Thunder Roads Magazine of Oklahoma/Arkansas December 2014 Issue 5 Volume 13 | Page 31

EVENTS

The Indian Larry Block Party was 100% all it
was cracked up to be. Chopper sensory overload!
Bikes I have seen in books, magazines, web, and
even TV were lined up in the streets for all to see
with no ropes, guards or no touching signs. They
were there for all to look over, photograph, and were
kind of clean, used and ridden, the way bikes are
meant to be. The highlight of the Block Party for me
was getting to walk around Indian Larry’s old shop
and see a lot of his personal bikes and tools. The
one I have wanted to see in person for years was
The Chain of Mystery bike. Parts of its frame and
front end were made by welding logging chain links
together. It was on a lift in the back of the shop next
to some dudes giving tattoos. That bike holds a lot
of significance for me as it was one of the last bikes
Indian Larry built but more importantly it was the first
time I was able to see CJ Allan and his engraving.
This led me on a different adventure of tracking CJ
down and heading to Kentucky to learn to engrave.
It is important to me to keep CJ’s style of engraving
alive. Seeing this one bike made the whole trip even
more special to me. Next stop, Brooklyn Invitational.
About 10 miles across town, we parked
outside of what would be a very cool event. The
Invitational was set up in an art gallery and was part
vendor booths and part motorcycle art gallery. They

rent out the gallery and set up the invited builders’
bikes like fine art. My kind of art g