Article And Photos By: Mark Velazquez
Originally Published In The April 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine
For those of you who may not know who Shaun Ruddy of Chop DeVille is then I suggest you pull up a chair. The man from down under now living in Vegas since 2010 continues to set the bar high for custom motorcycle building. I guess when you have conquered all there is to achieve in your own homeland your next step is to move on to find and compete against the world’s best. And that is just what Shaun did back in 2008. Leaving a very successful operation behind in Phat Choppers Shaun and his wife Sheree with 2 suitcases in hand took a cruise that would never return them home. On paper Shaun has pretty much done it all. Commissioned by Kiwi Indian Motorcycles to assist
in Building the Kiwi Indian X-wedge Chieftain to working for Arlen Ness Motorcycles Las Vegas as their Head Fabricator & Tech. All along the way picking up top billing and awards from such events as the Rat’s Hole in Daytona & Sturgis to AMD Best of Show to name just a few.
Now this past October while at Vegas Bike Fest I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of photographing one of his new and latest builds, his Café Indian Scout. At first glance this bike is so deceiving. It is so custom that you actually think it’s the perfect concept bike that you hope will make production. This is what Shaun does best! A certified
fabrication engineer, and what he calls a panel beater this bike has the classic feel and performance known only to true Indian lovers but with the Chop DeVille twist. The engine with a displacement of 69ci with Indian heads and pistons topped off with a closed looped fuel injection bored at 60mm is perfection that sits on a stock Indian frame with a 29 degree rake. Telescopic forks and Indian triple trees tighten up the front end and keep this puppy balanced and on the ground. To keep it simple yet perfect an Indian 6 speed. All very cool, yes? Well, this is where the fun begins. For a man that only takes no more than 3 weeks to build any…yes I did say any bike, take a look at this! On that front fork we talked about before, a handmade custom brace replaces a removed front fender accompanied by one off bars on top. And to keep her sexy, a classic headlight from Indian with a Chop DeVille bikini fairing. Now what one does to the front can also be done to the rear. A rear fender and hand made crafted seat give this Scout
a true café feel. One of my favorite yet maybe not first recognized changes on this ride are the controls. Forward foots
control are now kicked back to make it look right and ride correct in true café style. And if that’s not enough a Chop
DeVille exhaust that lets her breathe and rumble enough so you get out of the way.
Pulling it all together is a clean and sexy paint job. A three tone job of silver, gunmetal, and black shows that Shaun is
truly a craftsman of all things possible. As I think about this bike and of Shaun months later I truly feel that this bike is sort of a homecoming. We all start out somewhere in our life on two wheels and for Shaun coming from old Triumph’s, BSA’s,and Kawasaki’s to come full circle is never a bad thing. He just happened to make the circle very round and so very clean. So as you admire the bike before you look at the big picture and try and understand why we build and why we ride. As Shaun would say for the rest just read the spec sheet, because I build them because they are there. And to me that is truly your best bet in Vegas!
Game Changer Tech Sheet
Owner: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
City/state: Las Vegas, NV
Fabrication By: Chop DeVille
Year: 2015
Model: Indian Motorcycles
Make: Scout
Value: $25,000
Time: 2 Weeks
ENGINE
Year: 2015
Model: Indian Scout
Builder: Indian Motorcycles
Ignition: Indian Motorcycles
Displacement: 69ci”
Pistons: Indian Motorcycles
Heads: Indian Motorcycles
Cam(s): Indian Motorcycles
Carb: Closed Loop Fuel Injection 60mm
Air Cleaner: Indian Motorcycles
Exhaust: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Primary: Indian Motorcycles
Transmission
Year: 2015
Make: Indian Motorcycles
Shifting: 6 Speed
FRAME
Year: 2015
Make: Indian Motorcycles
Rake: 29 Degrees
Stretch: Stock
Forks
Type: Telescopic
Builder: Indian Motorcycles
Extension: Stock
Triple Trees: Indian Motorcycles
WHEELS
Front Wheel: Indian Motorcycles
Size: 16”x3.5”
Front Tire: 130/90-16 72H
Front brake: Single/298mm Rotor 2 Piston Caliper
Rear Wheel: Indian Motorcycles
Size: 16”x5”
Rear Tire: 150/80-16 71H
Rear Brake: Single/298mm Rotor 1 Piston Caliper
PAINT
Painter: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Color: 3 Tone Silver/Gunmetal/Black
Type: PPG
Graphics: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Molding: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
ACCESSORIES
Bars: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Risers: Stock
Hand controls: Stock
Gas Tank(s): Stock
Front fender: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Rear fender: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Seat: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Foot Controls: Shaun Ruddy-Chop DeVille
Headlight: Indian/Chop DeVille
Taillight: LED Sidemount
Speedo: Indian Motorcycles
Photographer: Mark Velazquez
