Test ride done and questions

[mark.lb]

I go into corners aggressively. I shut the throttle “off”, shift down and trail brake. I let the suspension and tires grab..then open the throttle. I have always been rewarded... Check your suspension settings..How much do you weigh, what is your body size. The FTR 1200S suspension is fully adjustable...(Thanks Sachs)...Make it work for you. This is a very easy bike to ride “fast”. Use everything Indian has given you to adapt the bike to your personal riding style...Mark, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

 

[Max Kool]

You talking to me @mark.lb ?

 

[Kenmosher]

Agree with Max Kool .. I can live with some sketchy warmup (although my other 2 big bore high compression bikes .. a 2003 VRod @ 1320cc and a Triumph Thruxton R @ 1200cc have flawless cold warm up manners). It was the snatchy delay and surge. Which, actually has gotten quite a bit better now that I have ridden the bike about 300 miles ... My guess is the adaptive learns are closer to where they need to be and fixed some of it. The cold startup still sucks though. Can't wait for my PowerVision to show up ...

I did have to tune out a lean spot (thanks EPA) in the midrange for the Vrod that is well known with that platform ... causes surges and a slight miss under light load. Just a little bump in the fuel curve and a bit more timing and it's smooth as glass now. But never had to mess with warm up fueling. (Used an original J1850 PowerVision for that BTW ... awesome stuff)

 

[mark.lb]

You talking to me @mark.lb ?

 

[mark.lb]

I think so.. But I’m not that tech savvy....

 

[Max Kool]

Don't worry about me. I wouldn't call myself an expert rider, but I can hold my own in the canyons at an interesting pace. When I first got my FTR I noticed I had to ride the bike very "square". Brake and lean, then throttle out. Simply because dosing the throttle was a hit or miss job. Sometimes I just got more than I asked for (which makes you run wide), and the dreaded delay in the throttle.

With a tune from Ryan Randall it runs buttery smooth now which allows for a much better transition from barreling into a corner on the front brakes, to smoothly barrel out of a corner on the throttle. It has become one fluid motion.

 

[mark.lb]

I have not changed the stock AKV exhaust system or throttle mapping in the ECU. My throttle response has been very smooth from the get-go..I usually ride in “STD” mode. The “Sport” mode made the throttle response more aggressive and allowed easy wheelies...(in Sport mode wheelie mitigation is Off.) I have not noticed the hit or miss when dosing the throttle you are referencing....My throttle response out of corners is predictable, but very “aggressive” for a V-Twin motor of this size and with this much torque...
I also own a vintage 1976 Yamaha XS750-2D Triple. Not nearly as fast but much more predictable exiting corners...with cables and carburetors everything happens a lot slower....

 

[ferraiolo1]

That’s why you don’t notice it then. But the fun happens in sport mode.

Get your bike tuned and run it in sport mode and it transforms it.


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[Max Kool]

My point ^^

 

[mark.lb]

“Sport” mode and “STD” mode give you access to the same Horse Power (112hp and Torque 79.8 ft-lbs at the rear wheel. (Cycle World) The ECU - Sport, Standard, Rain - (Hp limited to 95), are Indian’s decision on how the power is delivered...MaxCool bought an after-market ECU management system that allows you to customize the delivery of the power that is available....I prefer STD mode with wheelie mitigation “On”..Others May prefer “Sport” with a more aggressive throttle map...Ride On....!

 

[mark.lb]

Sorry Max Kool

 

[Max Kool]

No worries dude, I just prefer the directness of sport mode. I feel the difference even riding in traffic...

I just like super light and direct controls (same reason why I changed my pads).

 

[ferraiolo1]

“Sport” mode and “STD” mode give you access to the same Horse Power (112hp and Torque 79.8 ft-lbs at the rear wheel. (Cycle World) The ECU - Sport, Standard, Rain - (Hp limited to 95), are Indian’s decision on how the power is delivered...MaxCool bought an after-market ECU management system that allows you to customize the delivery of the power that is available....I prefer STD mode with wheelie mitigation “On”..Others May prefer “Sport” with a more aggressive throttle map...Ride On....!

I also have mine tuned.

The wheelie mitigation is a bit too intrusive. When wanting to have fun. Yes peak hp is the same. But the responsiveness and curve isn’t.

