Indian FTR 1200 s vs. KTM 1290r Super Duke Two somewhat similar bikes with different personalities.

Ed Fox

Member
Indian FTR 1200 s vs. KTM 1290r Super Duke
Two somewhat similar bikes with different personalities.

I’ve been a “Performance Based” rider for many years. I started in the 70’s with Kawasaki 2 strokes, then with many different inline four cylinder bikes over the last 40 years with a few V twins and V fours thrown in. I liked most of them, loved some of them and dislikes a few of them. I’m 60 now and I still enjoy riding aggressively with my friends on the weekends and doing a few track days a year, but I’m happier on a bike that is not a full-on race machine these days.

I’ve had a Super Duke since 2015 and I love it. It is a bike that gives confidence to everyone I know who has ridden one. It has a high strung V twin that with a pipe and a dyno tune delivers 160 HP at the rear wheel. It is upright and comfortable on 300 mile rides but aggressive enough to blast around the track. Its power band is not completely linear though. It is unhappy until you get it over 4500 rpm’s then it pulls hard until you bounce it of the rev limiter at around 8500 rpm’s. It does many things well but in my opinion, it lacks character in some ways. I’m not in love with its styling. The first time I saw one it reminded me of a plastic power tool. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many people love its looks. I’m just not crazy about the sharp angles, lightening bolt like graphics and the neon orange color KTM uses. The Super Duke is a great all-around street bike and not a bad track bike. (My Super Duke is a 1st generation. I’m sure there are many improvements to the current one).

I got my FTR s about a month ago and I love it. I love it for many of the same reasons I love the Super Duke. The two bikes have many similarities. Both have a big V twins, both have trellis frames, both deliver good handling and both are comfortable enough to ride long distances. The FTR’s motor is a stomping V twin that is as happy at High RPM’s as it is a Low RPM’s. It pulls well from 2500 RPM’s up to 4200 RPM’s then it pulls hard to 9000 RPM’s. The power band is long and even. It has a claimed 120 HP and I would say it’s all that and maybe a little more. The electronic dash and its integrated controls on the handle bars for scrolling through its functions and displays are hands down the best I’ve ever seen. It functions perfectly with my Android phone and my Sena head set. My favorite thing about the FTR is its styling. It is really a beautiful bike to look at. The color of the frame is exactly the same red as my older brother’s 1947 chief’s tank and fenders wear. It has dozens of little details that make it look like a vintage American motorcycle but at the same time it looks like a bike that can deliver high performance. It does have some flaws. The long wheel base (60”) puzzles me. It seems unnecessary. I’m sure they wanted the bike to be stable but my Hayabusa has a shorter wheelbase. As long as it is, it still turns in quick enough to be fun in the twisties and I have no problem keeping up with my friends on sport bikes. The other thing that bothers me is the 19” front wheel and 18” rear. It is difficult to find good rubber for those sizes (Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Dual Sport Tires are working out much better than the stock Dunlop’s). I understand that they wear trying to give the bike a classic look but I would have gone with 17” wheels anyway. All in all, I think the FTR has a rare balance of looks, performance and a type of soul rarely found in a modern motorcycle. It draws a crowd when I stop at the local bike spots and I enjoy just looking at it.
 

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Ataman888

New member
Nice comparison. I’ve never owned or rode SDuk but do love the aggressive styling. Agree on 17s BUT at the same time that’s part of none mainstream bike personality that for me sets it’s apart from all the mainstreem naked street fighters out there.
 

Ed Fox

Member
I was happy with the choice Indian made about the old style wheels because it does fit the classic look but that was before I road the the FTR. I never expected it to preform as well as it does so I thought a better set of rubber would be a waist. I was wrong and I'm happy I was. I think this bike will benefit greatly from some big sticky sneaker. It was a big improvement when I put the Pirelli Scorpion Trail II Dual Sport Tires on. I can't wait to try some Q3's on it.
 
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mark.lb

Well-known member
I am undecided about tires. I also like the look of the DT3-R’s. I have been satisfied with their performance and grip. Not so satisfied with the mileage. (I get 2900 mile out of a rear.) I will be 62 yrs old on my next birthday. Although I often ride aggressively my Street Rossi days are in the rear view mirror. I’m just not sure I need the added performance a “standard look“ street tire would offer over the DT3-R’s.
 

Ed Fox

Member
I am undecided about tires. I also like the look of the DT3-R’s. I have been satisfied with their performance and grip. Not so satisfied with the mileage. (I get 2900 mile out of a rear.) I will be 62 yrs old on my next birthday. Although I often ride aggressively my Street Rossi days are in the rear view mirror. I’m just not sure I need the added performance a “standard look“ street tire would offer over the DT3-R’s.
You may be correct. I don't know how the change in wheel size will effect the geometry of the FTR. It may help handling or it could make it worse. The only way to know is to give it a try.
 

Max Kool

Well-known member
If you're largely happy with them, just ride them down and decide on your new tires with you wallet. Most any other other is better and cheaper than the DT3R's...
 

