The 2016 Indian Springfield can go from touring to cruising mode in a cinch

By Albert Khoury Published March 5, 2016

Indian Motorcycle announced its new 2016 Indian Springfield this week. Described as the “pure, essential touring machine,” it is named after the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, where Indian originally began production in 1901. The Springfield aims to please purists with its classic styling while also offering modern tech to ease long journeys and urban rides alike.

The Springfield can go from touring to cruising mode with the removal of the saddlebags and quick-release windshield. Remote locking hard bags and adjustable passenger floorboards come standard, along with leather seats, ABS, tire pressure monitoring, and electronic cruise control. Front and rear highway bars give you a place to mount accessories while offering protection from tip-overs. The forks, headlight housing, fender trim, engine covers, and handlebars (with internal wiring) are all finished in bright chrome. Though it is related to the Chief family, the Springfield hard bagger features a unique trunk-compatible chassis for greater load capacity.

Recommended Videos

“The new Indian Springfield wasn’t designed to fill a space in our lineup; it was built to fill a space in the hearts of riders who value the rich heritage and fine craftsmanship of Indian Motorcycle, and who want both a pure touring bike and a sleek urban cruiser,” said Steve Menneto, President of Motorcycles for Polaris Industries. “The Springfield’s unmatched versatility will win the hearts of motorcycling purists around the world.”

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The 25-degree frame rake angle is unique to the Springfield, enhancing its handling characteristics. The bike was designed to handle a wide load range and features cartridge forks and an air-adjustable rear shock with 4.5 inches of travel (compare this to the Chief Classic’s 3.7 inches) for transporting up to 533 lbs. The Springfield is powered by Indian’s Thunder Stroke 111 engine, which produces 119 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm.

Additional factory accessories can add to the bike’s minimalist touring character, including tall and low windshields, heated seats and grips, and soft lowers. The split seat can be trimmed down to create a low solo look. The Springfield starts at about $21,000 in Thunder Black and $21,550 in Indian Motorcycle Red.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Al started his career at a downtown Manhattan publisher, and has since worked with digital and print publications. He's…

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.