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JoeyRamone

motorcycle builder and legend Indian Larry

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It's really unfortunate that he had this accident, but it's from his own stupidity. :(


whats your problem? I hope nobody has any comments like that for me when I am permenantly in the sky. stupid biatch....


If you do something that someone thinks is stupid to end up there, I'm sure someone will say it.
it's like incest - you're substituting convenience for quality

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whats your problem? I hope nobody has any comments like that for me when I am permenantly in the sky. stupid biatch....



LOL! I think that qualifies as a 'personal attack'. OH NO!!!!'

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No Personal attacks, Flaming and Trolling.
Personal attacks and hate posts will not be tolerated in any forum. Personal attacks on another user are a great way to earn some time off, as is posting inflammatory material specifically to provoke a negative response from someone (aka trolling).

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An impromto hop up on the seat hardly qualifies as a storyboarded stunt. Stunt in this context is the same as saying a hook turn is a stunt.

Larry had some unusual and attractive bikes, his influence on garage builder is huge.



I wasn't there, but the first post said "stunt". I just assumed that meant "stunt".
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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You just do not know when to say when do you? Dam drop it by now would you please. This was a post about a friend and legend who died. This post was not ment to be all about you and your opinions. Thanks Tim


The Obit:
September 1, 2004
Indian Larry, Motorcycle Builder and Stunt Rider, Dies at 55
By WOLFGANG SAXON

Larry Desmedt, a New York-based custom motorcycle builder and biker better known nationally as Indian Larry, died on Monday in Charlotte, N.C., of injuries he suffered doing a stunt on Saturday at an appearance there. He was 55 and lived in the East Village.

His death was announced by Timothy White, a photographer and friend. He said Mr. Desmedt had gone to Charlotte for the filming of a new segment in a series shown on the Discovery Channel, "The Great Biker Build-Off."

Indian Larry, who had his workshop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was a legend among biking enthusiasts and other custom builders. He regarded his craft as a form of art and, Mr. White said, got his nickname from the classic brand of a motorcycle he rode years ago.

He had gone to Charlotte for the shooting on Saturday of an episode of "Biker Build-Off," in which he has successfully competed with other riders of custom-made two-wheelers. The accident happened afterward in a parking lot, with a crowd of thousands watching.

Mr. White said Indian Larry, wearing a protective suit but not a helmet, was standing on his bike as he went down the parking lot in a crowd-pleasing routine and may have been blinded by the sun; he fell and hit his head.

He died early Monday at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

Larry Desmedt was born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y. His wife, Bambi, and Mr. White described him as a lone wolf, who was a familiar figure to fans across the country but never joined a motorcycle gang. He was known among bikers as a metal sculptor and highly skilled mechanic.

His first motorbike was a 1939 Harley Knucklehead he bought for $200 when he was a teenager, he said in a Rolling Stone interview. Within hours, he had taken it apart, and it took him nine months to put it back together.

Later he went to California to apprentice himself to one of his heroes, the hot rod builder Ed (Big Daddy) Roth.

He spent a wild youth and was a frequent subject of his friend the photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who was attracted to his "crash and burn" way of life. But in 1991 he decided to become "the best chopper builder in the world,'' according to a autobiography scheduled for publication by Crown in 2005, and devoted himself to becoming what he called a motorcycle artist. His most famous motorcycle, called Grease Monkey, was named Easy Rider magazine's chopper of the year.

Besides his wife, a performer billed as Bambi the Mermaid of Coney Island, Mr. Desmedt leaves his mother, Dorothy Desmedt, and a sister, Tina Wells, both of Middletown, N.Y.

It was not a particularly dangerous maneuver he performed on Saturday, Bambi Desmedt said. "It was showing off, his way of blowing off steam after the bigger stunts," she added, "winding down."

