While most authoritative sources think of El Chupacabra as a total sham, Aherrumbrado is as real as it gets. Based on the Leroy-Thompson V.L.A.D. frame, Chup’ has been modified to accept fuel into its top rail, and oil in its downtube. Additional fuel is stored in a hollow rear fender (actually two fenders welded together with a space between) for a total capacity of one gallon, with a half gallon in each reservoir. An automotive-style fuel pump gets the gas from the bottom of the fender over to the S&S carburetor. So despite this bike’s show-only appearance it has made the trip from Sturgis to Spearfish (just under 30 miles) without running dry. Leroy-Thompson prides itself in making bikes that their customers can beat on and actually ride, and this one, despite appearances, is no different.

Having eliminated the tanks, you’d think there wouldn’t be much more cleaning up to do on this bike … but you’d be wrong. For a shop that prides itself on what they refer to as “dirty” bikes, they sure ditch a lot of the traditional equipment on this one. Even the shifter wasn’t safe in this case. A pushbutton Pingel electronic shifter takes the place of a foot lever, leaving the rider’s left foot with nothing to do but hold the bike up at stoplights and operate the kickstand. The Pingel unit even has an ignition interrupt, so you don’t have to use the clutch while shifting if you don’t want to. The true dirty touch on this bike is the actual copper oxide rusted frame that gives the bike the other half of its name. The process is a controlled chemical oxidation that is done in-house at Leroy-Thompson.

Suspended in the somewhat lonely space between the frame rails is an S&S 124”motor sporting a Dyna 20001i ignition, which is mated perfectly to the bike’s hunched over, dragster-style riding position. After all, weighing only about 400 lbs, this bike likely has a better power-to-weight ratio than a V-Rod, and far more torque. Helping the potent, gas-gulping motor get the most from three-buck gas is a Baker RSD 6-speed while Baker’s DSSC primary acts as that all-important go-between the two.

Up front, an inverted springer fork by Jeri’s Springer continues the minimalist theme of the bike. Sitting between those legs and outback is a set of Leroy-Thompson’s stylish Miranda wheels with a waiflike Pirelli 90/90 up front and a fat 280mm Metzeler aft. Performance Machine was chosen to supply the front disc brake while the ever popular Exile Cycles Sprotor cleans up the rear and showcases the wide wheel. Ironically, the only area that suffers from apparatus maximus is the Leroy-Thompson made handlebar. While still pulling off a clean look, there is a pair of Performance Machine master cylinders for clutch and front brake action, the twist throttle, and the controller for the Pingel Shifter. Meanwhile, Leroy-Thompson decided to take care of the foot controls by simply installing a set of their own.

Despite Scott’s claims that it was the bike’s two fanglike frame tubes that inspired him to name this bike El Chupacabra Aherrumbrado, the bike’s seating position kinda gives me other ideas. I can imagine sitting low enough to the ground with my feet back behind me and arms stretched to the bars, my ass just inches from getting shredded on the 280 rear tire, and the 124” fire breather snarling out hot exhaust on my leg through the Doug Keim designed Creative Cycles stepped pipe, that I’d probably feel like pouncing on a barnyard animal myself.