The Indian FTR 1200 is likely one of the few factory-made bikes that brings flat monitor fashion to the road. However, regardless of being a bucketload of enjoyable to experience, it’s not universally cherished. The largest criticism leveled in opposition to it’s associated to aesthetics; it’s slathered in plastic, and that makes it look bloated.
That’s precisely what the dream workforce at Arctos Assortment got down to handle on this mission. Based mostly in Emmental, Switzerland, Arctos is an ongoing collaboration between Ulfert Janssen’s industrial design studio, Gannet Design, and Stefan Fuhrer’s customized bike workshop, Fuhrer Moto.
Ulfert brings years of auto design expertise to the desk, together with a ten-year stint at Renault. Stefan’s an ex-MotoGP race mechanic, and now leads a succesful workforce of mechanics and craftsmen. It’s these complementary expertise that make them such a formidable workforce.
Beginning with an Indian FTR 1200 S as a donor, Arctos got down to ramp up the bike’s flat monitor styling, whereas trimming again its bodywork. In inventory type, elements of the FTR’s trellis body are hidden by its fake gasoline tank—and the blokes needed to alter that.
“We instantly realized why Indian’s designers determined to partially cowl the body,” says Ulfert, “as all the pieces is asymmetrical on that tubular body—particularly with the mono rear suspension. However we determined to tackle the problem and expose the gorgeous trellis body in full. It gave us a variety of complications, nevertheless it was completely value it.”
Ulfert penned a brand new design for the FTR, then handed it over to Stefan’s workforce to translate into steel. They began by molding a brand new tank cowl out of clay, then used that as a information to hammer out the ultimate half. A part of the transient was to slim down the world across the handlebars too, so the Indian’s OEM sprint was relocated to a housing inside the duvet.
There’s extra trickery out again, the place Arctos swapped the FTR’s plasticky rear part for one thing extra svelte. The aluminum half you see underneath the seat is an all-in-one gasoline tank and subframe from Roland Sands Design. It’s a bolt-on half that makes use of the inventory gasoline pump (with some modifications), and the inventory gasoline filler location, with a capability of two gallons.
Sitting on high of it’s a Saddlemen tail unit and seat pad, additionally from RSD. The entire association not solely seems to be nice, however goes a protracted strategy to give the FTR a extra pared-back and purposeful vibe.
“Our aim was to combine all of the technical necessities and changes with out affecting the idea,” says Stefan. “It was an actual problem, due to extremely tight house points for all of the parts. We needed to relocate many elements and reroute the cables and electronics.”
“It was necessary to us that we resolve and adapt the person parts in such a manner that there’s a coherent general image, to get a really modern and technically excellent racer.”
Arctos additionally added a race-style headlight nacelle with a pair of Highsider lights, customized fork protectors, a stomach pan, and a smattering of carbon fiber bits. Up high are new risers holding ProTaper bars, fitted with recent grips, machined levers from Synto Evo and Motogadget bar-end flip alerts. The switches are notably slick; blacked-out race-style clusters from Jetprime.
Out again you’ll discover a Highsider taillight, and a side-mount license plate bracket from ABM Fahrzeugtechnik. A set of Gilles Tooling foot controls do obligation decrease down.
Arctos threw a couple of extra high-end elements on the FTR to drive the purpose house. It now rolls on a set of Kineo wire-spoked wheels, wrapped in Michelin Anakee Wild tires. The entrance forks and brakes are inventory (they carry out properly sufficient out the field), however the rear shock’s been swapped for a Hyperpro unit.
These lust-worthy titanium exhaust headers are from Zard. They movement into the OEM catalytic convertor, which exits through an SC-Undertaking muffler.
The FTR’s new livery is a mixture of midnight blue and ‘scrubbed’ steel finishes, offset by gold pin-striping. The tasteful use of gold all through the construct is impressed—like the way in which the forks and rear wheel complement one another, the delicate gold spoke nipples on the entrance wheel, and the small licks of gold paint on the Indian logos.
Arctos needed the trellis body to be the hero right here, so it, and the swingarm, have been completed in a pearl white. Zwahlen NIZ topped issues off with some deft upholstery (and sure, there’s a touch of gold within the stitching too).
We’re followers of the FTR 1200, so if somebody’s going to place it on a visible and bodily food regimen, we’re not complaining. Who else thinks that Arctos ought to construct a restricted run of those?
Arctos Assortment | Gannet Design | Fuhrer Moto | Pictures by Ulfert Janssen
