In 2019 Indian stormed into the world of flat tracker styled motorcycles with their popular FTR range. Off the back of their incredibly successful FTR750 race bike which won back to back titles in the American flat track Twins racing series, Indian set out to design a bike which combined elements of American cruisers and sporty street trackers to bring a riding experience a little different to anything else we have seen.
After taking some time to mature, Indian have decided to release the 2022 version, with some minor tweaks. Based on the press release the company  looks to have addressed the various niggles with the 2019 model but unfortunately, the update seems to have lost a few of the core flat-track inspired elements which set this bike apart.

Let's have a look at the key updates;

Whilst having been around a while on some of the bigger bikes, this is all new for the FTR range. The idea is that the rider is able to shut off the engine's rear cylinder to conserve fuel and reduce the amount of heat thrown at the rider whilst idle.

A common complaint from owners of the 2019 model is that the bike will often struggle to idle when it is cold as the engine takes a while to get up to temperature. Indian have addressed this issue with new fuelling and ignition maps to ensure the bike runs  more smoothly with a more predictable throttle response whilst still producing the same power output at 120BHP.

One of the visibly noticeable updates is the decision to drop down to 17- Inch wheels. Whilst this detracts from that flat track vibe, it offers superior handling and gives owners a much wider choice on tyres.
Indian have also dropped the bespoke Dunlop DT-3 tyres which, whilst looking the part, often left much to be desired whilst cornering. Instead, the 2022 range are now fitted with sports touring rubber from Metzeler.

The S and R 2022 models now have a measured seat height of 32 inches down from the 33.46 inches of the 2019 model which opens up the FTR range to the more vertically challenged among us.
The FTR, S and R Carbon models all come with fully adjustable suspension while the top R carbon model  has the long-awaited fully adjustable Öhlins suspension. Leaving the FTR Rally as the only model without adjustable suspension.

Previously reserved for the higher-spec models, the 2022 S and R are now fitted with the Akrapovič exhaust for that more throaty rumble and a slight performance increase.

All in all, at its core, the FTR range still has that raw 120bhp v-twin that boosted these flat trackers into the limelight. Whilst a lot of these updates are fairly minor, it's always nice to see a company taking on board the customer feedback from previous models and coming up with new ways to provide that well-rounded bike we all desire.

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