley’s Sportsters a similar scare.

Meanwhile, in America’s pinnacle racing series, flat track, Indian has also stepped up to the plate, wresting the crown Harley had utterly owned since the mid-‘80s, with back-to-back wins with Scout-derived racers in 2017 and 2018.

So maybe it should be no surprise that when Indian this year launched a road-going ‘street tracker’ inspired by those racers, and again based on the 100bhp Scout, it’s proved to be actually really rather good.

Forget Buell’s 100bhp XB12 S Lightning or Harley’s 90bhp XR1200, reasonable 1200cc V-twin street bikes as both were, the new 120bhp FTR is simply on another level – and that is the one populated instead by Ducati Monsters and the like.

The key to that boost in performance is the FTR’s engine. Although based on the Scout’s liquid-cooled, 1133cc, 60-degree V-twin, Indian passed it on to wholly-owned tuning subsidiary, Swissauto who expanded it to 1203cc and gave it gas-flowed, high compression heads and lighter, magnesium engine covers.  The 120bhp result, via three electronic riding modes, is a significant step up – lively, brisk and punchy in Sport mode and yet flexible and fun elsewhere.

The FTR’s chassis is equally impressive: an all-new, Ducati-esque tubular steel trellis with, in this top-spec ‘S’ trim, top notch Sachs sports suspension front and rear and proper Brembo radial brakes. In fact, the only slight disappointment is the unusual 19-inch front and 18 rear wheel combination and semi-knobbly Dunlop tyres, both of which have been chosen to maintain the flat tracker look. (Don’t be alarmed, though, the FTR actually steers superbly and grip is surprisingly unaffected by the tyres, as well.) It’s all enough to make the FTR a true street scratcher through the turns, give it enough go to hang onto sportsbikes’ coattails on the straights and yet, and this is the most impressive thing of all, be a genuinely comfortable, practical and versatile all-day machine whatever you’re doing.

There’s more: this S version (£12,999 compared to the stocker’s £11,899) has fully-adjustable suspension, a 4.5in full colour TFT display and fancy two-tone paint. While there’s also a limited edition ‘Racer Replica’ version above that, complete with race paint, Akrapovic exhaust and sprinkling of carbon, for £14,245.

And it looks absolutely brilliant, whichever version you go for, faithfully carrying over the flat track style to the street without compromising its abilities and having a quality and individuality few rivals can match.

Fed up with seeing Monsters everywhere? Problem solved: get yourself an Indian FTR 1200S

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