I have a few Harley’s and an Indian FTR I love the FTR it’s such a blast to ride and I rode it from Maryland to Arizona and back had no issues, it’s a motorcycle, I think people have gotten spoiled with baggers, windshields , phone and cup holders but to each there own ride what you want or can afford just ride
Great review as always! I was a Harley-Davidson enthusiast for over 20 years and still own and love my 93 and 01 Sporty's, 03 Fat Boy, and I also own a 2004 Buell Firebolt XB12R. All that to say that I have gone to the Dark Side of the Force and purchased a 2022 FTR-S 1 July. I would say it is arguably the best motorcycle I have purchased and currently own (I use it as a daily rider and weekend canyon carving fun "hooligan" bike). My riding buddy just purchased the 2021 H-D Sportster-S, and to be frank and Honest, I get the impression he has some buyers remorse three weeks in to owning it . I have been arguing since the beginning of the H-D announcement on the Sporty that H-D was clearly aiming for the FTR and not the Indian Scout...so I definitely agree with your observation. One thing I will say I don't like is that I now have to do chain maintenance. I would have preferred a belt drive on the FTR...
I like all bikes man. It's a Harley channel and I'd consider myself a "Harley guy" but I've owned and appreciate a lot of other brands and models. I can definitely say I would have an FTR in my line up one day. I have a moto background so I'm used to chain work but I agree the belt would make sense on it. Hate that about your buddies Sporty. Have you ridden his bike? If so what did you think?
@@throttleblip9854 I Have not, but I definitely want to ride either his or a Sporty-S from a dealership. I think H-D is moving in the right direction with regard to the bike (&Pan America), but should have produced the Bronx first. I think H-D found themselves flat footed when Indian punched with the Scouts and FTRs (maybe even the Challenger)...my humble opinion. Indian is now coming out with another water cooled bagger in 22, the Pursuit with a fixed bat wing fairing...
I have tried the sportster s and the FTR 1200s recently , I loved the looks , sound , the engine of the Sportster S , the handling surprised me , the front brakes were better than expected , I didn't want to give it back , I would however change to mid controls . The Indian looked good , it sounded quiet , it handled well , it felt light , but it felt rough and lumpy and the fueling didn't feel right , I couldn't wait to give it back .
Started riding 2 years ago. Started with a 150cc Kymco thing...red line everywhere. Then briefly got on a used Guzzi for a few months before issues with throttle. Said YOLO and went and got the 23 FTR R Carbon in April. Clearly I haven't ridden a lot in my life (10k miles or so), but there isn't a ride that goes by where I am not blown away by the superiority of this bike. It is too much fun. It is too good. The only knock is the cold start - but who cares. I could also say it doesn't like low speeds, but its not terrible. It is just so pretty. Lots of rubber necking at it... I will have this bike for a while, I am guessing.
I agree 100% on loving all bikes. I picked a Harley over an Indian because the Harley dealership is 15 minutes away. The Indian dealership is 3 hours away. The distance helped make a tough decision easier
I dropped Indian because of lack of dealership but also the closest Indian dealer of whom I bought two large Indians from left my fairly new bike outside his building for almost a month because of a back ordered part which he never informed me it was outside or part was back ordered. We talking much rain in that month giving my bike lot rust as it is called where the fasteners and bolt heads shows rust
Good and fair assessment of the the bike. The "Carbon" price is a bit too much for me. I like the base model or the "S", so any comments on those? .... I know it's a sporty around town bike, but why a small tank with mpg of (30-35). Big deal to give it a .5 to 1.0 gal bigger tank? P.S., your choice tween the Harley Sportster S vs the Indian FTR S ?
As I’m editing a video of a wheelie on my fully tuned FTR,de-cat,baffle removed, I hear you talk about quiet hooligans and I think to my self… Where’s the fun in that?! 🤷🏻♂️🤣🤣🤣
You hit the nail on the head. This is a hooligan bike designed for an aggressive "hang on to the bars" riding style. It certainly has a loyal fan base who appreciates the flat track / performance inspired style. As you said, know what you're getting into before you hop on this machine.
