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Stunt horror kills
B'klyn biker hero

Fans & TV viewers the world over mourn daredevil

BY MICHELE McPHEE
DAILY NEWS POLICE BUREAU CHIEF

*Custom motorcyle designer 'Indian Larry' Desmedt, shown in his
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, shop Gasoline Alley, died Monday at 55 when he
wiped out at a show in North Carolina performing stunt in which he stood
on seat of his speeding chopper. *

A legendary motorcyclist whose Brooklyn chopper shop rode to fame on the
Discovery Channel has died after a stunt he was performing went awry.

Larry Desmedt, 55, known as "Indian Larry," died Monday from injuries he
suffered doing one of his signature stunts - standing up on his moving
bike - at a show in Charlotte, N.C.

"In the motorcycle world, this is like Elvis died," Desmedt's friend
Bobby Seeger said. "We are getting hundreds of calls, faxes, from all
over the world."

Mourners created a shrine of candles, cards and flowers outside
Desmedt's Williamsburg shop, Gasoline Alley, yesterday.

A custom bike designer and builder, Desmedt was a regular in movies and
on TV, where his work was featured on the Discovery Channel's reality
show "Biker Build-Off."

He had been sober for five years, and his friends called him
instrumental in helping alcoholics and addicts.

On Saturday, Desmedt was wowing 8,000 fans with the stunt that made him
famous as a young man - jumping on his "Grease Monkey" motorcycle and
riding as he stood up with his arms outstretched.

The tattoo-covered stunt man and sculptor had just ridden through a
tunnel of flames, a feat similar to one he performed on David
Letterman's TV show.

But this time something went wrong, said Seeger, who created a clothing
line for Gasoline Alley and was among the spectators at the Liquid Steel
Classic and Custom Bike show.

"The bike went the left, Larry fell to the right. He was so wound up to
entertain everyone, and exhausted at the same time. He didn't take a
break after going through the flames. There were thousands of fans
cheering him on, so instead of taking a break, he jumped on the other
bike and kept going," Seeger said.

Seeger was standing near Desmedt's wife, Bambi, when the stunt went
terribly wrong.

Desmedt will be memorialized at Gasoline Alley on Sept. 19, Seeger said.
His family is asking that donations be made to the National Council on
Alcoholism, in lieu of flowers.

*Originally published on September 1, 2004*

All contents (c) 2004 Daily News, L.P.