Indian has some of the most beautiful motorcycles out there, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone complaining about the brand’s designs. That being said, Indian bikes are also good canvases for custom builds.
Take these custom FTRs. These wicked bikes were created by Belgian builder Workhorse Speed Shop. The company’s founder Brice Hennebert has already built some astonishing custom Indians—as well as Yamahas, a Triumph, and a BMW—and these two are the latest addition to his growing portfolio.
First of the two is the FTR AMA, a retro-tastic two-wheeler. It features a colorful finish on the carbon-fiber-reinforced 3D-printed bits. The front plate housing the race light and oil cooler, the battery holder, and even the intake are all 3D-printed. Fuel cells were then fabricated to fit the new bodywork.
“The brief was pretty open: something colorful and as sharp as a war tank. The only restriction was that the paint be inspired by the Martini Racing livery,” said Hennebert. “After some research and brainstorming with myself, I based the look around AMA SBK racers from the ’80s and the rally cars from the same era. The main influences were the Lancia Delta HF mixed with Bol d’Or 750s and some muscle-bike DNA.”
The chassis plates were given a more racer-like vibe and were built from Hennebert’s CAD designs. Holland-based shop Vinco Racing did all the machining for the project, including the swingarm components, the braking brackets, and the yokes.
The second custom build is the Black Swan, a more beastly take on Indian’s naked bike. Hennebert shared how the project was conceived years ago when he was racing against a ‘Miracle Mike,’ a custom Indian Scout by The Young Guns.
“During that time, I had the vision to build a sports bike for road use, really sporty, built like a GP bike,” said Hennebert. “It’s deeply inspired by ’90s sports bikes, all made from carbon fiber. The owner of the bike gave me total freedom around the project. So, I pushed all the levels to my maximum. That’s what happens when I have total freedom from the commissioners of a project. It’s pretty unique and the most complicated build I’ve done to date.”
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Similar to the AMA, the Black Swan’s chassis was modified and most of its parts were 3D-printed. The difference in the work process here was that Hennebert used a clay model of the bodywork for 3D scanning and eventual printing. Carbon-fiber specialist 13.8 Composites then worked on the print to create a mold for the one-piece body.
One of the highlights (no pun intended) of the body is the ‘eyelid’ design up front. A small portion on the front cowl right in front of the headlamp opens or closes as necessary, mimicking eyelid movement.
Once it was finished, the entire body only weighed about 1.8kg. An aluminum bellypan, an aluminum swingarm, matching black front forks, and alcantara bits on the seat and the dash were added to complete the look.
If you had to pick between these two, which custom Indian FTR would you go for? Check out more photos below.
