Anyone have info on the new 2016 Indian Springfield?

[nbowersock]

First things first: I love my 08 RSTD.

 

She fits like I glove and slowly over that last few years I've made some modifications to make her even more special to me. Nothing huge: new grips, highway pegs, new air filters, chopped windscreen. But I would love her more with fuel injection and especially Anti Lock Brakes.

 

I've ridden her to work as weather allows and wasn't deployed to the sandbox since I got her in 09. Now twice in the last few months I've locked up first the front tire on a curve (damn gravel) and just yesterday the back tire on the highway. I'm very grateful to report neither incident caused me, or her, any harm, but it has got me thinking.

 

Been waiting a while for Yamaha to do just a few upgrades without and word from them. So enter the 2016 Indian Springfield. Same design and look of my RSTD, Windscreen, hard saddlebags, 111 c.i. motor, electronic cruise control but with, you guessed it, fuel injection and ABS. Sooooo I have a test ride scheduled for Friday.

 

If anyone has in or experience with the new Indians please let me know.

 

You guys and gals are great. Either way I'm not leaving the forum.

[cowpuc]

Oh heck ya Socks,, I LOVE the Indians!!

Tip and I flew across Montana while we were out chasing the front wheel and made it to the Sturgis Rally just for the unveiling of those gorgeous new scoots!! There were lines of folks waiting to test ride em out there so we waited till we got home to test ride.. We found them to be amazing bikes - I LOVED THEM and thought they were everything they were advertised to be. I thought they handled beautifully and the new 111 motor had great umphh for 2 up riding. The only complaint I had about them at all was that my backside kept getting warm and I didnt find out till much later (think it was @billmac at one of our Hot Dog outings who told me this) that the heated seat on the Indians are automatically ON when you start the bike and that you have to turn it off if you dont want a hot backside - dahhhh...

I was also sort of disappointed to hear the announcement that Polaris Indian had already raised the original costs of them by the time they unveiled at Sturgis. Had they of stayed 3 thousand dollars cheaper their comparable HD scoots like they thought they would offer them for instead of going toe to toe with Harley on their prices I think they would have sold a lot better.. Polaris made the choice to up the initial prices and now it seems there are a number of left overs sitting around at really good prices.. Probably not one of the Springfield's though cause its a new release..

About the only complaint I have heard to date about the new Indians is the relatively small dealership network available to service them should a person have troubles on the road. Polaris chose to isolate the breed from current Victory Dealerships which amounts to current established Vic dealers not being able to service them or to even get parts for them.. Something to that may or may not matter to some folks. Bout all I know,, hope it helps somehow!!

 

All the best on your test ride,, hope you have a ball!!

 

Edited May 5, 2016 by cowpuc

[djh3]

Yea Puc I dont get the dealer network thing either. Vics have a limited amount of dealers to start with, compared to the T-shirt company. Some Victory dealers are also Indian dealers, but not all.

 

Here is a couple excerpts from an article just released from Roadrunner Mag.

 

We found the Springfield to be a well-made touring machine, with a torquey engine, comfortable ride, and quality components. Chrome plating, fit, and finish are all top notch. The Indian Springfield is available in either Thunder Black or Indian Motorcycle Red. Retail pricing starts at ,999 for Black and ,549 for Red. Add 0 for California emissions equipment. It comes with a two-year unlimited mileage factory warranty and includes free membership in the Indian Motorcycle Riders Group for one year. As Yogi Berra once said, “The future ain’t what it used to be!”

 

The tank-mounted instrument cluster crams a lot of information in a small space, including a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), cruise control indicator, tachometer, electronic speedometer with odometer, fuel gauge, dual trip meters, clock, and more. The dual driving lamps are standard, as is the cruise control, and it works well.

