Electric Honda—Sort of — and Indian launched a limited edition FTR to celebrate its flat-track successes. We can also admire Vincent-made beauty from French artisans at Godet Motorcycles and have news about The Quail Motorcycle Gathering…
India FTR Championship Edition Rarely do you have the opportunity to compare dozens of motorcycles side by side. But a few weeks ago I was in one of New Zealand’s largest showrooms, with new models from several brands on display alongside a wide range of used machines. 
It’s a lighting exercise. Some of my prejudices have been confirmed, and many others have been completely debunked. But the machine that I keep coming back to is the Indian FTR 1200.
It looks ‘proper’, with great stance and style, good build and paint quality, and no flaws that plague most American V twins.
It’s been three years now since FTR 1200 has been released, so Indian started things off with a new ‘Champion Edition’. This is a tribute to the conquering flat road racer FTR750 and costs $16,499.
The mods go further than just a flashy paint job, because CE uses a combination of parts from four other FTR models. Suspension is ZF Sachs, fully adjustable and with 150mm front and rear travel. This figure is the same as the FTR Rally model and 30mm more than the Öhlins kit on the FTR Carbon.
The Championship version also gets the touchscreen and electronics from existing S and R Carbon models, red frame paint and a host of carbon fiber parts — including seat covers, front fenders, air box cover and headlight bracket.
The red molded wheels are F19/R18, as opposed to the 17-inch standard equipment for flat roads, but the rubber is Dunlop’s DT3-R, which produces flat road-legal spike patterns.
It’s all pretty cool, but you’ll need to secure this FTR quickly. Only 400 will be made. [Indian Motorcycle]
Greenger Powersports x Honda CRF-E2 The e-bike market is a niche market, and it’s even narrower for young people in terms of size. But if you have $2,950 to spare, you can now buy an electric CRF from Honda USA.
The CRF-E2 Not technically a Honda production car: it was built by Greenger, the SoCal EV specialist. But it has many of the hallmarks of a small-capacity all-terrain vehicle from Big Red, including an aluminum frame, good suspension, and quality disc brakes.
The CRF-E2 is an alternative to a 50cc mini-bike, but can handle riders weighing up to 99 pounds—perhaps the average 13-year-old boy in the United States.
Seat height (adjustable) is about 4 inches higher than the CRF50, which is about 25 inches. Luckily, the CRF-E2 is a bit heavier, at 48kg (106lb).
Output is 3.3 hp, a useful 18.4 ft-lbs of torque, and there’s a rider mode that can limit top speed to 10 mph until kids get used to it. with the machine.
The run time is listed as two hours, which could be optimistic for aggressive riders or mountainous terrain. But if you accumulate cash for an optional extra battery, you can quickly swap that out to prolong the fun.
Anyone who has ever owned a regular dirt bike that runs on gasoline knows that engine maintenance can be time-consuming, especially on two-stroke bikes. So this could be a breakthrough product for the children’s market. And there’s less noise, even less smell, and no gearshift.
You can bet other Japanese manufacturers will be interested in this development. [American Honda Powersports]
Godet Motorcycles Gray Lightning If you are lucky enough to own one Vincent Motorcyclesor familiar with the history of the brand, you will know Godet’s Motorcycle. The French workshop is one of the world’s leading experts on Vincent and can repair, restore or even recreate virtually any Vincent.
Godet was also given permission by Fritz Egli to recreate his famous Vincent chassis, but for this ‘Gray Lightning’ build they created their own chassis based on a different Vincent design.
This project has been planned for a long time, and is based on ‘Gray flash‘Classic racing bike.
According to store manager François Guerin, “Our dream for many years has been to put a twin engine in the Gray Flash. So we discussed a lot with the client and in the end, he let us do what we wanted.”
The ‘twin’ is a 1330cc v-twin inspired by Godet’s Vincent of Godet, delivering twice the 70 hp of the original 998 cc Black Lightning — aided by a 40mm Mikuni TMR cabin and metal exhaust system. Gorgeous stainless steel.
The chassis is optimized for handling and riding comfort, and the front end features Vincent ‘girdraulic’ forks – with updated geometry, modern suspension and Godet’s own brakes. Godet also makes the rods and handles, footrests, fuel tanks and saddles.
The bluish-gray paint job isn’t something you’re used to seeing these days, but it looks impressive — and matches the Godet race bike. An amazing example of timeless style and smart updates. [Via]
Quail Motorcycle Gathering is back After canceling in 2020 and 2021, Quail is expected to return to the lush green lawns of Quail Lodge in Carmel, California. The date is Saturday, May 14, 2022 and over 350 vintage and modern motorcycles, scooters and bikes will be on display.
As well as a host of regular categories, this year’s featured categories include the Harley-Davidson XR-750, two-stroke, mini bike and BMW/5 series.
MC will be Bike EXIF’s longtime friend and founder Vintagent website, Paul d’Orléans. Roland Sands will also be there, as he was named the 2022 Quail Sports Legend.
It’s always been a brilliant show, on par with the best auto events. Tickets for the day start at $55, including parking if you’re riding a motorbike to the event.
A variety of food trucks will deliver food and drinks, but you can also purchase a $90 admission ticket + Hotel services including a buffet lunch in a separate seating area.
If you’re within riding distance of California, get your ticket this. And if you don’t, the next best thing is a video recap of the 2019 show. Have fun.
