The 2016 Indian Springfield is a ‘Convertible Motorcycle’

By Andrew Kohn (from an Indian Motorcycles press release).

The Indian Springfield 2016 is touted as a cruiser, a bagger without a windscreen, or a full blown touring machine and can switch between those modes in minutes.

Named after the birthplace of Indian Motorcycles, the Indian Springfield features traditional styling, a quick-release windshield and all-weather, remote-locking saddlebags. It’s equipped with a raft of essential touring features, but is designed for versatility. It can be stripped down into a cruiser by removing the windshield and saddlebags or become a fully loaded touring model with the addition of available accessories. On the surface, it may seem closely related to the Indian Chief Vintage; however, the Springfield was developed with a unique, trunk compatible chassis that allows for higher loading.

Designed for an unobstructed view of the road ahead, the Indian Springfield has a model-specific quick-release windshield that cuts the wind for the rider and passenger. Other features such as a buck horn handlebar and adjustable passenger floorboards come standard along with, anti-lock brakes, a tire pressure monitoring system, electronic cruise control, a powerful headlight, and dual driving lights. Standard front and rear highway bars allow mounting of accessories and offer protection in a tip-over.

Powered by the Thunder Stroke 111 engine, the Indian Springfield features a whopping 119 ft/ lbs of torque. The motor features a left side air intake, parallel pushrod tubes, down-firing exhausts, a direct gear driven primary, and a semi-dry sump oiling system that goes 5,000 miles between changes.

The unique chassis was designed to handle a wide load range. Featuring cartridge forks and an air adjustable rear shock with 4.5 inches of travel, the Indian Springfield is capable of carrying up to 533 lbs of people and gear. The brakes feature a semi-floating design and steel braided brake lines to increase performance and lever feel. Additionally, the ABS system allows for smooth deceleration in all conditions.

Tank-mounted gauges manage information needed for the long haul and include a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) indicator, cruise control indicator, tachometer, electronic speedometer with odometer, fuel gauge, dual trip meters, clock and more. Though the information from these gauges is comprehensive, I find the tank mounted location that most cruisers use for instruments to be less than ideal, since the rider has to physically look down to see the information. Sometimes, with this type of bike, function follows form.

Converting this motorcycle from touring mode to a solo cruiser is meant to be a snap. The quick-release windscreen and saddlebags can be removed without tools or leaving behind ugly mounting hardware in minutes. The split seat, featuring a unique stitch and stud pattern, can likewise be trimmed down to create a tight and low solo look.

Touring comfort and convenience can be further augmented with a full line of accessories including tall and low windshields, heated driver and passenger seats, soft lowers and heated grips to keep riders comfortable in cool temperatures. An available color-matched accessory trunk adds 17 gallons of luggage capacity.

Indian’s product team is pretty enthusiastic about this new model. “It’s been exciting to develop the Indian Springfield,” said Indian Motorcycle Senior Product Manager Ben Lindaman. “It fits neatly into the lineup as a hard bagger with considerable additional touring capabilities that separate it from the Indian Chief Vintage. It’s really a blast to strip the bike down and hit the curves too. It’s a bike with a split personality that delivers on the tradition of great Indian motorcycles.”

As I reported recently, Indian’s sister company, Victory is changing their focus to performance motorcycles. This leaves Indian to fend for itself against the world’s biggest cruiser manufacturer, Harley-Davidson. The Springfield is a direct shot at Harley’s iconic model, the Road King. In a quick comparison, the Springfield and the Road King are very similar, but there are differences. The Harley is about $1,500 less expensive and is 39 lbs lighter. On the other hand, the Springfield has a bigger, more powerful engine and comes with luxury touring features that the Road King doesn’t have. Indian’s products are definitely challenging Harley’s and it will be interesting to see how these two do in a head-to-head comparison.

The Indian Springfield is available in Thunder Black and Indian Motorcycle Red and prices start at U$20,999 for Black and U$ 21,549 for Red. The Springfield comes with a two-year unlimited mileage factory warranty.