2022 Indian Springfield Dark Horse Touring Bike Review Specs Price

Another example that emphasizes how Indian Motorcycle is poised to earn well-loved items is the 2022 Indian Springfield Dark Horse Touring Bike. Jack Daniel’s limited edition bike that made such an impression at Daytona is what the Springfield Dark Horse hopes to capitalize on. This year’s paint packages feature some form of Bad Boy blackout, and this model’s factory-customized features help it stand out from the competition. The Thunderstroke 116 from Indian, with a torque output of over 120 pound-feet, gives it the best possible power and performance boost.

2022 Indian Springfield Dark Horse Touring Bike – Features and Price

Design

Many of the design elements on the Springfield Dark Horse are inspired by Indian, America’s oldest motorcycle manufacturer. The legendary war bonnet fender decoration, which dates back to the early 1900s, is right up front. Although the fenders feature cut-back sides instead of traditional valance skirts to give total exposure to the black-and-polished wheels, it still has a full-length design that provides plenty of coverage for the front wheel.

The RWU forks, fork skirts, and headlight nacelles on the rest of the front end take us back in time, and they’re all given the blackout treatment for an unmistakable look. From its traditional-looking nacelle, which extends to hide the triplet tree, a cyclops halogen lamp that is highly brilliant separates the night. The black-out built-in turn signal housings also include LED technology, which completes the feature’s retro yet ultra-modern look.

Your hands should be elevated slightly above your shoulders, thanks to mini apes. It is a specific custom detail that has significant historical significance as the original exchangers were an attempt to resist the Wehrmacht’s anti-motorcycle efforts during World War II, with wires strung along roads to decapitate motorcycle couriers. Were included. Veterans of the fight took the monkeys home, and they quickly came to symbolize the motorcycle movement of some sort in the United States.

The Springfield Dark Horse doesn’t push the fairing or windshield forward, so the wind gets to the rider unobstructed, just the way I want it. I also like the blackout instrument console because it doesn’t act as a mirror to blind the pilot in bright light and has a small LED screen and a circular speedometer gauge. The 5.5-gallon teardrop fuel tank features black studs on both sides with a battle bonnet image for an added vintage touch. The console wraps around the middle of the fuel tank to the saddle.

Even for vertically challenged riders, the 26-inch seat height gets you to the ground quickly, so when you put on your training wheels, you can count on solid stability and leverage. The rider’s triangle is completed by forwarding foot controls and full-length footboards, which also define a comfortable cruiser posture that’s easy on the back, shoulders, and wrists.

A slight rise on the p-pad creates a bit stop and separates the pilot from the pilot before it dips down over the rear fender to leave the bike with a suggestion of a solo seat. Dry storage is provided by lockable hard-side saddlebags, which perfectly match Springfield Dark Horse’s bespoke aesthetic. LED illumination handles business in the rear, with a low-bottom tag holder to eliminate rear luggage.

Chassis

With a double downtube/double cradle structure that fully supports the engine and provides protection to the bottom cases, a cast aluminum frame hits the historic high notes. The Springfield Dark Horse attacks corners with a 25-degree rake angle and 5.2 inches of trail on a 67-inch wheelbase with a lean angle of 31 degrees on either side, and they’re not stiff.

Suspension parts are pretty basic and uncomplicated, with rwu, 46mm front forks, and a single air shock at the rear. The rear shock provides a soft ride you can only get with air, with a wide range of preload adjustability and enough 4.5 inches of travel to tackle the most brutal urban jungles. However, the fixed damping settings leave the stems completely unadjusted with 4.7 inches of travel.

Blacked-out cast aluminum rims are fitted with Dunlop Elite tires in the following sizes: 130/60-19 for the front and 180/60-16 for the rear. Polished flats are used for some low-grade bling. Regardless of the color option, 300mm discs handle the brakes with dual, four-pot anchors, a twin-piston caliper at the rear, and factory ABS coverage.

Drive Train

The Thunderstroke engine family mimics the look of vintage side-valve engines from India that were used in the U.S.A.from the 1930s to the 1970s. Through its forged cooling pins in the rocker box cover and flathead-tastic exhaust ports, the Springfield inherits the new 116-cubic-inch engine on the Dark Horse. The old-school stuff continues into the valvetrain with parallel pushrod tubes that point out a quarter of the individual cam gears behind the nose like the old flatties. With a displacement of 1,900 ccs and an 11-to-1 compression ratio, the two-liter is pushed by two pairs of 103.2 mm bore and 113 mm stroke, forcing you to visit the expensive gas station every time.

A 54mm throttle body with closed-loop fuel injection is responsible for induction management to meter and deliver atomized fuel for efficient combustion and low emissions. The Springfield Dark Horse is a virtual machine with a raw and honest response when you turn the proper grips, unlike some high-end machines that go without the feature of ride modes.

Now one of the most potent mills produced in the United States, it makes a whopping 126 lb-ft of torque at a low 2,900 rpm and allows for less stressful cruising at interstate speeds. When pushed to the rev limiter in top gear, the six-speed transmission and final drive ratio can reach a maximum speed of 115mph.

Price

Priced at $23,499, the 2022 Springfield Dark Horse is available in a Black on Black Black Smoke variant. A blackout treatment is standard everywhere, but for an extra five dollars, you can get the sheet metal in quartz gray.

Indian Springfield Dark Horse vs. Harley-Davidson Road King / Road King Special

Indians are in good company as MoCo is still the second oldest American marque in the business and has its historical roots. The Road King Special, like its second-mother sibling, has almost the same front fenders but lacks the battle bonnet that is so focused on Indians. It also features a large, skirted front end and vintage-looking headlight nostrils. For the mini-monkey look, the bar rises a bit. Thankfully, Blackout also covers the console. To keep the overall aesthetic, the DeepScope saddle is paired with a Mustang-style plane that falls into the “I don’t want” category. The hard-side extended bag offers dry storage for a relatively large load capacity.

While the Springfield Dark Horse’s primary vanilla stem outperforms Showa’s dual-banding valve forks regarding ride quality, Harley’s emulsion-type rear shocks are marginally more comfortable than Indian air shocks. ABS is a universal standard, but H-D takes the lead with its all-new Reflex Defensive Rider Systems feature, which combines drag torque protection, traction control, and corner-sensitive ABS for one advantage. However, this function is only available as an option. It is not standard.

Harley’s Milwaukee Eight 114 engine performs admirably with 123 pound-feet of available torque to come in just short of the Thunderstroke’s power. Still, the variance is so negligible that it won’t register on even the best-tuned Heaney dynos. Harley prices are divided by color choice, just like the Indian. Still, the range is $22,999 for the base Vivid Black model and $24,999 for the top-of-the-line two-tone package, giving the Indian another slight advantage at the register.

2022 Indian Springfield Dark Horse Touring Bike – Technical Specifications

Engine and Drivetrain

Dimensions

Brakes

Wheels & Tires

Suspension

Features