Larry Desmedt
Encyclopedia
"Indian" Larry Desmedt was a noted bike builder, stuntman, and innovator in the world of custom motorcycles.
Indian Larry was born Larry Desmedt in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York.
He became interested in motorcycle
s at an early age, and became a fan of artist Kenny Howard (aka Von Dutch)
. He later moved to California
to apprentice under legendary hot rod builder and pop artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
.
and struggled with substance dependence
in his youth. He decided to leave his tumultuous early life behind and focus on his bike building talents. Desmedt founded the Gasoline Alley
custom motorcycle shop in New York City
in 1991. His "old school" choppers quickly won renown in the motorcycling world. The Coney Island Psychoholic Side Show debuted in Richmond, Va at Cycle Expo 1998, which featured English Don and The Coney Island characters The Pain Proof Rubber Girls, Combustible Kiva (Kiva Kahl
), Fred Kahl a.k.a. The Great Fredini, and Larry's soon-to-be wife, Bambi The Mermaid. This event spawned all the rest of the special appearances of the motorcycle customizers who came to be known as master builders, celebrity builders and feature builders at events across the United States
. No one ever came close to the character and quality or the public appeal of Indian Larry.
His motorcycle "Grease Monkey" was named Easyriders magazine's Chopper of the Year and he was a winner of three Discovery Channel
Bike Build Off Trophies. His second trophy was cut up and shared with his opponent Billy Lane and the audience, when he unexpectedly announced an exact draw after winning. His last build was the Chain of Mystery bike, in which the frame was made of welded tow chain. After his death another Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off
episode a tribute bike was built by his longtime partners, Paul Cox and Keino, Billy Lane and Kendall Johnson. Indian Larry is credited with re-popularizing the stripped down, tall handlebar, foot clutched, jockey shifted, no front brake or fender, small gas tank, open piped, kickstart only, stock rake choppers that prevailed in the 60s, before long front ends became popular.
One of his famous trademarks was a tattoo on his neck, just below his chin. It read, "In God We Trust - Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord - No Fear." The middle two lines were in reverse so that he could read them when looking in a mirror.
stunt at the "Liquid Steel Classic" and "Custom Bike Series" in Concord, North Carolina
on August 28, 2004. In the stunt, he was standing on the 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 Center
in Charlotte, North Carolina
, where he died on August 30, 2004 from the head injuries sustained in the mishap. Larry was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Two books were published on Indian Larry in 2006 including "Indian Larry: Chopper Shaman," by Dave Nichols with Andrea "Bambi" Cambridge
and photography by Michael Lichter as well as "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 called "Borderland Biker: ... in memory of Indian Larry and Doo Wop music" written by Derrel Whitemyer who dedicates the book to Indian Larry. The David Mann
bike episode of American Chopper
was also dedicated to Indian Larry in addition to Mann himself.
Indian Larry was born Larry Desmedt in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York.
He became interested in motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s at an early age, and became a fan of artist Kenny Howard (aka Von Dutch)
Kenny Howard
Kenneth Robert Howard , also known as Dutch, Von Dutch, or J. L. Bachs , was a motorcycle mechanic, artist, pinstriper, metal fabricator, knifemaker and gunsmith...
. He later moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to apprentice under legendary hot rod builder and pop artist Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Ed Roth
"Big Daddy" Ed Roth was an artist, cartoonist, custom car painter, and pinstriper who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink and other extreme characters. As a custom car builder, Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot-rod movement of the late 50's and 1960's...
.
Early life and building bikes
Desmedt was convicted of bank robberyBank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
and struggled with substance dependence
Substance dependence
The section about substance dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not use the word addiction at all. It explains:...
in his youth. He decided to leave his tumultuous early life behind and focus on his bike building talents. Desmedt founded the Gasoline Alley
Gasoline Alley
Gasoline Alley is a comic strip created by Frank King and currently distributed by Tribune Media Services. First published November 24, 1918, it is the second longest running comic strip in the US and has received critical accolades for its influential innovations...
custom motorcycle shop in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1991. His "old school" choppers quickly won renown in the motorcycling world. The Coney Island Psychoholic Side Show debuted in Richmond, Va at Cycle Expo 1998, which featured English Don and The Coney Island characters The Pain Proof Rubber Girls, Combustible Kiva (Kiva Kahl
Kiva Kahl
Kiva Kahl was born in Russia and is primarily known for her stage persona, Grinder Girl, in which she dresses in a metallic outfit and uses an angle grinder to spray sparks into the air, onto herself, and onto others. Kahl has appeared on stage in North America, Europe, and Asia. She also...
