It’s the first fully customized version and quite a radical interpretation of the new Indian® Springfield™ motorcycle. The “Frontier 111” was crafted by Azzkikr Custom Baggers of Phoenix, Ariz. On this project, custom builder Len Edmondson demonstrates, his acute attention to detail and outrageous craftsmanship to produce a truly show-stopping example of a thoroughly modern retro bagger that features classic lines via contemporary, artistic flare.
The Frontier 111 incorporates Indian’s heritage with a skirted front fender, a leaf-spring equipped springer front end, jockey shifter with foot clutch, and historically inspired color palette surrounding Indian Motorcycle’s powerful Thunder Stroke® 111 engine.
“We have been working on the cutting edge of the custom bagger movement for years now, but it’s not often that you get to reveal a custom based on a motorcycle the factory just introduced,” says Azzkikr’s Len Edmondson. “From day one, we wanted something that reflected the big front wheel trend but still spoke to the heritage and style that is uniquely Indian.”
The sleek Frontier 111 incorporates a sweeping line from its hand-built headlight housing to the tip of its expertly crafted rear fender. The front clip includes a custom-made triple tree sourced from KewlMetal, a springer-type suspension utilizing a leaf-spring, a 26-inch spoked wheel wrapped in Metzeler rubber, and a hand-formed aluminum hub hiding a modern disc brake system. Up top the Springfield’s fuel tank was modified for a vintage look and topped with a polished dash piece featuring stock gauges, and a hand-tooled leather seat diverts the eye to the back of the bike, where you’ll find hand-formed side panels, bags and rear fender. The removable bags are fully functional with a mechanical lid, and there’s a vintage-look taillight assembly with brake light and indicators. Hidden by the bags, the stock-size 16-inch rear wheel is spoked while rear air-suspension allows the bike to ride at factory height or drop low for show. As with everything else, the striking red and black paint palette with gold leaf detailing also was done in-house.
“Everything on the bike aside from the triple tree was hand-made or manufactured in our shop to an OEM quality standard to fit on the Springfield’s stock frame, so nothing on it makes any actual changes to the engineering of the present bike,” Edmondson says. “In other words, if I wanted to send parts to someone to reproduce this bike with a new Springfield, they could put it together using the same bolt patterns. That makes this build truly revolutionary.”
“The Indian Springfield is a touring bike that is meant to be ridden, and by building an extreme custom around the stock frame the Frontier 111 stays true to the spirit of the motorcycle,” commented Reid Wilson, Marketing Director for Indian Motorcycle. “Len and his team did an amazing job with this build and it was very exciting to unveil this bike at the 75th Anniversary of Daytona Bike Week.” (photos @ Sara Liberte)
Obviously designed to catch your eye and it would…but, a bit too much “faux” going on
.. this bike answers a question that no one asked
Impressive blend of old looks with new technology. Something popular in the custom hot rod world is a new fuel injected engine under the hood with new tech suspension, AC, stereo head unit with amp and speakers, and other new tech items in the cabin. Looks like an old 30’s, 40’s, etc but rides, handles, and runs with good gas mileage like a newer car/truck. Sure makes road trips more comfortable.
Not for the purist but not everyone wants that.
So did they run out out film after shooting the ONE photo of the bike? 😉
FACEPALM…
Seems only fair that some Indians be made to look as stupid as the big wheel Harleys. Well done and then some.
Great job.
Victory headlight?
LOVE IT
Woody’s. Went to your website. Sorry, but it’s the ugliest one I have ever seen. So, your advice about design and criticizing this beautiful machine, is worth zero. Your critic is a huge compliment to the builder.
The Vic headlight looks good. Not much of a fan of taking a good bike and putting a worse suspension and an uncomfortable seat on it though. Loose those bag straps too.
Looks great from the front wheel back to the saddle. But those suitcases trying to pass as saddlebags just look goofy.
I do think that would have looked infinitely better if they’d used a 21″ inch rim up front instead of going for the penny-farthing look with a front wheel totally out of proportion with the rest of the bike. The front of the bike looks too high and too thin and light compared to the rear.
I do really like the way the curve in the front down tubes on the frame flows into the same arc as the leaf spring in the front end. Creates a great flowing line on the bike in a place you’d normally never see it.
