Customiser lightens Indian FTR with layers of sleek carbon fibre

Indian have revealed a second machine from customiser Brice Hennebert called the FTR Black Swan, this time taking cues from 1990s sportsbikes.

Hennebert got the idea while racing at the Wheels & Waves festival, saying: “I had the vision to build a sportsbike for road use, really sporty, built like a GP bike. It’s deeply inspired by 90s sportsbikes, all made from carbon fibre.”

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After completing initial sketches, the first part of the project was to tackle the exhaust. For this Hennebert turned to Akrapovic, who custom designed a 2-into-1 system with an underslung silencer to keep a sleek profile.

The next step was to build a wire mesh around the bike, onto which he could start adding clay to form the bodywork.

Once he was happy with the shape, it was 3D scanned and built as a virtual model and refined. From there the CAD model was 3D printed and passed over to 13.8 Composites so they could build the fairing in carbon.

“I gave Robert [at 13.8 Composites] the freedom to choose the carbon weave that would look the best,” adds Hennebert. “He came back with this hell of a piece. Creating the bodywork was a major part of the build, everything but practical, but I was determined to have a one-piece body.”

The next component was the headlight, which is hidden behind a pair of computer-controlled ‘eyelids’.

Looking to strip weight even further, Hennebert fabricated a new swingarm from 7020 aluminium but retained the original shock mount for a custom made Öhlins piggyback shock. The final piece of the puzzle was a pair of Rotobox carbon wheels shod with Dunlop GP tyres.

The previous build was called the FTR AMA and was inspired by 1980s racers.

Indian FTR Black Swan custom explored:

• Lightweight stuff The full carbon fibre bodywork is one piece and weighs just 1.8kg
• Beat the heat An aluminium bellypan was used for its heat resistance
• Top stoppers Prototype Beringer brakes weigh just 1kg for the full system
• Dash it all Seat and dash covered with Alcantara taking inspiration from supercars
• Eye see you Headlight ‘eyelids’ open and close at the touch of a button