Ed Fox

Member
What I like about the FTR so much is that's it's a fast spinning/revving twin (light flywheel) that still runs perfect at lower revs.
Agreed, it is fairly quick reving for big twin. Losing the Kat and pulling the baffles woke it up a bit more.
 

Max Kool

Well-known member
Sound wise, yes. But performance wise, I doubt it. Without a tune it runs worse without the cat. And even with a proper tune we’re talking one or two hp difference between with and without cat (and these tunes are very different apparently).

@ferraiolo1 has different headers and only then do you see significant gains compared to a bike with the cat still on.
 

Charliemurphay

Well-known member
Toce claims the link pipe with a proper tune gains 5% torque increase 4.5%whp increase over stock, which is the reason I went with them for the link pipe. Not insignificant if true.image.jpg
 

Ed Fox

Member
I traded in my 2018 Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 Factory for my FTR. That was a great track bike but it was so high strung and twitchy I didn't like it on the street o_O. At 60 years old, I have crested the hill and feel like its time to grow up and start riding like an adult 😂
 

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marcus

Member
You can't compare the two bikes.... The SD is a sportsbike, the FTR a power cruiser. Different Chassis, different engine characteristics, different seat position, different lean angle, different wheel size...
There is more different than similar.
The most similar is the number of the cylinder ant the two wheels.
You can compare an Diavel an an FTR.
I sold my SD990. It's a nice bike and made a lot of fun. But now it's time for a change, I think and hope.
My buell has enouth sportness.
 

Ed Fox

Member
You can't compare the two bikes.... The SD is a sportsbike, the FTR a power cruiser. Different Chassis, different engine characteristics, different seat position, different lean angle, different wheel size...
There is more different than similar.
The most similar is the number of the cylinder ant the two wheels.
You can compare an Diavel an an FTR.
I sold my SD990. It's a nice bike and made a lot of fun. But now it's time for a change, I think and hope.
My buell has enouth sportness.
You can't compare the two bikes.... The SD is a sportsbike, the FTR a power cruiser. Different Chassis, different engine characteristics, different seat position, different lean angle, different wheel size...
There is more different than similar.
The most similar is the number of the cylinder ant the two wheels.
You can compare an Diavel an an FTR.
I sold my SD990. It's a nice bike and made a lot of fun. But now it's time for a change, I think and hope.
My buell has enouth sportness.
My Comparison was between my1290r Super Duke and the FTR. I've never ridden a 990 Super Duke so I really can't make a comparison between the 990 and anything else.
Before getting my FTR I thought them to be, as you said just, a "Power Cruiser". After the first ride I stopped thinking of it that way. It is not a sport bike but it has a lot more sport bike in it than it has cruiser in it. In my opinion my SD isn't a pure sport bike either. The SD certainly has more sportsbike in it than the FTR. The riding position on the two bikes are very similar thoug and foot position on the FTR is more aggressive than the SD. The Super Duke is a better handling bike obviously but the FTR does much better than I ever imagined it would. Before riding the FTR I would not have thought it legitimate to compare them. But I think they do have similar characteristics, and again, Super Duke has superior handling and a more powerful yet less linear motor of the two bikes. I think the FTR is a much better looking bike then the 1290 is. I'm glad I own one of each.
On another note, I don't know which Buell you have but I had a 1999 X1, The FTR would run circals around that Buell.
I know they got better as time went on so I'm hoping you have a newer version then I did.
 
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EllenGtrGrl

Active member
If you're largely happy with them, just ride them down and decide on your new tires with you wallet. Most any other other is better and cheaper than the DT3R's...

That's what I plan to do. I really don't feel like coughing up a few hundred dollars for new tires at this time. Can I crank over as much, or as hard/fast in a turn as my old BMW R1200R with its Z-rate Metzlers? No, but I'm still able to do some corner carving at a surprisingly fast rate, and IMO, due to the suspension and geometry, my FTR1200 feels more sure footed than the Triumph Thruxton 900 I used to have, felt when it was heeled over. I probably will go to a more street oriented tire, come tire change time, but for now the DT3Rs will suffice. Besides, in many cases, the limiting factor on speed around here on the back roads I prefer to frequent (especially during my rush hour commute) are:

1. Relatively high amounts of traffic - since I live in a metropolitan area, traffic on the county highways is surprisingly high (which can sometimes be annoying, when you're trying to pass some slow poke who insists upon driving 5 MILES PER HOUR UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT, due to the level on oncoming traffic on those 2 lane roads), many drivers take the county highways to and from the metro area, due to them being more direct routes and/or ways to avoid the hassles of freeway jousting.

2. Road surface conditions - many of the back roads around here (even the county highways), are kind of rough, with ripples, cracks, etc. It's even worse if you try to take tertiary country roads. The faster you ride, the more you get bounced around. Throw in gravel on the road surface at turns (there's a nice medium radius turn on County Hwy G that has this situation - so much for going through it at 50 plus mph), due to dump trucks cutting the corners and kicking up gravel from the shoulders (or spilling small amounts of it out of the truck bed) into the middle of the road lane in the turn, and you're not going to go full gonzo through the turn, unless you want to go down.
 
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