Standard front and rear highway bars allow mounting of accessories and offer protection in a tip-over, and accessory leather highway bar wraps provide a vintage look. The Springfield can be further customized with a full line of accessories, including tall and low windshields, heated rider and passenger seats, soft lowers, and heated grips to keep comfortable in cool temperatures. The optional color-matched accessory trunk adds 17 gallons of capacity for serious touring.

Edited May 5, 2016 by djh3

[BigLenny]

Socks,

Something you might want to research is; there has been a fair amount of discussions about the Indians putting off considerable heat from the rear jug. My wife and i test rode the Roadmaster at Bikes Blues and BBQ, and I did notice that the bike put off more engine heat than I had ever experienced on my 07 RSTD. Not sure if the Springfield will do that. Victory has had issues with their Vision putting off heat.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

BigLenny

[cowpuc]

Another thing we could do is try to drag @WildBill1 into the discussion.. As far as I know, he is the only one of our group of lop eared VR varmints who has actually owned one of those beauties. Hey Bill,, got any advice for our brother?

 

Personally I found the new Indians to be down right appealing!

http://www.cyclenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/indianspringfield-accessorized-group-1.jpg

[nbowersock]

Thanks Guys,

 

You each bring up great points for me to ponder.

 

Thankfully there is a dealership close to both my work and another not too far from home, but on road trips parts and service could be an issue.

 

I also was taken back by the price, but a combination of current incentives and a standing offer from a co-worker on my bike migh make it doable if the dealer is willing to drop a bit.

 

I will def watch for any heat coming off the rear head, thanks for the heads up.

 

If anyone has some knowledge of the maintenance and durability I'd be grateful to hear from you. While it would be nice to hear that the Indian is as bullet proof as the RSTD, I'm more concerned if it's closer to HDs in durability. Like I said, I take my bikes to work everyday I can.

[Freebird]

My only concern would be the heat. I think that they are beautiful bikes. A year ago, I was actually considering a new Roadmaster. I found the Indian forum and started reading though and found enough things that scared me away. A LOT of discussion about excessive heat. That was the main thing that I didn't like about the Road Glide. I've never been sensitive to heat off a bike but in spite of making several changes in an attempt to reduce it, the heat was just brutal at times. From what I read on the Indian forums, they are no better in that regard. The only other thing that bothered me a bit was that there seemed to be a shortage of repair parts. A number of people were complaining that their nearly new bikes were in the shop for one reason or another and the dealership was waiting sometimes weeks on the needed replacement parts. That was likely just a growing pain and hopefully that is not longer an issue.

[cowpuc]

Hey Socks,, this is probably gonna sound crazy but this really is true.. Late last year I was goofing off in an Indian shop and got offered a new left over at a savings of almost 3 grand off MSRP PLUS the left over came with a 5 year - unlimited miles factory warranty.. I also had that same thing happen with a left over Victory.. I am not positive but I am thinking both Indian and Vic are currently 2 year warranty scoots.. Might be a way to save a lot of money and get over twice the warranty if your not stuck on having to have the new model Springfield..

[WildBill1]

Well I avoided this thread for a while but I feel the need to give my input on the Indian. AS most of you know I'm a previous owner of an Indian Chieftain. This too was a 2014 left over bike which I purchased January of 2015 with the (5) year mfg. warranty. Let me go over items that really appealed to me first.

 

Handling was superb and light feel for a bike weighing over 800 lbs. amazingly easy to upright off the side stand .

Like being able to raise and lower the windscreen with a button.

Loved the radio/sterio and hardbag lid speakers also they had the remote key fob locking feature.

The Informat with all its bells and features like tire pressure, gear indicator, voltage output, mileage left on tank and several other things if you care to use them.

Liked the leather seat being low-slung although close to the rear cylinder.

Front fairing did well in the wind experienced very little buffeting in the wind.

 

Ok now for things I just couldn't get passed.

Clunky changing transmission. Talked too other Indian owners about this something you just have too live with, "Not Me".

When cold need too let engine/transmission warm-up for 15 to 20 minutes suggested by Indian dealer, "Not Me".