@ Terence you are 100% correct as far as the world of websites go, but that really has no more to do with a bike critique than if I burnt a grilled cheese sammich. The site was done many years ago by a friend with a crayon, since I never seem to be out of work I just leave well enough alone. I’ve had several folks offer to swap a new site for a fairing, but at age 60 I’m slowing down and the last thing I want is an increase in sales. Still, has nothing to do with the bike. If I decide to build a bike that looks like a tipped-over outhouse and do so with the best workmanship and attention to detail that the world has ever seen, should I expect folks to proclaim it an awesome bike?
didn’t know the lines of a bike could be made so unappealing, sorry it’s just off everywhere
I agree with Woody , I personaly do not like big front wheel baggers. Cartoon Motorcycles.
Give one of those engines and drive trains to Kiwi Indian and see what he comes up with.
I am sure it is well put together but those bikes and billet queens make me billious
Retro styling on a modern machine is a slippery slope. This one was close, tone down the big wheel bafoonery and revert to oem colors of years the look is intended to pay homage. Or just run the big wheel and river boat paint scheme.
I detest those HD baggers that are, in my view (and many others’…) the summit of vulgarity but this Indian effort is very neat… However front is too high and back consequently drooping too low. Not that easy to correct though has bags were “designed” to droop 🙁 . In brief, well done, very well done 😉
Very well done. LOVE the leaf spring front suspension, headlight, handmade parts, a dying art.. Leather treatment is nice. Hand made in shop guys, amazing!
I never liked the big front wheel not to mention the fact that it is rediculously unsafe. Other than that the bike has a lot of class. The brown leather is a nice touch.
I’m not a fan of the big wheel bagger trend at all. I say that because I’ve seen up close a few of the bikes that have come out of Azzkiker. All have attention to the smallest detail. And Len is a pretty nice guy as are his crew. While it may not be my taste, you have to admire the creativity put in.
It’s not the critic, it’s the one in the arena.
I’ve watched Len and the AZZKIKER team develop their skills for more than a decade up here on the WET coast, and can say nothing but good about the attention to detail and the willingness to spend what it takes to complete the vision in mind. Once the wheels of progress (?) start rolling (no matter how big they are) the commitment to the project is fierce. Whether I like the look is irrelevant, nobody gives a shit about anybody else’s opinion anyway in reality, what I’m impressed with is the ability to re-do the same thing over an over again and make it look different. Like my old friend Goldie Simpson says, “There’s an ass for every seat !” So that means someone is going to own this machine and cherish it, and Len and his boys will have satisfied another customer as well as recouped some of their investment of time and resources. The bigger picture of the vision and the marketing of the design, with “plugging” the bolt on factor of the parts used to present the look is just good business. Polaris is a force to be reckoned with, and AZZKIKER getting in on the after market for their offerings will be a wise decision proven over time.
“The Frontier 111 incorporates Indian’s heritage with a skirted front fender”
REALLY?? Looks to me like he cut the front fender down so much it looks exactly like all the HD front fenders out there. IMHO, the whole bike looks like all the other big wheel low ass stretch bagged HD’s out there. Only the engine and badge remind you it’s an Indian.
Another big wheel disaster for Halloween make beleive bikers!!
Can u.ride.that thing with the bags.on .?… I mean seriously look ..and that’s with no one sitting on it
@Mack, look how upright it is on the sidestand, the air suspension is in the lowered position. Would be nice to see what the stance is when the rear is up in the actual riding position, but that would be too normal, I guess.
How many midget clowns are going to jump out of those bags ?
Like most on this blog, I like the leaf spring front end, just lose the oversized front wheel.
I also like the color scheme along with the greyed out motor. Sure, it’s not really ‘retro’, but nothing wrong with a resto-mod.
Agree 100% KD. Thinking about that “skirted front fender”, I’ve got the feeling that Polaris’s writers wrote before seeing the finished product.
The big front wheel distracts from a Vintage-look that is otherwise reminiscent or full-bodied classics such as “Mear-a-car”……
Otherwise well done ….IMHO anyway.
-nicker-
The weird shit is the big front wheel is not new. they used horse sulky wheels in the sixties it’s just back then they were on very raw Choppers not Fat Coffin dodgers rides
That’s sharp, I like it. Makes me smile, something fresh is always appreciated.
@woodys ….your right , I should have read/ thought about it a little more ….I’d still tear up those bags
In about a half a day I
Don’t like the “Big Wheel” front tire (at least it’s not a “Dirty 30”)
But I do like the design of bodywork from Azzkikr for the Indian
I think Mr. Edmondson did a great job