Many of the comments and news items this week will revolve around the tragic loss of Indian Larry. I’ll let our readers from all over the country express their feelings. I’m writing a short tribute to Larry for Hard Core Choppers in Japan. Larry touched many riders all over the world and the respect is evident by the many heartfelt reactions. Hang on. Let’s hit the news:
Larry, Chris Tronolone and Bandit at the Choppers Only 2004
INDIAN LARRY DIES IN STUNT RIDING ACCIDENT–WELL-KNOWN custom bike builder ‘Indian Larry’ (Larry Desmedt), died on Monday, August 30th, as a result of injuries sustained after a motorcycle accident.
Indian Larry was appearing at the Liquid Steel Classic and Custom Bike Series, taking place at the Cabarrus Arena and Events Center, North Carolina.
The event was being filmed as part of further appearances for Larry in Discovery Channel’s ‘Biker Build-Off’ program.On Saturday, August 28th, he was performing stunts in a parking lot before a huge crowd when he lost control of the motorcycle.
Indian Larry became a legendary figure in the custom bike scene, with his work featured in movies, video, TV and in many magazines.
He claimed his influences were the choppers of the Fifties and Sixties, especially those from the West Coast scene where Ed Roth and Von Dutch had achieved cult status.
He was also much in demand for personal appearances and the popularity of Biker Build-Off increased his standing.
Born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, Larry became fascinated by the chopper movement by the time he was a teenager, riding his own Knucklehead.He re-located to the West Coast for a time, to learn his craft from Ed (‘Big Daddy’) Roth.After being involved in numerous projects, he eventually settled in Brooklyn in 1991 with the stated aim of becoming ‘the best chopper builder in the world’.
His business was located at Gasoline Alley, in Williamsburg.
Indian Larry was 55. He leaves a wife, Bambi, and his mother and sister.The family has requested no flowers, but donations, if desired, to the National Council on Alcoholism.
INDIAN LARRY
Brooklyn, New York, USA
www.indianlarry.com
WE’LL START BY PISSING OFF SOMEONE: What’s the difference between a porcupine and BMW?
>A porcupine has the pricks on the outside.
What’s the difference between Beer Nuts and Deer Nuts?
Beer Nuts are $1, and Deer Nuts are always under a buck.
Did you hear about the dyslexic Rabbi?
He walks around saying “Yo.”
BIKERNET SIGN IN THE MAKING–Kevin Baas is making a steel sign for Bikernet and you’ll see the tech tomorrow right here. Come back and check it out.
BIKERNET LEGAL DEPARTMENT MEMO– You’re 66 times more likely to be prosecuted for a crime in the USA than in France.
Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com
LAYLA’S RIDING EXPERIENCE– That’s a real sharp little gal you have there. Nice to see a pic of her. I read the story “If She Can Ride”. My daughter here in Vegas is about her size and went through the same experence. I Sold the Ironhead she rode. It scared me to death to see her take off on that thing. Maybe one of those new Triumph Bonneville Americans lowered a bit. Anyway you might have to settle down now…
After Laughlin I went to Dallas and got aquainted with Rick and hung out at the Icehouse a bit. I came back and put my house up for sale. It sold in five days for almost 100 grand profit. I found five acres in the woods, just east of Norman, Oklahoma, for 30G with a trailer and stuff. Going to build bikes and play Music.
Here is a shot of the Softail I bought wrecked and fixed up for my friend John. Total cost for what you see was $7500. It is a ’92 with 10K on it. Now I need to build one for me. I also bought this Black Pan.
I like your new Place. Are you going to have a real Cantina? I am available for gigs. I’ll send a CD as soon as I make one.
Ride on Bro,
–Bill
ioobill@juno.com
COPS DISCIPLINED FOR TASERING GRANDMOTHER–KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Police said Friday two officers have been disciplined and department policy changed following an investigation into the officers use of a taser when arresting a 66-year-old grandmother who honked her car horn at a police cruiser.
Louise Jones was arrested in June on charges of misuse of a car horn on a city street, resisting arrest and intentionally inflicting bodily harm on an officer. Her husband, Fred Jones, 74, was also arrested and charged with interfering with an arrest.
Police said Louise Jones tussled with officers when they tried to give her a ticket for honking the horn. One of the officers used the taser, which is capable of issuing a 50,000-volt shock, to stun her. The officers said Fred Jones then came downstairs and jumped on one of the officers’ backs.
Louise Jones said she pulled away from the police when one of the officers grabbed her arm, and her husband said one of the officers had his knee on his wife’s chest.
As a result of an internal investigation, the department has increased the threshold for when taser use is appropriate and now requires a field commander to look into each taser deployment. Police also have developed a task force made up of community members and department personnel to look into the department’s current taser-use policies.
–from Rogue
POLICE CHASE ENDS WITH TRACTOR CRASHING INTO TREE– ROLETTE, N.D. – Rolette County authorities say they chased a man across more than 20 miles of roads, corn and wheat fields after he took off in a stolen all-terrain vehicle, then a truck, and finally drove a tractor into a tree.
The 20-year-old Belcourt man could face a string of charges, Sheriff Tony Sims said.
“He could be charged with anything from reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, unauthorized use of motor vehicle, burglary – I don’t have all the reports in yet,” Sims said Wednesday.
Sims said the chase began about 6 a.m. Wednesday, after a four-wheel ATV was reported missing in Rolette. The four-wheeler was abandoned, and a truck was reported missing moments later in the city, authorities said.