No frame rails under engine/transmission You'll need to build a cradle to jack-up an Indian, "I Did".

Any engine work requires removal of engine from frame such as lifter cam changes, "Not Me".

Paint is sorry easy to ding from road use or some hard shell bugs.

 

I had over 23k in this Indian took it back to the dealer to trade on a 2014 Harley Streetglide Special. They said he would allow me $15,000 for my 2014 Indian Chieftain with over (3) years warranty left this was in March of this year. Have no intentions of ever visiting this dealer again. Ended up trading with an independent Harley dealer on a 2013 Harley CVO Roadking and I'm sooo over Indians. All I got too say is "BUYER BEWARE", when it comes to Polaris Indians. They are not your "Dad's Indian".

[cowpuc]

I LOVE this place!! I LOVE our family!!! Thank you WildBill for your insight!!

Something you mentioned: ""No frame rails under engine/transmission You'll need to build a cradle to jack-up an Indian, "I Did"."" really caught my attention.. I have personally experimented with "integral" engine designs in bike building and have also experienced that design on several scoots thru the years and can say that - IMHO - there is nothing like the security of full frame mounting when it comes to large torque/high horsepower machines.. I had no idea that Polaris chose to go that route with their new scoots but did a little digging - see this link https://www.cheapcycleparts.com/oemparts/a/ind/54c964f987a86507241e234a/chassis-frame-asm-all-options - and sure enough, you were right on the money..

Bill, this is the kind of info that is GREAT to be aware of before any of us put our money on the table.. Being knowledgeable upfront about what we are buying is always a huge plus and I thank you for stepping in here and sharing with us!

[WildBill1]

Cowpuc I agree with you on researching or doing your homework wish I had. Also, want too make it clear the Dealer I went back to when I wanted too trade for the Harley Street Glide Special was the Indian dealer whom I bought my Chieftain from. They wanted the Indian plus 8k for the 2014 Harley. No more Indians in my Camp. No resale value!!!!

[BigLenny]

Cowpuc I agree with you on researching or doing your homework wish I had. Also, want too make it clear the Dealer I went back to when I wanted too trade for the Harley Street Glide Special was the Indian dealer whom I bought my Chieftain from. They wanted the Indian plus 8k for the 2014 Harley. No more Indians in my Camp. No resale value!!!!

 

Mic drop.........

[nbowersock]

Hey All,

 

I want to thank everyone for their input and advice.

 

Friday I test drove a Springfield and sadly did not fall in love with it. I'm 5'11" and 230 and felt just slightest bit cramped on it. Also apparently all the pictures I looked at actually had add-on items.

 

One of my biggest concerns after ABS was engine cooling as I live in north Texas. I figured as a minimum having an oil cooler would be good enough, but it turns out that an oil cooler is a $500.00 add-on that is NOT part of the 2-Up riding package. Grrrr.

 

I will say in person these bikes are even prettier than in pictures. It looks to be a very solidly built bike with great attention to detail. Only oil changes needed every 3k miles. No value adjustments necessary. Nor is there an annual requirement to service the ABS. The wind screen was perfect for my height. I was looking over the top of it, but got no wind buffeting on the highway at 70 mph. Those were big pluses to me.

 

The heat coming from the back head was not that big of a deal after a 30 minute test ride on both the highway and some back roads on a beautiful 81 degree Texas afternoon. I met a few guys that owned Chieftains that had some different ways to mitigate that issue, so no biggie there.

 

It vibrated way worse than I expected. Not so much at idle like HDs do, but on the road it did. Either that, or I'm spoiled with how smooth our 1298 cc are, lol. Toward the end of the 30 minutes both my right hand and my butt where starting to feel buzzed. Didn't like that at all.

 

The nail in the coffin was the price. With everything I wanted on it (2-up Riding Package, Oil Cooler, Heated Grips) it was $24k out the door. An extra $1500 would get me an extended warranty. While I did not do any hard negotiating, it looked like there was not much wiggle room on their side. I never went into what I could get for mine as a trade in as $24k was such a high starting point.

