And I loved it. Consequently the nerves about
the weight, (and there was plenty of it - with
me and a full tank, leather gear and boots -
we were nearly half a tonne) dissipated with
a very short time in the saddle. The great
handfuls of brake for the 300mm four-pot
double discs upfront were applied without
anxiety or breaking a sweat. It was not the
workout I suspected might be lurking under
the gloss.
The seat is very comfortable and allows for
moving around quite well – a necessary evil
for this rider with his back issues. And at
the rear are two large volume, beautifully
finished panniers, that lock with a remote – a
nice touch.
They hold plenty, and are extremely useful,
while also polishing the appearance of
extreme quality this big bruiser imparts. It’s
certainly a head turner. And there is more
chrome than a 1950’s Cadillac.
Is it perfect? Of course not, but it is
absolutely wonderful to ride, and it looks
incredible. I was reminded, somewhat
trippily, of a huge chromium grasshopper’s
head hanging on a chrome plate, with great
big chromium feelers stretching back as the
bars. Three headlights, plus a glass Indian
head lit and glowing on the front fender give
the Springfield astonishing street presence
at night. The seat is big, leather and has
large chrome domes around its rim. It looks
finished and designed cohesively without
being overindulgent. The rear seat is a solid
serviceable square leather plate, and the
pillion would have a good view forward over
the riders head, and big footplates offer them
comfort and solidity.
There are places where the big chromium
styling stops – suddenly – some bolts holding
the headlight on a bracket are industrial
nasty, and the screwed circlip on the inside
of the exhaust pipe was just ugly and looked
like a cheap last minute fix - compared to
the exemplary finish and lustrous styling
everywhere else. But these are small,
pernickety niggles.
The Indian Springfield
appeared to be made out
of upmarket shipping-sized
componentry, making a
friend’s ‘Streetglide’ look
like a naked Sportster
KIWI RIDER 63