Rule Change Means End of The Road For FTR750
Production-based engines in American Flat Track are forcing the Indian FTR750 out to pasture
It has been a staple in American Flat Track (AFT) Racing since 2016, but a change to the rulebook is making the Indian FTR750 obsolete.
It was the bike that thrust Indian back into the cauldron of competition after a hiatus of 60 years. What followed was one of the most successful periods in AFT for a manufacturer, with the FTR750 securing seven SuperTwins titles and more than 100 race wins from 135 race starts. It’s this performance from the 750cc V-twin machine that cemented it as one of the most dominant machines in the AFT paddock.
To put this into perspective, there are three races remaining in the 2024 season and the FTR750 has a 75 per cent win ratio, taking 101 of the 135 races. It has secured 286 total podiums at 129 races, earning a 96 per cent podium ratio. The FTR750 has a perfect championship record, winning all premier class titles since 2017.
Speaking about the era ending news, Gary Gray, Vice President Racing and Service for Indian Motorcycle, said:
“Since 1901, racing has been core to the Indian Motorcycle brand DNA … From our founders, Hendee and Hedstrom, competing in endurance races in the early 1900s, to the dominant Wrecking Crew of the late 1940s, Indian Motorcycle has been winning races. The FTR750 was the vehicle that reestablished Indian Motorcycle Racing and returned the brand to a place of competitive dominance.”
The current number one in The Wrecking Crew is Jared Mees, a seven-time flat track Grand National Champion, including the 2021 championship and a 2016 X Games gold medal.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be on this journey with Indian Motorcycle since day one,” Mees said, “Racing the FTR750 has been an incredible experience, as I’ve never experienced a bike like the FTR750 in all my years competing. We’ve had immense success over the past eight years, and it’s been a true honour to be a part of the Indian Wrecking Crew.”
The rule change that has affected the FTR750s AFT legacy is a shift to production-based engines, which the Indian powerplant was not. The new rules will mean no twin-cylinder engine can be larger than 900cc.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