 

 

 

So the search continues. May go look at the Honda F6B. Its a slightly different style, but many of you guys have switched to Gold Wings and love them so much I might try one out.

 

Thanks again for all you help.

[djh3]

One point on the heat issue between the Roadmaster and the Springfield. the Roadie has the lower leg fairing I believe. If they are anything like the XCT Vic you have to sort of "learn" how much opening actually cools behind it vs wide open. You would think more opening would be better. But alas I can confirm no it dont work that way. The Springfield has no lowers so should be much better in that way. The Kawasaki Voyager is still the nut roasting king from what I read. The price on the Indians once you get to the bigger ones is shocking to say the least. If you want to try a V-Twin again wait for a dealer demo day and try a Victory Cross Country. the Visions I have rode I think the engine heat is better off than my XCT. I do find it odd the Indian dealer offered a low ball on a trade though. I dont buy cars/trucks/bikes with the intent of resale value, but you would like to recoup some of your money. Had a Harley salesman run the BS of better resale yada yada past me once. I told him I wasnt using it for retirement investment.

[syscrusher]

My only concern would be the heat. I think that they are beautiful bikes. A year ago, I was actually considering a new Roadmaster. I found the Indian forum and started reading though and found enough things that scared me away. A LOT of discussion about excessive heat. That was the main thing that I didn't like about the Road Glide. I've never been sensitive to heat off a bike but in spite of making several changes in an attempt to reduce it, the heat was just brutal at times. From what I read on the Indian forums, they are no better in that regard. The only other thing that bothered me a bit was that there seemed to be a shortage of repair parts. A number of people were complaining that their nearly new bikes were in the shop for one reason or another and the dealership was waiting sometimes weeks on the needed replacement parts. That was likely just a growing pain and hopefully that is not longer an issue.

 

 

That was one thing that Kawasaki got right with the monster Vulcan 2000. In spite of each jug being a St. Bernardus glass more than a full liter a piece the heat is surprisingly almost nonexistent everywhere but the exhaust piping. There are other problems for sure like the three oil drain plugs, a couple recall issues, and going through rear tires like a race car (Google it). The water-cooling was done only in the upper 25% of the cylinders, basically from a little below the combustion chamber upwards through the rest of the head. The oil system sprays up under the pistons to cool the combustion surface as well.

 

The oil system is fairly complicated and folklore varies widely about something as fundamental as how much oil to fill it with after an oil change. A sight glass in the crankcase would have been really nice to have. I brazed three inches of brazing rod to the end of the dipstick so that I could better see how much oil was in it at all times. Overfilling the oil was a problem, especially if you didn't know what to expect for losses between changes. Overfilling meant that the crankcase breather would fill the air cleaner with oil and it would soon be all over you. There were a lot of us who extended the breather with a filter up inside the headlight nacelle so it would have to go farther and higher to escape.

[Freebird]

WOW....if you are talking about the Vaquero, I am reading horror stories about the heat. Are you talking about the same bike? Kawasaki even came out with a "fix" because it was so bad but from what I've read, it did very little to correct the issue. I think that the Vaquero is a fantastic looking bike and was actually considering one until I did more research on it. I've only ridden one for one short test ride so can't speak from experience.

[cowpuc]

That was one thing that Kawasaki got right with the monster Vulcan 2000. In spite of each jug being a St. Bernardus glass more than a full liter a piece the heat is surprisingly almost nonexistent everywhere but the exhaust piping. There are other problems for sure like the three oil drain plugs, a couple recall issues, and going through rear tires like a race car (Google it). The water-cooling was done only in the upper 25% of the cylinders, basically from a little below the combustion chamber upwards through the rest of the head. The oil system sprays up under the pistons to cool the combustion surface as well.