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You just do not know when to say when do you? Dam drop it by now would you please. This was a post about a friend and legend who died. This post was not ment to be all about you and your opinions. Thanks Tim



What the hell are you talking about? I didn't say anything after your little comment, I just let the thread die, so I think you are the one who brought this thread back, not me. Moving on now.

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An impromto hop up on the seat hardly qualifies as a storyboarded stunt. Stunt in this context is the same as saying a hook turn is a stunt.

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***Larry Desmedt, a New York-based custom motorcycle builder and biker better known nationally as Indian Larry, died on Monday in Charlotte, N.C., of injuries he suffered doing a stunt

on Saturday at an appearance there. He was 55 and lived in the East Village.

His death was announced by Timothy White, a photographer and friend. He said Mr. Desmedt had gone to Charlotte for the
filming of a new segment in a series shown on the Discovery Channel "The Great Biker Build-Off."

Sounds like there might have been filming going on. :S And filming usually means storyboard. But then I wasn't there, were you?
My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

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Have you seen any of those "Bike Build-offs"? Its glorified reality TV. They follow someone around with a camera as they start the design, manufactoring, and final assembly of the bike. Then they follow the two bike builders as they cruise down the road and show up at the event together. Cut to a 2 minute segment showing people looking at the bikes, debating which is better and who they are going to vote for. Quick segment of them counting the votes, announcing a "winner" and then usually showing some of the activities and festivities of the event. They condense 30 days worth of building a bike into about 20 minutes. They thrive on things going wrong. Can't get it to turn over on first try? They'll spend 2-3 minutes on that but only give the hours and hours of work on the gas tank about 10 seconds of editing.

They frequently show things like drag racing, burn outs and other things as "stunts".

Larry was shown in one episode to be cruising down the highway and just do an imprompto hop up on his seat and do an iron cross pose for a bit before sitting back down.

Larry was probally one of the best at bikesurfing... but even the best have trouble some times.

I did hear he finally got a chance to do the Wall of Death this summer at Sturgis though and he was thrilled about it.
Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

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It's really unfortunate that he had this accident, but it's from his own stupidity. :(



Your comment is out of line.



Why's that? He was doing stunts without a helmet... you're telling me that was smart?



Your telling me that jumping out of an airplane is smart, with or without a helmet????

You do realize that can die jumping and still have done EVERYTHING right?

Your comment lackes reflection

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Ok, I've already stated in this thread that using the word "stupid" wasn't the best of choices, but I'll apologize again.

I'm sorry that my comments offended or upset anyone who read them. I could have been a lot more tacktful in the stating my opinion or simply not stated it at all. I realize that it made some people upset and for that I am sorry. I did not mean to cause a ruckus.

I hope you people can accpet my apology for not thinking before I wrote my opinon the way I did, but if not, that's fine too.

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While I respect Indian Larry's accomplishments and his passion for motorcycling I really think he exercised poor judgement as well. I have a friend that has been a professional motorcycle stunt man for as long as, if not longer than, Indian Larry and was saved on many occasions by his helmet and leathers.

LOL- I must be feeling froggy today but......

to ride with or without a helmet is (to me) like jumping. I jump with a helmet, ride my motorcycle with a helmet. But if you have an accident on a motorcycle non-riders aren't going to say. "Oh but at least he was wearing a helmet" Most are going to call you dumb for RIDING.

Yes he might still be here if he had worn a helmet but, better yet he sure would have been here if he hadn't gotten on the bike.

Once you step out of the norm (bike, scuba, flying, jumping) you have placed yourself in danger. He may have placed himself in more than YOU would by not wearing a helmet, but you already place yourself in more than 99% of the people by skydiving.

Maybe a neat way to say it is, don't throw bricks in a glass house!

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He was 55 and lived in the East Village.



***

Discovery had a replay of he & Billy Lane in the
Sturgis build off last night...
At the end it had a dedication...said he was born in 1955~
Which would make him...49,

Either way...too young!

Seemed like a neat guy, would have made a great jumper!










~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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