2021 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
American Muscle With Flat-Track Manners
The 2021 FTR S is Indian's clearest proof that the brand can build a real rider's motorcycle, not just a chrome-heavy parade piece. Its 1203 cc liquid-cooled 60° V-twin makes 123 hp and delivers its peak 89 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm, and it puts that torque down low, where you use it on the street. It rolls on 17-inch wheels with sticky Metzeler Sportec rubber, and the S trim adds fully adjustable suspension at both ends, Brembo brakes, cornering ABS, traction control, ride modes and a 4.3-inch touchscreen TFT. The flat-track styling on its steel trellis frame looks like nothing else in the naked class.
In daily use the FTR S is a torque bike. It pulls hard from low revs and doesn't make you chase the redline to have fun. Rear-cylinder deactivation keeps it civil in town traffic, and cruise control and a slipper clutch make it easy to live with. It suits the experienced rider who wants a V-twin with a strong personality, sharp looks and real corner ability. The honest caveat is weight: at 510 lb (232 kg) wet, it's no featherweight. The 3.4 gal (13 L) tank also means you'll be looking for fuel sooner than you'd like.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 123 hp (92 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 89 lb-ft (121 Nm) @ 6,000 rpm |
| Displacement | 1203 cc |
| Engine | 60° V-twin |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Seat height | 30.7 in (780 mm) |
| Wet weight | 510 lb (232 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 3.4 gal (13 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Safety
This isn't my ride impression. It's what has come back to me over years of listening: paddock talk, bike-night conversation, and the messages riders send me after living with one. On the FTR S the pattern holds steady. Praise goes to how it pulls and grips, complaints to what it asks of you when you slow down or stop for fuel.
The engine dominates the conversation. Riders call the V-twin charismatic and torque-rich, with instant drive anywhere in the rev range and a hard-edged note from the Akrapovic mufflers. The chassis is close behind. The 17-inch rims and sticky Metzeler Sportec rubber get credit for making it a genuinely capable sports naked, with confidence-building grip and agile steering. The twin radial Brembos come up often, strong and easy to modulate.
Range is the gripe raised most often. The small tank has riders looking for fuel every 100 to 120 miles, and several say the stop itself is a chore, with the cap tucked under a fiddly flip-up panel and an opening small enough that filling without splashing takes patience. Mass comes up too, which riders say blunts the sporting edge in tight going.
Where this Indian FTR S pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the FTR S is actually built for.
You'll love the low-end shove and the lean clearance on the canyon roads. Just know it's a torque-driven V-twin with real weight, not a scalpel, so ride it smooth and it pays you back.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
If you commute through the city and head for the ridge roads on weekends, this bike fits. Rear-cylinder deactivation keeps it civil in traffic, and nothing in the parking lot at Alice's will look like it.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
On tight Appalachian twisties, the low-rpm pull makes corner exits easy and the rubber sticks. The 510 lb weight asks for clean, deliberate inputs, and the small tank means planning your fuel stops.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Indian FTR S. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Successor · 2023
American V-Twin With A Track Conscience
Competitor · 2021–2023
Boxer Soul, Modern Manners
Roughly $2,400 cheaper used than this bike at 5 yr
Competitor · 2016–2019
Italian Muscle With A Face
Same Platform · 2020
Flat-Track Fury, Street Legal