Indian Larry

Text & Photo: Oda

On the day 15 years after the unfortunate crash that ended Indian Larry's life, I was in New York City. Then I thought I would take the opportunity to visit their new store in Brooklyn. But shit it was not simple or easy to find it. We took a water taxi to the nearest pier and looked for the right neighborhood.

And there we finally had to ask ourselves because their store was a bit neutral (no flashy neon signs). But once we found out, it turned out that they were closed for lunch. And it would also turn out that the whole gang was out of town at an event. But since they share locations with Genuine Motorworks, we get in and got some pix’s at the store.

But it was not easy to get in with a wheelchair. There were x number of steps so we took the back road on the other side of the block. Then we realized that it was clearly much bigger than their old place. The whole place breathes and is a dream for a biker. A little different from the shops on the nice street. For those of you who missed the story of Indian Larry, we'll take it again:

Indian Larry died on August 30, 2004 while doing stunts on his bike.

Indian Larry was inspired by motorcycle clubs from the 50's and 60's, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and the legendary Von Dutch. The skilled mechanic, metal sculptor and master motorcycle builder won numerous bike shows, including the hugely popular Discovery Channel "Biker Build-Off series".

He had also competed in motorcycle racing and had his origins in the hard-core motorcycle style - a mix between classic Choppers and Hot Rod race bikes. Indian Larry's resume included film, video, television, and various magazines. His eccentric character combined with a unique and colorful lifestyle gathered a lot of interest from the media, which also gave him a fanatical crowd of fans.

He got the name Indian Larry in the 80's when he rode around in his chopped Indian on the streets of New York. And his special building style lives on. The legacy of him is managed by Bobby and Elisa Seeger, who have continued with Indian Larry Motorcycles in Brooklyn, New York. If you want to know more about him, there are several books published and if you are lucky you can find them online….