Indian Motorcycle announced its new 2016 Indian Springfield this week. Described as the “pure, essential touring machine,” it is named after the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, where Indian originally began production in 1901. The Springfield aims to please purists with its classic styling while also offering modern tech to ease long journeys and urban rides alike.
The Springfield can go from touring to cruising mode with the removal of the saddlebags and quick-release windshield. Remote locking hard bags and adjustable passenger floorboards come standard, along with leather seats, ABS, tire pressure monitoring, and electronic cruise control. Front and rear highway bars give you a place to mount accessories while offering protection from tip-overs. The forks, headlight housing, fender trim, engine covers, and handlebars (with internal wiring) are all finished in bright chrome. Though it is related to the Chief family, the Springfield hard bagger features a unique trunk-compatible chassis for greater load capacity.
“The new Indian Springfield wasn’t designed to fill a space in our lineup; it was built to fill a space in the hearts of riders who value the rich heritage and fine craftsmanship of Indian Motorcycle, and who want both a pure touring bike and a sleek urban cruiser,” said Steve Menneto, President of Motorcycles for Polaris Industries. “The Springfield’s unmatched versatility will win the hearts of motorcycling purists around the world.”
The 25-degree frame rake angle is unique to the Springfield, enhancing its handling characteristics. The bike was designed to handle a wide load range and features cartridge forks and an air-adjustable rear shock with 4.5 inches of travel (compare this to the Chief Classic’s 3.7 inches) for transporting up to 533 lbs. The Springfield is powered by Indian’s Thunder Stroke 111 engine, which produces 119 pound-feet of torque at 3,000 rpm.
Additional factory accessories can add to the bike’s minimalist touring character, including tall and low windshields, heated seats and grips, and soft lowers. The split seat can be trimmed down to create a low solo look. The Springfield starts at about $21,000 in Thunder Black and $21,550 in Indian Motorcycle Red.
Volkswagen’s newest EVs in China are making its American and European models look unusually conservative.
With Xpeng’s help, VW has introduced 800-volt charging and advanced urban driving assistance. The new VEGA technology package brings its locally developed vehicle platforms and CEA electronic architecture under one umbrella. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen intends to update VEGA every three months. Western buyers can find pieces of that package, but not the whole thing in a Volkswagen.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?