Indian’s “R Carbon” serves as the flagship model for the road-friendly FTR family with a special trim package and exotic materials that set it well apart from the rest of the flat-tracker range. Power comes from the same liter-size, 120-horsepower V-twin engine that drives the rest of the FTR bracket along with top-shelf ride-quality electronics and suspension components to complete the package.

Though built explicitly for use on public roads, the FTR range that includes the FTR R Carbon takes its design cues from the actual racebike that Indian’s Wrecking Crew race team uses to dominate the Flat-Track Racing circuit, so it rocks a genuine racing vibe that is impossible to fake.

This manifests itself right out of the gate in the severely whacked front fender that couples minimal coverage with carbon-fiber construction to minimize unsprung weight at the front axle with a concurrent improvement in suspension performance. The super-strong resin-and-cloth persists at the cyclops headlight housing and extends back to the faux fuel tank that sports a serial badge as a visual reminder of its exclusivity.

Since the visual fuel-tank element is a lie, the fuel is actually stored in the subframe area to centralize weight and provide consistent handling regardless of fuel level. In another subtle move, the factory stuffed its Ride Command feature into a single, 4.3-inch, touchscreen liquid-crystal display.

The pilot’s saddle comes with a pronounced scoop that cups and cradles for confidence under hard acceleration with a bit of rise at the p-pad that lofts your passenger just a bit. A tapered tail section mounts the LED taillight nice and high, but moves the blinkers, plate, and taglight down to the single-side hugger-style fender that helps control the fling off the rear hoop.

Overall, the FTR R Carbon presents a very race-tastic mien to the world, in keeping with its origins as a bona fide race machine, and I gotta’ say the FTR family really nails the look and makes very few visual concessions to appear more street friendly in spite of the fact that they are, in fact, built for public consumption.

A lack of superfluous bodywork on the FTR R Carbon leaves the tubular-steel Trellis frame visible with little to the imagination. The factory shot the frame with red paint to make it pop visually against the blackout drivetrain components. It uses the engine as a stressed member to eliminate a large chunk of the frame to keep weight to a minimum, and to that end, the R Carbon weighs in at 513 pounds wet.

The steering head establishes a 25.3-degree rake angle with 3.9 inches of trail to make this machine eager in the turns with a deep max lean angle of 43 degrees to either side, which should be plenty deep for you fiery-eyed pegdraggers out there. Dual brakes deliver decisive control through dual four-bore calipers and large, 320 mm discs up front, ahead of a twin-piston caliper and 260 mm rotor.

Corner-sensitive ABS protects the contact patch integrity at both ends while Rear Lift Mitigation further modulates the front brake to prevent moonshots on hard front-braking actions. Öhlins suspension products deliver fully-adjustable yummygoodness with 4.72 inches (120 mm) of travel at both ends.

Power on the FTR R Carbon comes from a spicy V-twin plant with 120 peak horsepower and 87 pound-feet of torque on tap to pull it out of the hole with authority. A 102 mm bore and 73.6 mm stroke packs 1,203 cc into the twin with a 12.5-to-1 compression ratio that’ll demand top-hook road champagne to prevent knock/ping/run-on and associated engine damage.

A gear-type primary drive sends engine power to the six-speed transmission through a slip-and-assist clutch that adds yet another layer of traction protection on hard downshifts and engine-braking events. It’s liquid cooled with its radiator mounted up under the steering head, nice and high so its exposure to damage is limited.

Performance mufflers from Akropovic terminate the exhaust pipes with more blackout treatment and a gnarly edge to the exhaust note. A chain-type final drive carries the power to the rear wheel with an overall drive ratio that turns out a top speed around 124 mph. As for the electronics, the R Carbon comes with Stability Control, Traction Control, and Wheelie Control features, plus a trio of Ride Modes that make for quick and easy personality changes on the fly.

The factory calls it a carbon-fiber trim package, and that is the dominant finish, but the false fuel tank sports a splash of white bordered by maroon pinstriping to frame the brand script on same. As it stands on the showroom floor, the MY22 rolls for $16,999 MSRP.

Though it isn’t exactly a race-inspired machine like the FTR R Carbon, Harley-Davidson’s new Sportster S looks to be a worthy competitor, so let’s get to it.

The MoCo rolls out its newest addition to the Sporty line with lean and mean lines to define this compact package. Cut-down front fenders are constant across the board, as is the LED lighting and V-twin powerplants.

Harley powers its “S” with a new Revolution Max 1250 Powertrain that brings 121 ponies and 94 pounds of grunt to the table to just barely eke out a win in the power numbers. Point-for-point, the Sportster meets the FTR with a TFT instrument display, lean-sensitive traction control/ABS, Ride Modes, and infotainment options all bundled together on board.

Adjustable suspension components mean that Milwaukee literally left no advantage to Indian’s FTR, save for the carbon-fiber components that give it its name. As usual, H-D offers a base model in Vivid Black with the lowest sticker at $14,999, and it can be had in a non-monochromatic package for a total of $15,349 MSRP. This hands H-D a small victory at the checkout counter, but I doubt the price difference will sway anyone bent on owning a little slice of American racing history.

Read our full review of the Harley-Davidson Sportser S.

“Totally digging the street-friendly FTR range, and as a flagship model, the R Carbon acquits itself admirably. Surely this heralds a new era of American performance machines, though if I’m honest, it’s more of a case of catching up with the rest of the motorcycle world, and less like breaking new ground, but I’ll takes what I can gets. Maybe it’s time for the next Buell or Buell-like bike?”

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “Is it fair to continue calling this an FTR? I dunno. The FTR, and certainly the R Carbon, have moved well away from the flat-track roots. The new-for-this-year 17-inch front wheel and grippy street tires give the first clue as to its intended use. Handling is agile. Acceleration is responsive and the whole platform feels stable and manageable, partly from the long(ish) wheelbase and the low center of gravity afforded by the fuel tank slung under the seat. The lean angle is deep, much deeper than my level of bravery allows, but some of you folks are in for a thrill. Seat height is manageable even for those of us vertically-challenged riders, but I wonder if tall folks will be cramped. I don’t know. The electronics are nice, the bike is a good-looking machine, and the ride is awesome. Put me down as a fan.”

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