Yeah a very specific bike for a specific purpose. I had a supermoto for the same reason. Take it out for an hour or 2 for super hard riding and then go do something else with my day.
Agree 100%. I purchased a 2022 FTR-S 1 July. Did several months of research on the FTRs last year before we committed to the purchase. No Regrets 4,000 miles and four month into ownership. Still ear to ear grinning every time I hop on and twist that throttle...
@@dysfunctionalveteranese4905 I really like this well engineered bike( the 2022 model)…will wait for Bronx ( hopefully HARLEY doesn’t screw up with 1950’s model suspension and breaks… I have given up hope of LED from stock HARLEY bikes, then the electronic the keys fob act like it doesn’t belong to the bike( a bit of amnesia suffering key fob))… I hope Indian motorcycles grows coz then I have more options….
I own and ride HD Yamaha Honda Ducati and a few more that are vintage European and also a retired Harley-Davidson mechanic for the presidential motors but I demo rode the FTR and fell in love it I guess my wife got sick of me laying on my back kicking and screaming and went out And bought it for me as a Christmas present back in 2019 (really didn’t even think she liked me anymore) I can’t get off this thing just a blast to ride even rode Coast to Coast last year the only problem I had was my ass was hurting, stock seat sucks but an air hawk took care of that, just fun to ride, I think it’s in a class of its own really like it, probably going to sell some of my other bikes because of this
I'm telling you!! The looks and performance on the Carbon model are on another level. I definitely am not touch enough to do coast to coast but I'd love to have one just to rip around locally.
I’m 5’11. It’s a different riding position for sure. I’m used to Harley’s so mids or forwards. I wouldn’t want to go any long distance rides on it but definitely wasn’t designed for that type of riding.
Just curious, why even ride one if you admit you'd never buy one? Honestly, I rode everything on the planet before I bought a 2023 Indian FTR. Harley, Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda, Triumph, BMW... Of course, I was looking for a naked style bike. V-Twin is a plus... Honestly, there's nothing out there that looks as sweet as the FTR! They are absolutely amazing bikes, great suspension, engine, etc!!! My 2023 FTR Sport was $1499 and I got them to waive the $1200 freight charge so out the door, I got it around $18k.
I’ve been very interested in this bike. I’m a sport bike/street fighter style guy. And I’ve been dying for there to be a modern American sport bike. And this is the closest thing around. I’ve been praying Harley still comes out with the Bronx but it looks like that isn’t gonna happen. Ive test ridden the new sportster and it just didn’t do it for me
There is 1 Indian dealership in my state. It's literally 10min up the road from me. Ironically the closest Harley dealership is also 10min away from me in the opposite direction. However overall, there are a total of 4 Harley dealerships in my state. I live in Maine
Yeah I feel like that’s the case for most of us. Which I guess does make the Indian more rare if that’s important to you. I’d rather have the dealer network though.
@@throttleblip9854 I bought a 2021 street bob after watching your comparison between the sporstster s and street bob a few weeks ago. I was debating between the 2! Really great videos and informative. Just love the classic look and 114 engine of the street bob.
I agree, the dealer network issue is a showstopper for me. And if you have a dealer close by, then he services all Polaris brands and that means you have to make your appointment 4 weeks out to get your stuff done. Not acceptable - period. I know what i am talking about, bought a Can-Am Spyder for my wife and can sing songs about the poor performance of the Polaris dealer network. So ... no Indian for me, despite the fact that I like the looks of certain models. Indian needs to step up their game if the want to challenge the big, grey wolf :)
Yeah I agree that's awful. I guess the only way it gets better is if more people buy their products which in the short term makes things worse, long term could lead to more dealerships opening.
