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30-Year Arcs / Modern Nakeds / Indian FTR Lineage
Indian USA

Indian FTR. 30 years on.

Polaris's first non-cruiser. 1203cc liquid-cooled 60° V-twin, 120hp, made in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Born from Indian's championship-winning FTR750 flat-track race bike — and the only modern American naked roadster on US showroom floors.

1996
Brand dormant
2006
Stellican-era
2016
Pre-FTR launch
2026
FTR Sport
Continual audits are underway to verify local pricing for every bike in every market. Apologies for any gaps you see while this is in progress.
1996 30 yrs ago · None

Indian dormant

Brand bankrupt since 1953
Multiple failed revival attempts in 1990s

Brand dormant
NONE
—
—
—
Brand statusProductionUS dealersModern engineering
Known issues
  • California Motorcycle Co. lawsuits — brand caught in litigation through 1990s
  • 1996: no Indian motorcycles in production
Bankrupt
1953
None — vintage only
2006 20 yrs ago · Stellican Indian

Stellican Indian Chief

Stellican-owned Indian made limited cruisers in Kings Mountain, NC
1638cc S&S air-cooled V-twin, basic equipment

Stellican-era Indian
75 bhp
122
338
670
CarburetorABSTraction controlCruise controlModern V-twinBelt driveFuel injection
Known issues
  • Stellican production quality variable
  • S&S V-twin oil leaks common — 2006-2008
  • Limited dealer support — under 30 US dealers — 2006-2011
~$28,000
~$45,000
$8-12k
2016 10 yrs ago · No FTR yet

No FTR — Polaris focused on cruisers

Polaris bought Indian 2011, focused on Chief / Scout / Roadmaster
FTR concept revealed 2017, production launched 2019 — 3 years after this snapshot

FTR didn't exist
GAP
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—
—
FTR conceptProductionNaked roadsterLiquid-cooled
Known issues
  • Polaris-Indian made only cruisers + tourers 2011-2018
  • FTR1200 Custom concept shown but not yet announced for production
Concept only
2019
Scout Sixty $9,499
2026 FTR Sport · 2026

Indian FTR Sport

Mid-spec FTR with 4in TFT, 6-axis IMU, chin fairing
Made in Spirit Lake, Iowa — 17in cast aluminum wheels (vs original 19/18 flat-track combo)

1203cc 60° V-twin DOHC liquid-cooled
120 hp
87
522
805
Cornering ABS6-axis IMUStability controlWheelie controlCruise control4in TFT (Ride Command)3 ride modesBluetooth + smartphoneBrembo M4.32
Known issues
  • FTR Sport — clutch basket failures — 2019-22 reported but resolved post-2023
  • Throttle hesitation in Sport mode — 2019-21 software updates
  • '2022-on revisions corrected most early-gen issues' — Cycle World
$15,749
$17,249
$9-12k
// 30-Year Delta

What actually changed.

1996 → 2026 · 30 years of "progress"
Power gain +45hp 75hp → 120hp. The 1638cc Stellican-era Indian Chief made 75hp from 1.6 liters. The 2026 FTR makes 120hp from 1.2 liters — Polaris gets dramatically more power per liter from a smaller engine.
Real cost change −$30k Stellican Chief was ~$28,000 in 2006 = $45,000 today. FTR Sport is $15,749 new. Polaris's modern Indian is two-thirds cheaper in real terms — and meaningfully better engineered.
Dealer network 30 → 285 2006 Stellican Indian: ~30 US dealers. 2026 Polaris-Indian: 285 US dealers. Service support went from 'find one' to 'most metro areas have one.' Resale values reflect the change.
Liquid-cooled in Indian lineup 0% → 60% 2006: every Indian was air-cooled. 2026: FTR + Challenger + Pursuit + Roadmaster PowerPlus + Chieftain PowerPlus = liquid-cooled. The brand has split into air-cooled (heritage) and liquid-cooled (performance) lineages.
Sourcing change S&S → Polaris 2006 Indian engines were S&S Cycle (third-party Wisconsin manufacturer). 2026 Indian engines are designed and built by Polaris in Wisconsin and Iowa. End-to-end vertical integration.
US production location NC → IA 2006 Stellican Indian: Kings Mountain, North Carolina. 2026 Polaris-Indian: Spirit Lake, Iowa. Same general region (Polaris's powersports manufacturing hub), totally different operational scale.
Cheapest way in $9k A clean 2019-2021 used FTR. 4 years old, 120hp V-twin, full electronics, $9-12k on Cycle Trader. Cheaper than a new Yamaha MT-09, with a way more interesting engine.
// Sources

Where these numbers come from

Prices are real US MSRPs from American Indian / Harley-Davidson press releases / Motorcycle.com / TotalMotorcycle archives. Used-market from Cycle Trader / KBB, May 2026. Inflation calculated using US BLS CPI-U.

1996 Indian dormant Indian Motorcycle history · Wikipedia · brand bankruptcy timeline
2006 Stellican Indian Chief Cycle World archives · Indian Motorcycle Inc heritage records
2016 Pre-FTR Polaris-Indian 2014-250 lineage data · Indian Motorcycle press releases
2026 FTR Sport American Indian press · Cycle World · Motorcycle.com · RevZilla Common Tread