Larger rear sprocket.

Max Kool

Well-known member
Then what’s the use on downshifting? You already have the throttle closed anyway, interrupting the ignition or injection momentarily won’t add much if at all...

It needs to blip imho
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
It does, I never really used it for downshifting. It’s nice because the sensor does both if you want to switch to gp shift. The dynojet units only work one way or the other depending on which one you buy
 

Max Kool

Well-known member
I actually contacted Healtech, and the quickshifter they offer for the Indian FTR only does upshifts and does not blip (which you need for downshifting else no rev-match...).

No bueno for me. I could use a downshifter harder then an upshifter.
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
It’s the same one they offer for all of the bikes. It’s the same sensor. It works both ways.

You would need an auto blipper that’s a lot more than $350 if you want true clutchless downshifts.

ok now back to sprocket changes.
 

morris

New member
Rob carpenter (robonewheelrevolution) teamed up with atomicind to make steel rear sprockets. Goes from 50 to 58 teeth. I went with a 51 (stock is 49)

the 51 works with the stock chain and adjusters almost full forward.

Where/how do you purchase these sprockets? I'd like to try out the 51t for the same reason you did. I'm used to dirt bikes and ride a lot around town - thinking two teeth up in the rear will increase hooligan-ness.

Thx
 

John-FTR17

Member
Is their room to change front Counter sprocket up or down one tooth from stock rather than changing everything out in the rear?

One tooth change on the front equals 3 or 4 on the rear, and you don't have the issue of Chain length, Chain adjuster space, and high cost to change out rear gearing.
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
Superlite sprockets makes smaller fronts and larger rear sprockets for the ftr now.

there isn’t a chain length issue with the 51t rear. And it’s easy to move the adjuster

but this sprocket was from robonewheelrevolution
 

mark.lb

Well-known member
Not sure how you ride Blue1 but at 2500rpm although the FTR is making about 60ft/lbs of torque it is only producing 30 hp! (You are still putting along with strong running mopeds....)
Peak torque is around 6000rpm and it is still only making 90 hp. Torque remains strong all the way to 82-8300rpm where a stock FTR is making 112-113 hp at the rear wheel. The acceleration between 6000 and 8300 rpm is impressive. As good or better than most modern motorcycles. That is the neighborhood where I want to live, not in the 2500-5000 part of town! I do consider the FTR a high revving V-twin. Took a ride on a friends 107 Street Glide this weekend. At 4000rpm you are ringing it’s neck.
 

Blue1

Active member
I ride as quickly as I safely can depending on the road I'm on. Slightly aggressive in traffic, 8 or 9 tenths in the mountains, and have been riding hi-perf motorcycles since the 70s. I am a well-accomplished street rider, but not a racer.

I do understand the math relative to torque, HP and rpms.

Harleys are tractors that have been out of date for 50 years.

Ducatis are high-revving twins; the FTR is a (well) modified cruiser motor.

I don't generally ride around the street at 6000 to 8300 rpm. The vast majority of all street riders are looking for max power maybe 1% of the time. Much more than that and they wouldn't still have their license.

Don't get me wrong, I love my FTR, but my old ZRX would chew it up and spit it out everywhere but under 3.5k rpm with 39cc less displacement and thirty lbs more weight and similar gearing. And the ZRX didn't need revs, it peaked at the same revs (or slightly lower) than the FTR.
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
Sure about that? it the ole Rex bikes 1100 had less HP and TQ than a FTR, stock for stock and the 1200 had just slightly more. and dry they weigh about the same.

I attended and led a ride at the north east ZRX rally the other month my buddy hosted. Even the full bolt ones werent chewing up and spitting out my FTR anywhere on the road.

They are great bikes, but they arent faster than the ftr on the road.
 
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Blue1

Active member
Yup, I'm sure. I owned a ZRX1200 for eight seasons, modded to about 125-130 HP at the rear wheels, but even stock it would beat an FTR through the gears. The FTR can't launch nearly as hard as you can't get all the power to the ground without looping it.

The ZRX1200 also had a lot more torque than the 1100, and maybe ten more HP.

You're right about the stock power numbers, but drag strip testing trap speeds shows a slight edge to the ZRX, and ETs in the 10s, while I've only seen 11.3 ETs published for the FTR. That's actually a tick slower than my old '83 GS1100E (which only had about 95 HP at the rear wheels (stock).

If the FTR1200S is actually the 518 lbs (wet) as reported, it is 26 lbs lighter than the ZRX1200 (wet), and a whopping 46 lbs lighter than a stock GS1100E.

Also, the FTR is an aerodynamic barn door (due to it's height and rider position with the stock handlebars), with a top end of 135-140, while the ZRX has published top speed of 149 mph. The GS1100E was good for an honest 140 mph.

With all that being said, the bikes are close on the street, but if I had to pick one or the other in a drag race, the ZRX would be the clear winner.

