Meet the “Black Swan,” the Latest Workhorse Indian FTR Build

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Loads of carbon and ’90s GP styling make this Workhorse Speed Shop FTR stand out. (Cycle World/)

Since Indian launched the FTR in 2019, the flat-track-style bike has become a staple in the world of customs. Some builds are mild with a focus on performance; others, radical with a focus on style. The Indian FTR “Black Swan” by Workhorse Speed Shop lives within the radical crowd of custom FTRs. Built by Workhorse Speed Shop founder Brice Hennebert, the Black Swan is true to its name: unique and striking.

Swathed in carbon fiber, the design highlights the front cowl, which delivers the feel of a Yamaha YZR500 two-stroke Grand Prix bike as its lines flow into a knee-sucking gas tank. The Black Swan’s design was influenced by various eras of motorcycles and cars, including 1990s sportbikes, modern Grand Prix racers, and specials from the automotive world, including Rauh-Welt Begriff (RWB) Porsches.

The idea behind the Black Swan surfaced several years ago when Hennebert was racing at Wheels & Waves, the famed moto gathering in the South of France, against “Miracle Mike,” the Indian Scout by The Young Guns.

Darkened Öhlins suspension and carbon highlight the front of this Black Swan. (Cycle World/)

“During that time, I had the vision to build a sports bike for road use, really sporty, built like a GP bike,” Hennebert said. “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.”

Hennebert’s Belgian shop is known for Indian Motorcycle customs, including the Scout-based sprint racer “Appaloosa” and another FTR called “FTR AMA,” commissioned by the brother of the Black Swan owner (both brothers remain anonymous as of this writing).

Elements making this second FTR unique include the trip that Hennebert took to Akrapovič HQ in Slovenia for assistance on the 2-into-1 exhaust and underslung muffler, and the creation of a wire-mesh sketch around the FTR to model the clay bodywork.

“This step was actually easier than I expected because I did not need to create a full symmetric body in clay, just one half of the bike as a master,” Hennebert said.

“Once I was happy with the shape, I used a 3D scanner to pass the form to Formae Design who worked with me to refine the virtual model, create the full-body symmetry, and integrate all the accessories and fittings. Christophe at Formae helped me a lot with all the different components of the body.”

This Black Swan loves to come out at night. (Indian Motorcycle/)

While Formae worked the bodywork, Hennebert formed other partnerships to perfect the Black Swan’s design:

• Vinco Racing Engineering, which helped CNC-machine components from Hennebert’s designs like the swingarm fitting, chassis plates, triple trees, and fuel cell components.
• Robert Collyns from 13.8 Composites, who took the 3D prints of the CAD model and fabricated the mold for the one-piece body. He also helped design the aluminum bellypan for better heat resistance for the exhaust of the 1,203cc engine.

“As I’d decided to show off the carbon fiber and not paint it, I gave Robert the freedom to choose the carbon weave that would look the best and still work with the design I had given him,” Hennebert said.

“After a few weeks of waiting, he came back with this hell of a piece. The whole body only weighs about 1.8 kilograms. Creating the bodywork was a major part of the build, everything but practical, but I was determined to have a one-piece body.”

As the initial ideal became a reality, Hennebert was able to focus on the headlight design, which he wanted to “dramatically reveal and hide.”

“That was one hell of a struggle for me,” Hennebert said. “It may look simple and easy for some people, but for me, that was quite a challenge. The ‘eyelids’ are driven by two stepper motors controlled by an Arduino for cinematic opening and closing.”

The “Black Swan’s” custom Akrapovič exhaust doesn’t hide the swingarm, which is built from 7020 aluminum. (Indian Motorcycle/)

Indian said, “The build allowed Brice to accent the body shape quickly and simply in a ‘wink’ to the wide-body kits in Japan, mixing high-performance competition style and street mods.”

Next came the fabrication and suspension. Hennebert used 7020 aluminum to fabricate the swingarm, and Öhlins Racing designed a piggyback shock in black to match the overall Black Swan theme, which is complemented by black front fork.

“The braking system is from my dear partner Beringer,” Hennebert said. “They offered the use of a prototype system, one of the lightest braking systems they have. It’s about 1 kilogram for the complete front wheel system, all connected to the Rotobox carbon wheels with Dunlop-supplied GP Racer tires for a perfect connection to the ground. This bike is really dynamic on the streets.”

This rear end deserves much attention. (Indian Motorcycle/)

Jeroen Bouwmeester of Silver Machine Seats finalized the Black Swan’s accents, covering the seat and dash with Alcantara, inspired by Hypercar dashboards.

“No real sense to that decision, but hella cool,” Hennebert said.

For builders who put endless effort into their customs, “hella cool” says much.

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