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New 750cc V-twin could end up in a production bike

Indian’s flat-track twin

Written by Ben Purvis , Date 1:27 PM
Indian FTR750 engine (4)

American firm Indian has revealed its intentions to join rival Harley-Davidson in AMA Flat Track racing using a bike powered by a completely new V-twin engine.Indian FTR750 engine (2)

Developed by sister company Swissauto, the new FTR750 engine is already said to make 109bhp on the dyno during early tests. The Swiss engine development specialist was bought by Indian’s parent firm Polaris back in 2010.

At the moment, Indian still hasn’t revealed the bike that the new engine will be fitted to. It plans to do so soon, giving the bike its first competitive outing before the end of the year. It will then have a full season of racing in 2017.

The 750cc engine, like the similarly-sized V-twin in Harley-Davidson’s recently-revealed XG750R, is a water-cooled, DOHC design. Unlike the Harley motor, which is simply a modified Street 750 engine, the Indian unit has been built from scratch for racing.

The narrow, 53-degree V-angle helps keep it compact, and the initial tests show it’s making its peak power at an impressive 10,000rpm. The red line is currently set at 11,400rpm, and there should be more power to come.

Indian FTR750 engine (3)Indian says the engine is purely for racing, and in prototype form it’s very much a handmade unit, with sand casting used for its major components. However, it seems likely that it will eventually lead to a road-going derivative. Flat Track racing rules mean that it can’t be built using exotic materials. As a result, some internals are taken directly from the existing Indian Scout V-twin.

While 750cc seems small for an American cruiser carrying the Indian badge, Harley-Davidson’s Street 750 and Street 500 models show that there is a market for smaller models. It’s also worth noting that Victory, also owned by Polaris and sharing much of Indian’s technology, is being repositioned as a performance-oriented brand. A lightweight 750cc twin with high-revving, high-power characteristics could suit the firm’s future plans.

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