Indian Ftr750 Is On Track

Indian FTR750 Is On Track

CYCLE WORLD'S RESIDENT AMA PRO FLAT TRACK GNC1 RACER TESTS POLARIS’ NEW PURPOSE-BUILT V-TWIN AT THE CHARLOTTE HALF-MILE

Cory Texter

When you think of two heavyweights competing toe to toe for the title of best in the world, you can’t help but remember “The Fight of the Century” between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. Coined the greatest match in the history of boxing, the 15-round event in Madison Square Garden was the first time two undefeated boxers fought each other for the heavy-weight title.

If you translate that to an engine and two wheels, there has been no greater rivalry between two “heavyweight champions” than Harley-Davidson and Indian. Both brands were formed in the early 1900s and, like Frazier and Ali, went toe to toe, fist to fist. When Indian left the game in 1953, Harley-Davidson took control of the American market and, in large part, flat-track racing. Well, Indian

has returned and the gloves are off.

I had an opportunity to ride the new Indian FTR750 at the Charlotte HalfMile, a test I approached with just one goal: make sure I was faster than Indian test rider and friend Jared Mees. No, I am totally kidding. My objectives were to keep it on two wheels and have fun. Mission accomplished.

Between the paint scheme and modern-looking chassis, the FTR750 looks like a café racer on steroids. I couldn’t stop staring at the engine and how precise every component appeared. When I heard the planning for this project only started at the beginning of 2016,1 shook my head in astonishment. If Polaris’ engineering team can build a bike like this in half a year, why did it take so long to make my iPhone water-resistant?

Like other aspects of this motorcycle, the sound of the engine is unique. When the team started it, I had a hard time

comparing what I was hearing to any current twin. The liquid-cooled powerplant has a deeper sound than the Kawasaki Ninja 650-based 750 that I normally race, and that distinctive note carries on as rpm increases.

From the very first lap, I felt comfortable in the saddle of this motorcycle. I was impressed with the chassis. The swingarm on this motorcycle is more of a tube-style design, which gives the bike a bit of an old-school look. But at the same time, it’s functional.

Charlotte is a technical clay track. I rode the bike in the middle of a summer day, and lap after lap, performance was consistent. The front end went through ripples like a Cadillac. The rear wheel stayed in line on corner entry, and I was able to pick up the throttle a split second after I pitched the bike into the turns.

I was most curious about the engine, which is claimed to make 109 peak

horsepower. That much power is never a bad thing on a mile, but it can make hooking up on a clay half-mile difficult, especially in the heat of the day.

I have ridden almost every brand of engine around a dirt track, and this one impressed me more than any of the others. I initially rode the bike in third gear, but it was screaming too much, so I upshifted to fourth. Delivery was smooth and controlled on the dry racetrack.

The triple-digit horsepower starts to show when you get the bike on the straightaway and twist the throttle.

It’s a rare experience for me to have a bike wheelie down the straightaway on a track this size, but I had a hard time keeping the front end on the ground. That’s a good thing.

When I heard that Indian intended to be a championship contender right off the bat, I shrugged. New bikes need a lot

of development and go through plenty of teething. Well, I am now changing my mind. After spending an afternoon on this Indian, I believe this prototype is already capable of winning races, maybe even the AMA Pro Flat Track GNCi title.

Indian might have already picked its riders for next year, but I made sure the boss had my phone number before I left. This bike is that good, and a lot of people are going to want to ride one.