@@throttleblip9854 Well, a couple things about this dealer network thing. The Indian. BMW, Triumph, and all the Japanese riders I know don't seem to have a problem getting service for their bikes (I live in the sticks in Upstate NY). I think HD fans overstate the case. Then there's HD strategy of closing smaller mom & pop dealers and creating mega dealers of scale in an effort to strengthen network profitability and distribution. Then there's the new term, DSRP - Dealer Suggested Retail Price, where HD dealers add on demand fees above MSRP also in order to increase profitability. Yes, there are more HD dealers in the US (602) but under CEO Zeitz and his Hardwire strategy its becoming increasingly a gut punch to deal with them. There's a lot of group think in HD world but once you get out of the HD metaverse you begin to see the cracks in the business model.
@@geneclarke2205 Well said. I know I am far from being the only Harley-Davidson (20+ years and still own all three of mine plus a Buell) guy that has gone to Indian Motorcycle Company. I agree on the group think of H-D guys as an overall generalization of that brand of owners/riders having come from that world. I Love my Indian, am impressed with the quality of the bike and intend my next purchase in January to be an Indian touring bike, the Road Master...My humble opinion is that Polaris Ind. is well situated to provide a very effective and positive umbrella for its motorcycle company, Indian.--- Deep pockets and a depth of technology R&D that is testing H-D's ability to keep up. Although I am bought in to the Indian brand and believe in the product, I am glad to see H-D stepping up their game. Competition is good for us the consumer and as an American Rider, it is awesome to be alive to see these two great American Motorcycle Companies competing again after an almost 6 decade hiatus.
If this is from this weekend I rode the exact same bike on the exact same route early Friday (10-22) afternoon. I’ll tell you one thing It’s not set up for adventure boots; controls are almost rear sets like I had on my RD400F 40+ years ago. There’s only one place on the test route to really open it up unless you lag back to get some room. The engine wasn’t as smooth as I expected down low but my one shot at WOT was amazing, lots of power. Brakes and the ride were great. It’s a very different look, I like it a lot. I’ll try to get a demo on the Sportster S if HD across the street gets one. B
Yep. I was there Friday from about 12:30-2:30. I like the rear sets BUT I was in a much softer boot so I didn't have any issues. I went to the HD dealer when I left and they had a Sportster S on the floor but it could have sold already. I'd love your feedback if you get a chance to ride it.
@@throttleblip9854 I hope to get by the HD shop in the next few weekends. I have to tell you none of the Indian engines have been as smooth as my REBEL 1100. Frankly I don't need any more power than the Rebel 1100 has anyway, in normal ride mode. I like the look of the Sportster S, a lot. I am curious how it rides and sounds. Practically I should probably be riding a Rebel 300 but I like having more power than needed. A 4 hour ride here….you in Anderson?
That SUV that went past at the end looked dangerous. A 4 hr drive. That's commitment. The FTR was the perfect bike till Harley introduced their new sportster.
Sportster S looks cartoonish to me. Are those pipes hot on the arse or legs? I just sold my beautiful to me Triumph 1200 Scrambler XC because it was hot on the leg at Traffic stops. Sure you can put the Other leg down to gain distance from the heat but Triumph not having one dealer In Arkansas was also a reason to dump the Triumph even after owning over 12 different models of Triumph.
Sportsters s is no competition for FTR… nobody who want an FTR ride will buy a sportster S( the power is sportsters less usable because of the suspension ) …FTR is more versatile and you get more bike… Sportster S you will buy bike, then the seats, then the shocks and the you will realise you couldn’t still compete with FTR…. If the dealer network was better anyday the Indian FTR is better … another benefit which you missed to mention is INDIAN motorcycles listens to its customers ( they make changes fast and also provide the top notch performance parts- suspension, brakes, Rizoma make cool accessories for the bike)…Harley customers have to wait like a lifetime for just LED headlights….the second disc break for sportster S will arrive carried by a pigeon in another 5-6 year( it’s a shame)
Valid points, but... I do own a 22 FTR-S and to be honest, if I could afford it, I would purchase a Sportster-S. I think, just like someone brought up in a previous comment, with either bike, you have to know what you're buying into. i do believe H-D was aiming at the FTRs with the new Sporty and they missed the mark if that is in fact the case. The Bronx is the bike they should have come out with first and with the 1250T RevMax engine; not the 900cc revmax they previewed a couple of years ago. To round this off, I am one of those riders that says Harley-Davidson majorly screwed up when they shut down Buell in 09. Now they're caught playing catch up with the new kid on the block, Indian Motorcycle Co. They're still the big dog, but I am not the only Harley-Davidson guy that has gone over to Indian...