I’ve yet to see some one wish they “didn’t” tune their bike.

Tuning makes standard mode even more smooth. As well as the benefit of picking up a few more hp, lower egts, and better cold starts.


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[mark.lb]

Did you go to ceramic pads on the Brembo calipers? Did it improve feel...or increase stopping power...My stock brakes are very good...

 

[Max Kool]

Not ceramic (that's just a ceramic coating on the back of the pads, keeps the caliper cooler), bit yes, I did install EBC HH pads. More bite, more progressive feel.


But don't worry, the stock pads are good too, they never surprised me.

 

[ferraiolo1]

Stock pads start to squeak around 2k. I’m
Going to change mine out to ebc hh pads shortly.


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[Max Kool]

Oh, while we're at it, the main reason I changed them is actually an experience I had on my Desert Sled (same brakes, and same Brembo pads, FF). After 2000 miles on the stock pads the front brake started to feel "warped". Especially at lower speeds. Uneven stopping power rolling to a traffic light, stuff like that. At higher speeds the brakes felt fine. Something that's very common on these bikes. I figured it could be uneven pad sediment on the rotor.

As a test I changed the stock pads for EBC HH and 500 miles later that annoying feeling was gone. Of course I tried the usual to fix it; scrub the rotor with a scotchbrite pad to remove all pad residue, clean it etc. At 10.000 miles the brakes on this bike are still perfect with these pads.

Scroll forward to the FTR, after about 500 miles it started to show the same symptons. Pulsating braking power at low speed (no pulsating lever!). I figured, here we go again, stock pads making my rotors uneven. That's when I installed the EBC HH pads on my FTR, and lo and behold, 1500 miles later that feeling is gone.

Added bonus, more stopping power/better modulation. As expected going from FF to HH pads.

(and yes, I know the drill. Don't keep the front brake squeezed after a hard stop, instead roll the last few feet just using the rear. I tried, it didn't work)

Highly advised

 

[Blue1]

I go into corners aggressively. I shut the throttle “off”, shift down and trail brake. I let the suspension and tires grab..then open the throttle. I have always been rewarded... Check your suspension settings..How much do you weigh, what is your body size. The FTR 1200S suspension is fully adjustable...(Thanks Sachs)...Make it work for you. This is a very easy bike to ride “fast”. Use everything Indian has given you to adapt the bike to your personal riding style...Mark, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

With 5.9" of travel at both ends, the FTR had the potential for a complaint and comfortable ride while still being controlled enough for energetic canyon runs.

As delivered, even adjusted as well as possible, the ride is brutal. I'm a big guy, can't imagine what a 160 lb rider must feel, as the ride over slightly broke pavement actually jars my vision.

The rear suspension is way to harsh, I suspect mis-calibrated compression damping; it does have adequate rebound damping.

The front is a little harsh as well, but the real fault up front is total lack of rebound damping, even at full-in adjustment. You can see this yourself by putting the front wheel up against a wall and pumping the fork through it's travel. The fork is screaming for different valving or shim stack. No one has developed a kit yet. I spoke to Race Tech and they offer a 20% R&D discount, but I don't want to have to ship my forks all the way across the country (two ways, at my expense).

Hopefully, Race Tech will develop something by the spring as their fork kits are top notch. I can then have the work done locally with someone I know and trust (no knock intended on Race Tech).

Then all I'll need is an Ohlins shock and the suspension will be as I want (and frankly, as it should have been delivered by Indian).

Blue1

 

[ferraiolo1]

There is a company in Europe making cartridges. They are just sachs forks. So nothing special about them. You can most likely get a bmw cross reference Chart.

And you’re the second person to say that about the front. I have a feeling there was a bad batch of early forks. As my suspension for 190lbs is perfect. Better than my r1 setup imo


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[Blue1]

There is a company in Europe making cartridges. They are just sachs forks. So nothing special about them. You can most likely get a bmw cross reference Chart.

And you’re the second person to say that about the front. I have a feeling there was a bad batch of early forks. As my suspension for 190lbs is perfect. Better than my r1 setup imo


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I'll bring this to the attention of my dealer, who seems to be decent, but I don't expect much from Indian, their customer service is fricken' weak.