 

The oil system is fairly complicated and folklore varies widely about something as fundamental as how much oil to fill it with after an oil change. A sight glass in the crankcase would have been really nice to have. I brazed three inches of brazing rod to the end of the dipstick so that I could better see how much oil was in it at all times. Overfilling the oil was a problem, especially if you didn't know what to expect for losses between changes. Overfilling meant that the crankcase breather would fill the air cleaner with oil and it would soon be all over you. There were a lot of us who extended the breather with a filter up inside the headlight nacelle so it would have to go farther and higher to escape.

 

Hey Sys,, any chance that big Kawi had a hidden "drip screw" somewhere to check the oil with? Reason I ask is that I had a number of dirtbikes thru the years that used a drip screw method for checking the oil - basically you just remove a little bolt (whose hole is drilled thru the case at the proper oil level) - add oil till it drips out of the hole and your good to go.. Just wondered cause it would be just like Kawi to use this simple method..

Also,, what were the recalls on those great big beautiful scoots? Any other ideosyncresies you know of you would like to share concerning them? I always liked em and, should the chance pop up to grab one cheap it would be fun to own one...

[cowpuc]

WOW....if you are talking about the Vaquero, I am reading horror stories about the heat. Are you talking about the same bike? Kawasaki even came out with a "fix" because it was so bad but from what I've read, it did very little to correct the issue. I think that the Vaquero is a fantastic looking bike and was actually considering one until I did more research on it. I've only ridden one for one short test ride so can't speak from experience.

 

Thinking (and hoping) Sys was referring to that 2000cc monster Kawi built for a short time Don... Sucker must of had pistons the size of 5 pound coffee can ...

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=kawasaki+2000+vulcan&tbm=isch&imgil=1qjI0diJ5T4izM%253A%253BJ9JwmQtyZLc5jM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.topspeed.com%25252Fmotorcycles%25252Fmotorcycle-reviews%25252Fkawasaki%25252F2010-kawasaki-vulcan-2000-classic-lt-ar72746.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=1qjI0diJ5T4izM%253A%252CJ9JwmQtyZLc5jM%252C_&usg=__acuDXKVx1rMKIIBz-9OVZOPlzR4%3D&biw=1280&bih=699&ved=0ahUKEwjpsbKu8c3MAhXGSyYKHeBYBXsQyjcIJg&ei=NPowV-nHAsaXmQHgsZXYBw#imgrc=1qjI0diJ5T4izM%3A:o

[cowpuc]

http://pictures.topspeed.com/IMG/crop/201002/2009-kawasaki-vulcan-2000-4_600x0w.jpg

[Freebird]

I'm SURE you are right. I need to read more carefully. He DID say the 2000 engine. The Vaquero is 1700.

[cowpuc]

I'm SURE you are right. I need to read more carefully. He DID say the 2000 engine. The Vaquero is 1700.

 

Speaking about scoots with coffee can sized pistons,,, whats the recent scuttlebutt on the Strats - Roadliners - Raider with the 1900cc motor? Heard or know anything about em? Be seeing a fair number of em out there with low mileage for pretty good prices... Wonder how they are heat wise and durability..

[Freebird]

I haven't heard anything. There was a lot of talk about a version of them being used for the basis of a new Venture but now they aren't even listed any longer. Seems that Yamaha pulled the plug on them also.

[Freebird]

The newest thing that they show on their website is the 2014 model.

 

https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/cruiser-touring/models/stratoliner-deluxe

[cowpuc]

The newest thing that they show on their website is the 2014 model.

 

https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/cruiser-touring/models/stratoliner-deluxe

 

Wonder how they have withstood the test of time... Been seeing lots of em (06 - 07ish) out there at pretty good prices too... Ever ride one?

[Freebird]

Only for a few miles. Rode Stardbogs after he put a car tire on the rear at MD one year. I personally didn't care for it but part of that may have been that I was not used to the way the car tire felt.