Sold my FTR12000S

[cheekykevUK]

Hi all, unfortunately I've fallen out with my FTR1200S, and decided to sell it, I've had problems with it from day one, and still having problems with it to date, so it's time to put it down to a lesson learned (a expensive one at that) and move on.
Anyway, If anyone is interested, I have quite a few after market parts that I've put up for sale in the sales section, all these parts are brand new in box, never been used, I bought them a few months ago, but never got the chance to put them on.

 

[mark.lb]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the FTR cheekykevUK. I often wonder when it comes to vehicles (in this case a motorcycle) why one owner has no problems and loves the product and another owner’s entire experience turns into a disaster. In the United States we do have a “lemon law” which sometimes forces the manufacture to buy back vehicles when they have a significant defect the manufacturer is unable to repair in a reasonable amount of time. Not sure if you have similar laws in the UK.

 

[cheekykevUK]

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the FTR cheekykevUK. I often wonder when it comes to vehicles (in this case a motorcycle) why one owner has no problems and loves the product and another owner’s entire experience turns into a disaster. In the United States we do have a “lemon law” which sometimes forces the manufacture to buy back vehicles when they have a significant defect the manufacturer is unable to repair in a reasonable amount of time. Not sure if you have similar laws in the UK.

Yes, I have heard of your Law, but unfortunately the dealer I bought t he bike from doesn't seem to want to know, he doesn't even bother to return my phone calls. To be honest the whole experience has put me off, I've lost the will to keep this bike, and lost my faith in Indian as a manufacture, I feel all of us that bought these so called premium machines were just used has Guiney pigs, and put on the market too soon before being proven, in my opinion the bike I had was not fit for purpose.
The nuts, bolts, fixture and fixings in general were not up to standard, I have Japanese bikes 20 year old that look almost new, I dread to imagine what this bike will look like in a few years time.
The bike would just stall for no reason when ever it felt like it, more often than not on the approach to a bend, or roundabout (not good)
When I first bought it, it wouldn't even tick over without stalling 2 or 3 times while left standing.
I know some people have posted up on here with advise on, you need to do this, and you need to do that, but why should you, a new bike should do the job without spending more money on it, just to get it back to how it should have been in the first place.
Such a pity, because it's a lovely looking bike, with a great engine, and fun to ride, WHEN it works.

 

[Massimo]

Sorry to hear that ! How many miles on the bike ?

 

[LaurensR65GS]

Do you have those problems with the bike warming up, or even in rides where you have done many miles already?

 

[cheekykevUK]

Answer to both questions above.
Q1, I bought the bike from new in November 2019, and only covered 1,600 miles on it, unfortunately due to the Covid restrictions, I didn't get much chance to get out on it.
Q2, It cuts out any time it likes, even when I've been out for hours, usually when I shut the throttle off, on the approach to a bend, round about, or traffic lights, as you can well imagine a big V Twin cutting out on the way into a bend is not a nice position to be put in (a very dangerous in my opinion)
It went in on it's first service, and while it was in they did the so called recall, which made things better, it used to cut out a lot more before the recall, granted it's not as bad now, but it still does it, as you can imagine, I've lost all confidence in it now, I just never know when it's going to do it, so always riding with it in the back of my head.
I'm a big lover of big V Twins, I have 3 others, such a pity this one didn't cut it like all hype made out it would do.

 

[LaurensR65GS]

Seems like that is a EU version thing. Reading the forums all cutting out while riding issues seem to happen in Europe.

 

[mark.lb]

To be clear the “lemon law” in the US applies to the manufacturer (Polaris/Indian) not the dealer.

I rode a little yesterday. Our high temperature in Pittsburgh was 42*F at about 3:00pm. My FTR fired right up (I do keep it on a battery tender) and it did not stall. Once the temp came up to 120*F I rode it 3.5 miles with no issues. There are 6700 miles on the bike. I never had it stall/cut out while riding since new.
I also started and rode my Indian Vintage. It also fired right up and ran great. I did 25 miles in relative comfort due to winter riding gear and the Lexan windshield.

That being said, if I was having the problems you are having with my FTR I would be raising Hell with Indian. I did replace most of my fasteners with stainless last winter. We use a lot of rock salt on our roads in the winter months and it quickly corrodes the zinc plated fasteners.

 

[K9F]

For some with very high expectations buying a new bike in the very first year of production may not be such a great idea? Others will act on principle and refuse to spend money on it getting it to run as smooth as one would wish perhaps despite sound advice being offered. 1600 miles in 14 months is a paltry amount but understandable with several other bikes in your stable. Cleaning regime is vitally important and I do ride in the Winter and am heading to 5000 miles on mine with no fastener corrosion at all. I have enjoyed the tweaking and twiddling involved to get my FTR exactly how it should have been perhaps out of the crate? Also with stricter and ever increasing stringent emission figures to meet all engines will require tweaking to unleash potential and deliver more satisfaction and iron out quirks for those that want the very best out of their purchase. I do that invariably anyway with all my vehicles as it brings satisfaction and even greater enjoyment.

