When Indian announced in June that it was working on a bike that would mark the company's return to flat track racing after a 60-plus year absence, it was keeping the bike itself under wraps. The company broke its silence at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally being held this week at Sturgis, South Dakota, which was an appropriate backdrop for the unveiling of the newly minted Scout FTR750.
While the all-new Scout FTR750 is meant to partially pay homage to the flat track racers Indian fielded up until the mid-50s, this race-only bike is decidedly modern. It's powered by a high-revving, liquid-cooled, custom 750cc V-Twin engine with a large centrally-mounted airbox.
Both sit within a steel frame and a body made of carbon fiber to help reduce the overall weight of the bike, no doubt making it easier to slide into turns coming off of the fast straightaways of flat track racing. Modern brakes, wheels, and assorted other design elements that Indian isn't yet discussing will no doubt add to the bikes future performance.
Indian fired up the FTR750 during the reveal and it both looked and sounded like it could have been raced as is. Two surviving members of the legendary Indian Wrecking Crew, Bill Tuman and Bobby Hill, were on hand for the reveal held at the "Motorcycles as Art" industry event that took place at the famed Buffalo Chip outside of Sturgis, last night. The bike bore the number 51 to commemorate the number worn by Tuman as the last rider to win a Grand National Championship on an Indian in 1953.
Indian did not reveal any further details about the Scout FTR750, but the company did say earlier that it plans to race the bike in the 2017 season.
Source: Indian Motorycles