In the late ’80s and the following two decades, race replica motorcycles were simply a staple of every motorcycle dealer’s showroom floor. The superbike and supersport classes ruled the roost, but plenty of learner legal machines wore the full graphics package of that period’s track stars. And it wasn’t cheesy, a Repsol Fireblade or a Speed Blocked Yamaha was a damn cool thing to have. The custom bike scene’s growth and the decline in sport bike sales have helped to end that era for the most part, and then arrived into our inbox something that brought all that nostalgia flooding back. Meet the all-new FTR x RSD Super Hooligan®, a sensational collaboration between Indian Motorcycles and the chief hooligan himself, Roland Sands.

I’ll be the first to put my hand up and say that as a young lad I dreamed of owning those race reps, and by the time there was hair on my face I happily shelled out the money for not one, but two Kawasaki’s with the manufacturers then race livery emblazoned all over the plastics of my ZXRs. But those were the days when a race replica was relatable precisely because the bikes in the world of WSBK, WSS and many a single-make series, actually did resemble what you could go and buy from your local dealer. So, to ensure the success of this project, both Indian and RSD had to ensure that the connection between road and race was strong.

And with Roland Sands the most influential name in Super Hooligan racing, from the flat track to the now fully-fledged support category for MotoAmerica, that was never going to be a problem. “Super Hooligan has always been about more than just racing. It’s about pushing boundaries and having a blast riding motorcycles with your friends,” said Roland Sands, Founder of RSD. “Far from the full fairing machines you normally see on the racetrack, a Super Hooligan bike has effortless attitude and a custom aesthetic with an exposed powertrain.”

“When Indian Motorcycle approached us to co-design an Indian FTR for consumers, it was a natural fit, and something we were very excited to be a part of.” And it’s not like Indian come to the table empty-handed either, for their part, they’ve cooked up the best American motorcycle brought to market for a very long time. Serving as the base for the collaboration, Indian wanted to ensure that customers were truly getting the best of the best, so each bike starts out as the premium FTR R Carbon model. And given the fact the Super Hooligan race bikes use so many of the spec’d up parts from this machine, it only aids the authenticity.

The visual transformation of the FTR kicks off with black metallic paint as the base, over a classic Indian red frame, with the wheels wearing the same hue and sporting gold accents. Then to really spice things up, authentic Super Hooligan race graphics and Indian Motorcycle Racing’s No. 1 championship logo go onto the front and side number plates. “For an extra layer of authenticity, the FTR x RSD Super Hooligan features race team sponsors’ logos on its rear seat cowl.” The seat unit itself gets the perfect match of looks and comfort, and the RSD logo is stitched in for good measure.

“Additional graphics for the radiator shroud, front fender, and front forks will be supplied to owners for optional application. These premium components were thoughtfully curated to deliver an authentic, race-like experience.” And it’s not like this is some timid commuter bike playing dress up, the heartbeat is that thundering 1203cc V-Twin with twin-cam heads, delivering 123bhp and 120nm of tyre-shredding torque. To give it a little more and beef up the soundtrack, an Akrapovič muffler is added. “While Gilles Tooling parts, including adjustable rear-sets, oil cap, radiator cap, and bar-end weights, add to the bike’s premium finish.”

And all of those pieces are used on the Super Hooligan race bikes too, not to mention plenty of track weapons around the world, these are quality bits of kit. Speaking of which, look over the race machine and you won’t be able to miss the bold yellow of the Ohlins suspension, both front and rear, which is all part of the package with the R Carbon model. You also get a full suite of Brembo products for braking and you start to wonder, could the replica maybe even keep up with the real thing with the right rider on board? Hey, you might not have slicks fitted, but the factory equipped Metzeler Sportec M9RR tyres are seriously impressive in almost any conditions, including on the track.

Indian is quick to point out that the bike features their impressive RIDE COMMAND system, but I’m not sure owners of this particular FTR will be too worried about listening to Bluetooth music or taking a phone call when they’re more likely to be backing the bike in sideways and setting it up for the next corner on full throttle; closed roads of course! Just 300 FTR x RSD® Super Hooligan machines will be available globally, each individually numbered, so it’s not going to be that next Repsol Honda you saw at every set of lights. But as far as race reps go, America’s oldest motorcycle company and Sir Sands have nailed the brief, because looking at this bike, I just want to be a bloody hooligan.