There’s no doubt that baggers are in vogue at the moment but buying a bike with fixed luggage can be a sacrifice if a lot of your riding is one-up and short distance.
Indian’s new Springfield could be the solution, as it can be converted in minutes from touring-ready bagger to a naked cruiser. A clip-on screen and quick-release hard panniers mean that they can be left at home when you don’t need them.
Part of Indian’s air-cooled range, the new Springfield is built around the firm’s 1811cc Thunder Stroke 111 V-twin, making 139Nm at a chugging 2600rpm. But while it’s able to be used without luggage it’s based around a touring version of Indian’s cast aluminium chassis. That means it has the ability to carry a hefty 242kg of passengers and luggage. It also has a steeper rake than the Chief at 25 degrees rather than 29.
Coming in at €26,995 it’s priced at much the same level as the Chief Vintage but offers a greater versatility.
The spec is as high as you’d expect for the price. As well as ABS and cruise control there’s a tyre pressure monitoring system and crash bars as standard. Optional accessories include a Remus exhaust, two different height windscreens, heated seats and heated grips.
The Springfield brings Indian’s range up to eight models, not including special editions, in two very distinct ranges; the traditional air-cooled bikes and the more modern water-cooled machines in the Scout line-up. However, there’s still scope for many more variations, particularly based around the lower end of the model range. The Scout is likely to spawn its own touring or bagger derivative in the near future, and there’s clearly an opening for a stripped-down machine to rival the likes of Harley’s Sporster line.
