Nowadays, the “FTR” model is heavily associated with Indian and the FTR1200. But Honda beat them to the punch with a motorcycle that was never officially sold in the US, their own Flat Track Racing inspired FTR223! Here’s one that’s made it to the US and is currently titled in Texas.
Honda offered three versions of the FTR223 in Japan – the base model, a Deluxe model, and the Tri-color (which aped the RS750) with Honda factory colors and number plate styling, as offered here. The model was introduced in 2002, and it was a very popular platform for customization thanks to the simple tech and style. The air-cooled single was good for 19 horsepower and the bike sat on 18″ wheels.
This example (VIN: MC34-1006663) has a healthy 36,779 kilometers (22,853 miles) on the odometer – consider me impressed with whomever was racking up the kms! It shows that use cosmetically, with plenty of scratches and a bit of the corrossion typically found on bikes imported from Japan. But these don’t come up very often, and it’d make for a fun in-town runabout or even a restoration project. I’d go with the former, what about you?
Find this FTR for sale in Elgin, Texas with bidding up to $2,600 and the reserve not yet met (but it’s close!) here on Iconic Motorbike Auctions.
Disclosure: Bike-urious is a partner in Iconic Motorbike Auctions.