I love my FTR, it is more fun to ride than my old ZRX, but is is not as fast and not as versatile as the ZRX1200. That's my view from experience on both and backed up by the performance numbers.
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
11.3 was a bone stock ftr. A good rider and all the mods it will be faster. A tuned Ftr with a full exhaust is 123hp and 103tq at the wheel.

it’s very close to a fully ivanized Rex 1200.

the weight is due to that wheelie bar and massive cat. Dropping 30lbs on a ftr is super easy todo.

also that’s why they have wheelie control. You can actually get it to launch better

I’ve spent time on my buddies 1200 with zx11 carbs, zx14 suspension, and every other els trck part You can buy. so I’m not not sure where you’re getting the “chew it up and spit it out” claim

it’s pretty damn even to be honest.

Now my full monte fz1s gen1 and 2 would beat it on the drag strip, longer sweepers, and highway. But not in the tight twisties.

perhaps you’re living nostalgia since you’re not riding them back to back, or comparing a modded Rex to a stock ftr?

Carbs and sport bike suspensions swaps on old naked bikes used to be my jam
 

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Blue1

Active member
Mea culpa, perhaps my remark "chew it up and spit it out" was a little bit of an exaggeration, but the ZRX1200 is clearly quicker and faster.

The ZRX1200 ran 10.8s bone stock...at least four tenths quicker, that's about 70 feet ahead through the traps and pulling harder to at least a ten mph top end advantage. These are facts, not bench-racing hyperbole. Mine was fully-Ivanized and it was very noticeably stronger than stock, about fifteen HP and probably good for another tenth or two off the OEM E.T.

Wheelie control isn't magic, it reduces power (slows the bike) to keep the front wheel down; perhaps you remember when you yourself said in a previous post, "Tried launching in normal mode (wheelie control and tc kicked in and cut power on the launch)...".

Your FZ1s were monsters, especially if they were effectively modded, even stock they were probably as fast or faster than a fully-Ivanized 'rex. If I recall, they came out at the same time; I could've bought an FZ, I just liked the retro look of the ZRX better and prefer torquey bikes over bikes that like revs to make power. Part of the reason I love my FTR.

As for your nostalgia remark...the numbers back me up and BTW, I didn't "spend some time on a buddy's ZRX", I wrenched on and rode one for 40k miles over eight seasons, so I don't think it unreasonable to say I know the bike better than someone that has never even owned one.

So why don't we just chill with the defensiveness and just enjoy the diversity of different opinions?
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
I did say that on stock tires. On sticky tires. Wheelie control is damn awesome. The stock tires kept breaking loose, causing tc to kick in and cut power, not the wheelie control. I got my best et with a good tire and wheelie control. Per my last’s posts about my track day racing against the rexs during that rally.

it’s the ftr stock gearing Making its 1/4 times slower. I’m still waiting on a 47t rear sprockets from my guy. Covid ruined that. And yes, before you say it, the 51t was too low of a gear for anything other than mountain carving. Which it’s amazing at, but for 1/4 and highway riding it is too low to be comfortable. It’s all about experimentation.

also I didn’t know we were Simply talking 1/4 remarks. But I know the bikes from riding with them for years. And knowing what they are and aren’t capable of in the mountains and in the straights.

But yes. I digress.
 
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Blue1

Active member
I just want to tune in here to learn more about the FTR.

What bothers me on this forum is if you say anything about the FTR that isn't a positively glowing endorsement, some people here have a freakin' hissy fit, as if the FTR is the only worthy motorcycle on the planet.

I don't want to be confrontational, but if someone figuratively gets in my face, I will defend myself.

The internet is a faceless forum of people's opinions, and sometimes things are said that would not be said in person. Perhaps I have been guilty of that myself. I suspect if we all met somewhere on our FTRs we would all enjoy each other's company, conversation and ideas.

I will try to keep that thought in mind as I read and contribute to the forum in the future, and seeing that some of you may be fairly close to my central Jersey location, maybe someday we can meet and ride together.
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
Let’s ride together then. We can even ride with all the ZRXs in the area, although that blue one pictured was totaled during the last rally, he now rides a multistrada that does indeed chew up and spit out the ftr several timesOver.

I’m only a few hrs from you.
 

Blue1

Active member
Let’s ride together then. We can even ride with all the ZRXs in the area, although that blue one pictured was totaled during the last rally, he now rides a multistrada that does indeed chew up and spit out the ftr several timesOver.

I’m only a few hrs from you.

That would be awesome!

Many years ago I went on a ride that was about two hours from me at a VFW I think, can't remember the name, I was recently looking it up, hundreds of bikes show up, I think it was the first Sunday of the month, do you know the gathering I'm referring to?

They may be done for this season, though.
 

ferraiolo1

2021-2024 IMR Ambassador
Staff member
Yep. Once when I used to live
In Scranton. It’s the 1st Sunday of each month. It’s a good time!
 
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