Six years ago, August 30, 2004, Indian Larry was in North Carolina performing his signature motorcycle stunt. One he’d done many times before. You guys know the one I’m taking about. It’s the one where he stands up on the seat of a moving motorcycle and holds his arms out by his side.
But on this day, something went wrong. It was really hot. And speculation is that he was dehydrated and got dizzy while performing his encore. The bike began to wobble while he was standing on it and he lost his balance. He fell off the bike before it crashed, but he hit his head when he fell. He wasn’t wearing a helmet because, well, it’s a showstopper stunt much like a tightrope walker walking without a net.
Indian Larry photo by Tom Zimberoff (Art of the Chopper)
Larry died later that day of head injuries from that accident at the age of 55. Many won’t forget him and his legacy lives on.
but who was Indian Larry?
Indian Larry, a native New Yorker, was a stuntman and a motorcycle builder. In his youth he was heavily inspired by Von Dutch and went out to California to apprentice under hot rod legend, Big Daddy Roth. Surviving a troubled and tumultuous youth, he focused on motorcycle building and founded Gasoline Alley, where he became known for building attention-getting, old school choppers. He is credited for re-popularizing the 60′s style chopper: stripped-down, tall handlebars, foot clutched, jockey shifted, no front brake (or fender), small gas tank, open-piped, kick-start only, stock rake with a single twisted down tube.
Indian Larry's Tiki Bike
He was heavily featured in the resurgence of the popularity bikers were getting on television, showing up in “Motorcycle Mania 2″ with Jesse James and competing in Discovery Channel’s series “Biker Build-Off.” In 2000, he married The Coney Island Mermaid, a.k.a. Bambi. They often performed together: he with motorcycle stunts and the bed of nails, she with snake charming and stripping down to her pasties (among other things, of which you can read at this old article about them on Salon.com).
After his untimely death, Gasoline Alley became known as Indian Larry Legacy, with Paul Cox driving the continued effort to preserve Larry’s memory and style. Cox and team continue to produce cutting-edge custom bikes in honor of Indian Larry as well as a signature clothing line and motorcycle parts.
Learn more at indianlarry.com or on the Facebook page for Indian Larry Motorcycles.