), Fred Kahl a.k.a. The Great Fredini, and Larry's soon-to-be wife, Bambi The Mermaid. This event spawned all the rest of the special appearances of the motorcycle customizers who came to be known as master builders, celebrity builders and feature builders at events across the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. No one ever came close to the character and quality or the public appeal of Indian Larry.
His motorcycle "Grease Monkey" was named Easyriders magazine's Chopper of the Year and he was a winner of three Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
Bike Build Off Trophies. His second trophy was cut up and shared with his opponent Billy Lane and the audience, when he unexpectedly announced an exact draw after winning. His last build was the Chain of Mystery bike, in which the frame was made of welded tow chain. After his death another Discovery Channel's Biker Build-Off
Biker Build-Off
Biker Build-Off is a reality television series for the Discovery Channel. Created and narrated by Thom Beers, the series was originally conceived as a single special called The Great Biker Build-Off...
episode a tribute bike was built by his longtime partners, Paul Cox and Keino, Billy Lane and Kendall Johnson. Indian Larry is credited with re-popularizing the stripped down, tall handlebar, foot clutched, jockey shifted, no front brake or fender, small gas tank, open piped, kickstart only, stock rake choppers that prevailed in the 60s, before long front ends became popular.
Films
Indian Larry was also an accomplished stuntman and actor. Desmedt played himself in the film Rocket's Red Glare. He performed stunts for the films Quiz Show, Muscle Machine, My Mother's Dream, and 200 Cigarettes. He also appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.One of his famous trademarks was a tattoo on his neck, just below his chin. It read, "In God We Trust - Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord - No Fear." The middle two lines were in reverse so that he could read them when looking in a mirror.
Death
Indian Larry was performing a motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
stunt at the "Liquid Steel Classic" and "Custom Bike Series" in Concord, North Carolina
Concord, North Carolina
Concord is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. According to Census 2010, the city has a current population of 79,066. It is the largest city in Cabarrus County and is the county seat. In terms of population, the city of Concord is the second largest city in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area...
on August 28, 2004. In the stunt, he was standing on the moving motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
. As the stunt progressed the bike began to wobble
Speed wobble
Wobble, shimmy, tank-slapper, speed wobble, and even death wobble are all words and phrases used to describe a quick oscillation of primarily just the steerable wheel of a vehicle. Initially, the rest of the vehicle remains mostly unaffected, until translated into a vehicle yaw oscillation of...
out of control and he was thrown from the motorcycle, sustaining serious head injuries. He was then taken to the Carolinas Medical Center
Carolinas Medical Center
Carolinas Medical Center is a large, public, non-profit hospital located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The hospital was organized in 1940 as Charlotte Memorial Hospital on Blythe Boulevard in the Dilworth neighborhood. Since that time, the hospital has undergone several major expansions and...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, where he died on August 30, 2004 from the head injuries sustained in the mishap. Larry was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
Two books were published on Indian Larry in 2006 including "Indian Larry: Chopper Shaman," by Dave Nichols with Andrea "Bambi" Cambridge
and photography by Michael Lichter as well as "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 called "Borderland Biker: ... in memory of Indian Larry and Doo Wop music" written by Derrel Whitemyer who dedicates the book to Indian Larry. The David Mann
David Mann
David Mann is the name of:*David Mann , American stage actor*David Mann , British molecular biologist at Imperial College London*David Mann , American artist...
bike episode of American Chopper
American Chopper
American Chopper is a reality television series that airs on Discovery Channel, produced by Pilgrim Films & Television. The series centers on Paul Teutul, Sr. and his son Paul Teutul, Jr. , who manufacture custom motorcycles. Orange County Choppers is in Newburgh, New York...
was also dedicated to Indian Larry in addition to Mann himself.