I can see where the ftr and sportster S are comparable with power. But the sportster S is completely wrong ergonomically. The low seat and clearance, forward pegs standard “or even the mids”. it doesn’t have clearance for Canyon carving and sharp corners. And you can’t get properly leverage over the bike for sporty riding. For what it’s made for the sportster S was a whiff for me. Hopefully they fix this in the future
Thank you. I'm actually glad to hear that. I like to give my opinion but I always want people to make their own decision at the end of the day. What do you prefer about the S?
Same here. I have ridden both bikes. I simply prefer the look of the Sportster S and I don't like the screen on the FTR, looks like a cheap tablet strapped to the bars. The unit on the Sportster S is neat, tidy and fitting. HD definitely need to work on their hand controls though, they really don't need so many buttons and that turn signal switch is simply crap. Maybe a touch screen come '23 model. Out of the FTR range I think I like the look of Rally. I look forward to seeing more Rev Max bikes and hope HD do release the Bronx, especially in a 1250 pushing 130-140 bhp, I think they could steal a couple of sales from the FTR. I'm also hoping HD starts using Showa and Brembo across all its ranges. One of my biggest disappointments was the lack of inverted front ends on the '22 tourers. I think HD are always a hair away from going all out with a bike, it's like they restrain themselves and change their minds last minute in case they upset the fans of the more traditional bikes...that's HDs biggest challenge, walking the fine line between heritage and progress.
Of course it don’t matter if there is a Harley dealer on every corner since you can’t get parts or service in a timely fashion or the parts are crazy expensive. Crazy expensive.
After having honed a victory I will never do business with Polaris again; no matter what they called there company. They screwed over their dealers and third-party dealers and mechanics. I know one person that has a scout and is having issues with it they can’t fix. It. The claim is a warranty issue and they won’t honor the warranty claiming he modified it. ( he can’t even turn a screw and it’s a 100% stock. I suspect it’s the dealer that did not set it up properly and now the dealership has changed hands so we will see. So there’s a inconsistent dealers in the network.
I can understand your point of view; however, by that logic, Buell owners like myself would be justified in saying we would never purchase or do business with Harley-Davidson again...
@@dysfunctionalveteranese4905 the difference is they didn’t make the dealers for victory re qualify to be Indian dealers and parts were much more readily available. I had a victory Cross country and then Polaris was innovative and making really cool bikes. Even the vision was far ahead of its time. I bought mine a few months before the announcement of closing and the dealers did not even have a clue. So it affected a lot more people than killing a line. They killed owners , dealers , 3rd party manufacturers
I didn't experience it as an actual customer I just went for the demo truck. Obviously they collect your info and the sales people call. I told him all I was doing was demoing and he left me alone but that was it. What was your experience?
Indians are wayyy cooler. Harley is over hyped, Indians outperform their Harley counterparts in almost all cases. They look way better too. I have the 2022 ftr rally, amazing bike, never getting rid of it. Will be interested to see how many miles I can put on it before rebuilding this beautiful bike
Unbelievable,that four hour drive to the test ride was 40% of the video, stay a Harley guy, your not flexible rider , Indian motorcycle are as good as harley and Harley Davidson is making poor quality parts and selling 100 t-shirts,
Harley is forever disappointing me. At 72 yo. And recently bought my 72 nd motorcycle I have owned but one Harley but ridden many. I was all ready to buy the Bronx but Harley axed the model pissing off many not Harley types. As a Veteran I would rather own an American bike but I like Japanese reliability