Sims said he found the truck being driven by the suspect, and it did not stop when he signaled for the driver to pull over. Authorities chased the truck several miles west on state Highway 66 in Rolette County, he said.
“The driver threw tools, an air compressor, whatever he could, out the windows,” Sims said.
Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com>
TRUCKER CHARGED IN BEER HEIST–TORONTO (Reuters) – Somewhere in Canada there are thieves with nearly 50,000 cans of beer they will have a hard time selling, although police said on Thursday the truck driver who disappeared with the loot has been arrested.
The shipment of Moosehead beer, worth over C$75,000 ($57,000), was on its way to Mexico from an East Coast brewery when it went missing, along with the driver.
The transport truck was recovered last week — still running — in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, but with most of its cargo missing.
The 30-year-old driver was picked up in Lindsay, Ontario, about 1,000 miles from Grand Falls. He has been charged with theft but police reported he did not have any beer with him.
The shipment of Moosehead was labeled in English and Spanish for export to Mexico, so it could not be sold in Canada. Nor could it be shipped into or through the United States without proper documentation.
“Its one of these classic, dumb-crook stories,” said Joel Levesque, a spokesman for Moosehead.
“They can’t sell it anywhere in Canada without giving away the immediate fact that it’s been stolen… So we have crooks stuck with 50,000 plus cans of beer that basically they can’t fence.”
Very little of the stolen beer has been found. Four cans, three of them empty, were found in various parts of the New Brunswick province, according to the police and media reports.
On Monday, police found another 5,000 to 8,000 cans after a half-ton truck with a homemade trailer went off the road in New Brunswick. The driver of that truck fled the scene.
–from Rogue
http://www.bikerrogue.com
SCREAMIN? EAGLE RIDER RICH KING EIGHTH AT SEDALIA HALF-MILE–Determined Racer Competes in AMA National with Injured Shoulder. Sedalia, Mo. (Aug. 29, 2004) ? Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts rider Rich King finished eighth in the AMA Grand National main at the State Fair Speedway half-mile, riding with a painful shoulder injury he suffered in a near-crash at the Peoria TT on Aug. 22. The Sedalia event, the 12th stop on the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship, was held on Sunday afternoon after the original Saturday-night program was postponed by rain.
?Rich is still riding with some pain after the incident in Peoria, so this was another gutsy performance by a veteran rider who?s dedicated to his team and his fans,? said Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Anne Paluso. ?The Screamin? Eagle team put him on a good bike this weekend and Rich rode as hard as he could.?
King qualified for the main by winning a semi-final heat race after placing fifth and failing to transfer during the first heat. He ran as high as 8th place in the main.
Coziahr Harley-Davidson/National Cycle rider Johnny Murphree won the main event aboard a Harley-Davidson XR750. Murphree took the lead when the race was re-started after SuperTrapp Racing rider Mike Hacker and Gerencer?s Harley-Davidson/Kerstings Cycle rider Kevin Atherton bumped on lap 20. It was Murphree?s first win of the season. KTM USA/Jones Powersports/Mid-America Harley-Davidson rider Joe Kopp was second, followed by his teammate, Ken Coolbeth, in third. The series points leader, Quality Checked Pre-Owned Ford/Lancaster Harley-Davidson rider Chris Carr, finished fourth.
With four straight podium results, Kopp continues to reel in defending AMA Grand National champion Carr in the season points standings. With five races left on the schedule, Carr still leads with 213 points, but is just 19 points ahead of second-place Kopp. Coolbeth is third with 162 points, followed by Murphree with 149 points.
The next stop on the AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Championship series is the annual Springfield double-header at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, with the Springfield TT scheduled for Sept. 4 and the Springfield Mile set for Sept. 5.
The Screamin’ Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.
BIKERNET OIL FILTER INVESTIGATION CONTINUES–THE BEST FRAME OIL FILTER TO USE WITH AN AFTER MARKET REMOTE OIL FILTER SYSTEM IS THE HP1 OR EQUIVALENT. IT IS A HIGH FLOW LOW RESTRICTION RACE FILTER THAT WORKS GREAT WITH THE BIKES.
THAT IS THE SAME ONES PAUL COX AND INDIAN LARRY TOLD ME TO USE WHEN I WAS BUILDING THE SCHOOL PROJECT ’57 PAN.
–Kevin
MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SUPPLY–OPEN HOUSE– MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SUPPLY Open House #8 is on Saturday, October 2nd, 2004, and we are told this one will be bigger and better than before.
As well as products from other manufacturers, Midwest is anxious to show off the additions to its own Ultima brand lines and many other new products.Some of these are the work of the Doc Havoc CAD-CAM design team.This is Midwest’s own in-house group of engineers, who are constantly looking to improve existing parts or develop new products.
The Vinegaroon range of seats has been expanded and there are new highway bars and starters.A new inner primary has just been introduced for Softail models.On display will be the award winners in the Black Cloud, Silver Lining competition.
Further product developments expected to take pride of place include the latest 127 cubic inch El Bruto motor.This was not expected to be ready in time for the show but a big effort by all concerned means it can now be prominently displayed.See them all, and more, on October 2nd.
MIDWEST MOTORCYCLE SUPPLY
Arnold, Missouri, USA
Tel: 636 296 2200
Fax: 636 296 4430
E-mail: midwest@midwest-mc.com
http://www.midwest-mc.com
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