Your decision to move on is a good one and I hope you can find 'Bike Nirvana' with your next purchase or on one of your other 3 V-Twins perhaps? Good luck!

 

[Gene Hunt]

Having just purchased an FTR1200S I would be interested to know who the dealer was as I'm due a first service but I'm thinking of doing it myself as I couldn't see anything in the manual about voiding the warranty. I've owned a lot of bikes and the fasteners on the FTR are common fair for modern bikes these days including Yamaha and Honda. The exception to this is BMW who uses stainless. I'll be upgrading most of my fasteners to stainless and titanium in due course. The cold start issue is a pain, but I have a PV3 with Ryan's tunes on it.

It's such a unique and lovely bike, so I think it's a keeper for me.

 

[K9F]

I know some people have posted up on here with advise on, you need to do this, and you need to do that, but why should you, a new bike should do the job without spending more money on it, just to get it back to how it should have been in the first place.

I was reticent to buy a tune as well as it was something you cannot see and like you spent a pretty penny on aftermarket parts first. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and yet you spent hundreds making it yours on items that weren't realistically needed when like me a tune should have taken higher priority perhaps, especially with the issues you were having? Mine were quirks and foibles but they got the better of me in the end and finally committing to a tune made me realize exactly what I had been missing out on all along. This is more of a matter of principle rather than dislike for the bike, styling and engine as you enjoyed it when it worked. Such a shame.

 

[ferraiolo1]

Yeah always found it weird, people spend almost 20K on a bike but then cringe at spending a few hundred extra on a tuner, which makes every bike run better.

oh well

 

[J0988]

Definitely a bummer that some people have this issue with the bike. Occasionally mine will stall immediately after cold startup, but never while riding. All the problems I’ve had with the bike have been self-inflicted lol.

 

[cheekykevUK]

Yeah always found it weird, people spend almost 20K on a bike but then cringe at spending a few hundred extra on a tuner, which makes every bike run better.

oh well

I get what people are saying, believe me, if you could see how well my bikes are looked after, and I'm quite prepared to spend on them in the right areas, I myself always do practical/sensible mods/tunes, you should see my original Colin Edwards Lagona Seca Honda SP2 race rep.
I don't mind spending thousands of pounds on my bikes, It's been my hobby for the last 45 years, and still is, but on this occasion, the bike let me down too many times, and just got fobbed off by the dealer, so I just ended up losing all confidence in it, and confidence in Indian as a company.
believe me it's no fun when the engine cuts out on the entry to a tight bend, or mini roundabout with traffic all around you 😲
It's probably a lot better for you guys over in the States, because you'll have a lot more Indian dealers to do business with, which in turn will give you a lot more back up and experience, here in the UK there's only a few dealers in the whole of the country.
Like I say, it's such a pity, because the bike was my 60th Birthday present, I loved the look of it, it was for sure to be admired, and it was good fun to ride when it worked.
I just hope that the rest of you guys in the UK have better look than did 😪

 

[K9F]

Hi Kev, luck has no part to play here but thanks anyway:

It is very well documented that dealerships alone are not able to sort the fuelling issues out off their own bat relying on the Mothership for a solution. Unless of course they themselves provide a mapping service? Moore Speed Racing do and they have their own dyno, nevertheless the results they have had to date with the FTR were 'mixed' but they are working on it. I went 'Stateside' for mine from one of the two reputable tuners who both had highly recommended and proven results. There is also Hilltop Tuning quite well known in the UK biking fraternity that turns out good tunes, although I personally haven't used them.

Hilltop Motorcycles Ltd 01455 610721

You should have broadened your horizons beyond an Indian dealership for a resolution and put your hand in your pocket and undoubtedly you would have been content if not extremely happy by now? You'll probably lose a lot more on getting rid of the FTR and the discounted aftermarket parts than it would have cost to make you love it....permanently not just 'WHEN it works?" But you probably don't need reminding of that?

 

[ferraiolo1]

believe me it's no fun when the engine cuts out on the entry to a tight bend, or mini roundabout with traffic all around you 😲
It's probably a lot better for you guys over in the States, because you'll have a lot more Indian dealers to do business with, which in turn will give you a lot more back up and experience, here in the UK there's only a few dealers in the whole of the country.

Yes it sucks, but nothing the dealer could do about it since it was an issue with the OEM tune.

Which a tuner fixed.

But alas the bike is gone now, hopefully the new owner will seek tuning options to make it run properly.