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January 6 . 7 . 8 . 2012
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Kon's Garage to Feature Indian Larry's Love Zombie at SUPERSHOW 2012!Article republished with the permission of Revolution Motorcycle Magazine LOVE ZOMBIE
In memory of Indian LarryBy Konstantine Zakzanis - Photographs: Kevin RosenthallOriginally published in Revolution Motorcycle Magazine
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It is one thing to live by a creed, and it is another to actually "live" by a creed.
Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord No Fear..."
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And "Indian Larry" - as he was known by - lived life. More life than you or I will ever live no matter how long our biological vehicles decide to remain on our rides and travel the roads we are destined to travel. Indian Larry was born in New York and became interested in the hot rod culture in his teenage years. After his first exposure to artist Kenny Howard, otherwise known as Von Dutch, Larry later moved to California so to apprentice under legendary hot rod builder and pop artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. This inspired Larry's art as exemplified in his future chopper building. Before finding his way back to New York and finding his fame and fortune in the chopper world, Larry lived a life that paralleled a mythological Greek tragedy; from a tumultuous youth, to found fame, to his untimely death. Larry was convicted of bank robbery and struggled with alcohol and drug abuse in his youth. He decided to leave his tumultuous early life behind and focus on his bike building talents. Larry founded Gasoline Alley in New York City in 1991 where he began his custom work on anything with two wheels. His old school choppers that paid homage to all that was cool but forgotten quickly caught the attention of the motorcycling industry.
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Before long, Larry was introduced to most of us by way of the Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off where he went undefeated. In probably the most memorable episodes that epitomized his character, he and Billy Lane decided to cut up and share the trophy with those onlookers at Sturgis after his "Wild Child" chopper won the popular vote. What Larry reminded us all that day was that it was not about "winning and ego" or who was the guy with the "longest front end or shiniest paint job or loudest pipes". He reminded us that it was about friendship, camaraderie, and riding. In other words, Larry "had it right" all along. Until of course, the day this Greek tragedy had to come to its inevitable end.
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During filming of his last Biker Build Off, Larry was performing a stunt at the "Liquid Steel Classic and Custom Bike Series" in Concord, North Carolina, after having built what would be his last chopper - Chain of Mystery – a tricked out all chain frame ride. On this scorching hot August day in 2004, prior to the announcement of the popular vote he won by the way, Larry wanted to please his fans. So he was performing his stunts with "no fear" as he always did. In the stunt he was standing on a moving motorcycle. As the stunt progressed the bike began to wobble out of control and he was thrown from the motorcycle, sustaining serious head injuries. He was then taken to the Carolinas Medical Centre in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he died on August 30, 2004 from the injuries sustained in the mishap.After his death Hugh King and the people at Discovery Channel decided to produce an episode of Biker Build-Off as a tribute to Larry in recognition for his unbridled influence on the chopper world in terms of re-popularizing the stripped down, tall handlebar, foot clutch, jockey shift, no front brake or fender, small gas tank, open piped, kickstart only, stock rake choppers that prevailed in the 1960s. All this before the industry got carried away with long front ends and paint jobs that looked like scenes from Star Trek or theme bikes with gas tanks that were made to look life footballs.
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And so Love Zombie was built as a tribute by Larry's long time partners, Paul Cox and Keino, in hand with Larry’s dearest friends, Billy Lane and Kendall Johnson. What you see here is a bike that Larry would have loved. A Panhead engine with a 6-into-4 transmission, kick start (and electric fitted starter) with Morris Magneto, along with a Paul Cox Rigidaire system. Love Zombie also features the proprietary Indian Larry twisted down-tube on a hard-tail nickel plated frame with custom front-end springer. The gas tank was built by Billy and sports an old Pontiac hood emblem that casts an alarming resemblance of Larry. The paint was provided by Robert Pradke, and it praises the man we miss with inspiration. The bike was ultimately built so to auction away to support Bambi, Larry's beautiful wife and living mermaid whose name he proudly tattooed across his chest.
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If you have never seen the episode, I encourage you to get it where you can (Ebay, Discovery Channel website) as there is far more to this story than I could ever fit in these pages. I should also add that two books were published on Indian Larry in 2006: "Indian Larry: Chopper Shaman" by Dave Nichols with Andrea "Bambi" Cambridge and photography by Michael Lichter, and "Indian Larry" by Timothy White. His autobiography Grease Monkey, The Life and Times of Motorcycle Artist Indian Larry written shortly before his death is scheduled for publication. There is another book entitled "Borderland Biker; in memory of Indian Larry and Doo Wop music" written by Derrel Whitemyer who dedicates the book to Indian Larry.I would recommend all of these reference books to anyone who wants any schooling in the art of being and living life as a Grease Monkey extraordinaire. In the meantime I know each time I take Love Zombie for a ride – that is for my daily ride – I know that all the roads I ride, Larry rides, and so on through all of time... No Fear indeed.
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See the Love Zombie in Kon's Garage at the 2012 SUPERSHOW
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