Everything You Need to Know About the Indian Springfield

Today we tell you everything you need to know about the 2021 Indian Springfield. First introduced in March of 2016, and named after the birthplace of Indian Motorcycles, Springfield, Massachusetts, the model gained its notoriety as a simple, stripped-down bagger while maintaining a cool, vintage look.

The bike is built with a Thunder Stroke V Twin engine and has often been considered a hybrid between two other Indian V Twins, the Chieftain and the Roadmaster. It can be driven in three different modes, tour, standard and sport, and comes with a variety of modern amenities including keyless ignition, cruise control and tire pressure monitoring.

What riders have really liked about the bike since its release is its smooth ride and high handlebars giving you a controlled, comfortable ride. Riders are consistently surprised at how light the bike feels, despite weighing almost 800 pounds.

But the question to ask yourself though when looking at the Indian Springfield is, Standard or Dark Horse? Each of these models make the most of touring and style, but each bring their own unique edge to your ride. When looking at the two, you might consider the Standard the more classic ride while the Dark Horse stands as the more modern.

Think of the Standard as something you’d ride down a long, winding road, while taking in the scenery and Dark Horse something for the open road, really laying into the throttle.

The Standard Springfield has been considered better for long-distance touring. It is more reserved with its power at 111 cu in (1811cc) giving you up to 119 ft-lb (161.6 Nm) of torque and has a smaller front wheel at 17 inches, but makes up for it with additional amenities, such as a USB charging port. Add keyless ignition, cruise control and tire pressure monitoring and you’re giving yourself the complete package. It also has a triple light setup with a detachable windshield, giving you the option of a wind buffer or championing a more vintage feel, letting the wind brush against your arms and chest.

But if you get stuck in traffic, no problem. This bike is equipped with Rear Cylinder Deactivation which automatically shuts off the rear cylinder when the bike is stopped for more comfort in slow-moving traffic. Then when you hit the throttle, the rear cylinder seamlessly kicks back up to full power. The style of this bike feels classic as it’s covered in jewel-like chrome from its fender to its exhaust pipe. It is also offered in two different colors, Maroon Metallic over Crimson Metallic and Thunder Black or Dirt Track tan.

The Dark Horse Springfield is considered to have more pulling duty as the bigger inch bagger. It has the bigger of the two engines with 116 cu (1890cc) giving you up to a whopping 126 ft-lbs of torque while maintaining fewer rpm’s than the Standard’s 111 cu. It also has a larger front wheel at 19 inches.

The Dark Horse includes the features of the Standard but offers a more modern look, rocking matte black gloss, and wears sleeker saddle bags by its side, and offers a variety of three different colors: Thunder Black Smoke, Sagebrush Smoke and White Smoke.

Between the two, it’s hard to go wrong. Each has their own advantage, each has their own unique style. It’s just up to you to decide what need in your own riding and the look you want on the road.