Ask Indian Motorcycles Design Director Ola Stenegerd says which part of the new Indian Scout he is most proud of, and he will likely point to its tubular steel frame. So imagine his delight when Indian gave Ronna Noren a Unique individual cycles an all-new Indian Scout – and the first thing it changed was the frame.
By the way, this is not sarcasm. Ola is genuinely glad that Ronna brought an angle grinder. ScoutFor Ola and the entire Indian team, the potential for customization was built into the updated Scout platform from day one. Yes, the Scout is a modern bike with modern trappings that make it inherently beefy, but Indian wanted to make sure customizers could get around all of those frills with minimal effort.
Ronna's View on new indian scout is refreshingly simple, and says a lot about his relationship with Ola. They've both known each other for a long time, and are both longtime members of the Swedish bike club Plebs Choppers. And while Ola draws inspiration from a variety of sources when creating new bike designs, there's a small part of him that wonders what Ronna will think (or, more accurately, what Ronna will criticize him for).
Ola hoped that the Scout's steel fuel tank and tubular steel frame would encourage Ronna to redesign both to his liking—and that's exactly what happened. Within a week of receiving the Scout, Ronna had cut and redesigned more than a third of the frame, bringing the bike's geometry in line with choppers He is famous.
The new front end of the frame pushes the steering neck higher and further forward, extending the forks enough to brace the stand, but not so much that it looks cartoonish. Under the fuel tank is a sleek structure where Ronna “cut” the frame to accommodate a massive Trask Performance air filter. By removing the airbox, he could also eliminate the ducting that typically sits in front of the tank, leaving the area around the frame neck looking airy.
The Scout sits on 8-inch Tolle Engineering forks, held in place by a set of custom clamps. Ronna installed a pair of Fox OEM shocks at the opposite end of the bike, then modified the swingarm by moving the shock mounts further back. Color-matched springs keep the shocks perfectly aligned with the frame.
Ronna then swapped out the modern Scout cast wheels for a pair of wire-spoke units, with Cerakoted hubs and rims and stainless steel spokes. Measuring 21″ up front and 18″ out back, they're wrapped in Metzeler ME888 Marathon Ultra tires, giving this retro chopper a modern level of grip.
This juxtaposition of style and performance is central to Ronna’s approach. Plebs Choppers may be a chopper club, but its members are riders first, so their bikes are made to be ridden, not hidden.
That philosophy is reflected not only in Ronna’s choice of rubber, but also in his decision to equip the bike with high-performance brakes from ISR. A six-piston caliper grips a 320mm floating disc up front, with a four-piston caliper at the rear. Both are mounted using prototype aluminum mounting kits developed specifically for the Indian Scout.
Another hallmark of Ronna’s work is that he favors clean and timeless bikes over flashy and trendy ones. He has also worked on several key OEM concept bikes. So he understands what goes into producing a factory bike and has the ability to put his own spin on a bike while still retaining some of its signature details.
This consideration is evident in Ronna’s clever redesign of the Scout’s fuel tank. Rather than building a new unit from scratch, Ronna split the factory section into four before cutting it down and welding it back together. The “new” tank retains the traditional Scout silhouette, but is much more compact.
The work also included moving the fuel pump further forward inside the tank to provide ample clearance for the bike’s new air filter. A retractable gas cap from Tolle Engineering sits atop the frame, while hand-crafted steel fenders complete the bodywork. The seat is also unique, with upholstery from the extremely talented Silver Machine.
Moving on to the controls, Ronna modified the stock handlebars by integrating risers and adding a custom housing for the OEM speedometer. Finishing touches include some subtle modifications to the stock foot controls and a throaty stainless steel exhaust system. Then there’s the eye-catching paint job; a suitably old-school metal-flake design by Hakan Lindberg.
Ronna's custom Indian Scout hits all the right notes. No single modification competes for attention – instead, every little detail works together harmoniously to create a modern chopper that's incredibly clean.
It also fits its new owner like a glove. Once the bike was strapped up, Ronna handed it over to legendary King Diamond, Motörhead, and Scorpions drummer (and Swedish national treasure) Mickey Dee… who immediately joked that the bike was louder than his drums.