2016 INDIAN SPRINGFIELD: FIRST RIDE REVIEW

Named after the birthplace of Indian Motorcycles, the Indian Springfield pays tribute to the traditional styling of classic American motorcycles. Easily transformed between a traditional touring motorcycle and a stripped down cruiser in seconds, the Springfield is the best of both worlds.

We got the opportunity to test the new Indian Springfield during the 75th Anniversary of Daytona Beach Bike Week. It was the perfect location to get familiar with this new model that quite a few people have been asking for. “We want the Chieftain without the fairing,” or "we want a Vintage with the security of hard saddlebags,” as we've heard many gripe. Well the Springfield is here for you.

The Springfield has a unique chassis designed to handle a wide load range. Paired with the unique chassis are cartridge styled forks and air ride rear suspension with 4.5 inches of travel. The Springfield is capable of carrying up to 533 lbs making it a front-runner for long traveling. This unique chassis they speak of is nothing short of superb. The Springfield handles like a dream; it cruises down the road, leans easily and feels very secure bombing into the turns. Now granted we were in Florida so we didn’t have too many of those turns, but man when we found one, we hammered through.

The simplicity of Indian's quick-release system is great. Being a Road King owner, the Indian windshield system blows the Road King’s pigtail spring set-up out of the water. Saddlebags are a snap to remove as well. Indian went another step further and made the split-seat with unique stitch & stud pattern, making the option to roll with a solo seat easy and stylish.

The Springfield already has a list of genuine accessories by Indian Motorcycles, including bars, exhausts and air cleaners, taller or shorter windshields, a trunk, and a lot more. We see a lot of potential for the Springfield to be a completely customizable head turner for those looking to personalize their new Indian.

The Springfield comes standard with not only ABS, but steel braided lines as well, which is quite the performance upgrade form the standard rubber. It also comes standard with a tire pressure monitoring system to keep you at peak performance with safety being a key focus. Another standard feature is cruise control, which is a great addition when you are touring long distance.

For me, the Springfield is my favorite bike from Indian. The thing handles so well, and paired with the classic styling and the fact that you can easily and dramatically change its look right off the showroom floor for no extra money, makes it a no-brainer. The classic Thunder Stroke 111 puts down more than enough power to keep you smiling.

The Indian Springfield starts at $ 20,999 in Thunder Black and $ 21,549 for Indian Motorcycle Red. California models add $250 for California Emissions.

Read more at: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/2016-indian-springfield-first-ride-review#page-2