Back in February, at a time when motorcycle fans were still recovering from the flood of new models unleashed by Harley-Davidson for the 2023 model year, rivals from Indian were announcing a special and ultra-limited version of their mighty FTR. Three months later, we get a few more shots of the bike most of us will never see past the computer screen.
The special FTR is called Loeb, in honor of none other than the World Rally Championship's (WRC) most successful driver, Sebastien Loeb. It also honors the Frenchman's nine WRC titles, so this is a kind of double tribute, if you will.
Loeb happens to be a brand ambassador for the bike maker, so the release of the FTR Loeb has some kind of publicity stunt feel to it as well. And not only because of this reason, but also because Indian will make absolutely no money from it.
That's because the American bike maker made just two examples of this special custom. One is meant for the rally driver, and as a brand ambassador, he'll get it for free, of course. The other will also be gifted, but this time to one lucky average Joe.
Sure, there are conditions for that to happen. To have a shot at getting the FTR Loeb, that lucky member of the general public has to take part in a test ride campaign that kicked off on February 8 and ends on May 15, and also end up victorious at the end of a prize draw. The campaign is meant only for countries in Europe and South Africa, meaning Americans are left out of this one.
Photo: Indian/DPPI-FrayMédia/Thomas Cortesi
Indian did not share much information on what makes this motorcycle different from other FTRs, meaning we don't have a lot to go on and see if it gets much better compared to the stock FTR, mechanically speaking.
The project is not an in-house Indian build, but one put together with the help of French custom garage Tank Machine, one of the biggest names of the European scene that does not deal with Harley-Davidsons.
As far as body parts are concerned, the FTR received a custom front fender, a reworked seat, and a slightly restyled fuel tank. The overall color chosen for the build is blue, playing the contrast game with the black deployed on the mechanical bits.
Making the FTR truly stand out is, however, the number 9 featured and the front of the ride, a throwback to Loeb's WRC wins. The driver's name is inscribed on the fuel tank together with that number again and words reading "Special edition Indian FTR 1200."
If you find the Indian FTR Loeb to be something you fancy, below is the list of countries where test rides can be booked for a shot at getting one of the two bikes to be made in this configuration (there are slightly more countries than announced back in February):
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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