Indian FTR Tokyo Connection Is All About That Fuel Tank and Stormtrooper White Exhaust

We knew this machine was coming for a while now, and this past weekend, during the British Bike Shed Moto Show in London, we finally got the first glimpse at it and the juicy details that went into making it.

As revealed a couple of months ago, the Tokyo Connection is a collab between Indian itself, specialized magazine Sideburn, and Japanese custom builder Toshiyuki "Cheetah” Osawa. Naturally, with such big names involved others were drawn to the project as well, including S&S Cycle, Hagon Wheels, and Dunlop.

The bike you're looking at here was until last week an FTR, one of the favorite Indian platforms for custom works these days. Now, it presents itself as a celebration of American flat track racing, but also of the British and Japanese dirt track racing scenes. A blend, if you will, of American, Japanese and British motorcycle racing heritage.

Whether one can see that on this custom build or not is a matter of personal taste. What everyone can see though is a custom ride the likes of which we rarely get to experience.

As per Osawa himself, the entire project revolves around the fuel tank fitted on the FTR. It's a one-piece element made by hand from aluminum, complete with a special cover and a seat cowl on top of which a leather seat has been fitted.

Although it may look like some cold chunk of raw metal, the diminished bodywork of the Tokyo Connection is actually wrapped in a layer of paint, and dotted all over with Japan-style graphics. Even the exhaust system, supplied by S&S, comes with the same cold-white styling – the paint is called Stormtrooper White.

It may not look like it, but the bike is packed full of aftermarket elements, most of them in the form of Indian Gilles Performance bits: the rear sets, brake and clutch levers, and the radiator and oil caps. Neken handlebars and Rizoma mini indicators complete the look.

The bike still holds in its frame the original FTR engine, which spins customized FTR Rally wheels sized 19 inches front and rear. Both are wrapped in Dunlop DT4 dirt track tires for maximum effect.

If you were unable to visit the Shed this past weekend, the video below shows a bit more of the bike and the ideas behind it. Sadly, we are not told what will happen to the Tokyo Connection now that the London show is over. And we also don't have a clue as to how much the bike cost to put together.