Like the ubiquitous, but iconic Coke bottle or a red ’63 Sting Ray split-window coupe, some shapes are designs for the ages. Whether it was trial and error, extreme talent or just honest luck, certain things have reached their zenith as far as their design goes. Basically, they just have such a purity of line that even mild modifications can have big ramifications. Along with the Coke bottle and the split-window, I’m going to chuck any motorcycle made by Indian Larry Motorcycles in lovely Brooklyn, New York into the mixs. I don’t know about you, but timeless is a word that I’d use to describe the blueprint laid down by the late, great Indian Larry and continued by Indian Larry Motorcycles today under the careful guidance of Bobby and Elisa Seeger.

  I don’t know about you, but I’ve gotta admit I loved every Discovery Channel Biker Build-Off episode in spite of all the craziness of trying to build a custom bike from supposedly nothing in one month. Later when they changed it to something like ten days, it did get a bit foolish and tedious, but it was still motorcycle TV and that was enough for me. One that sticks so well in my tiny brain was an early episode between Billy Lane and Indian Larry. Larry and a bunch of guys heated a 1.5-inch solid square tube of steel cherry red and twisted it back and forth, then forth and back, to make the mind-blowing twisted downtube featured on his bike he called Wild Child. It certainly was that.

   Bobby Seeger was not only a person employed at Indian Larry’s, but was a close friend of the man. Taking over a business of a legend and continuing it like nothing’s changed while turning out bikes Larry would be proud of to bear his name is not for the faint hearted. Luckily Bobby is more than up to the task and relishes the challenge without his own ego getting in the way and that makes him the man as far as I’m concerned. I don’t know the back story on this bike called Sweet Marissa other than it was named for the customer’s wife, but I’d guess it goes like this.

   A guy with good taste and few bucks loved Indian Larry’s bikes (who doesn’t?) especially the twisted downtube Wild Child. He already had a wife and now he wanted his own version of Wild Child so he told his wife, “I want to name it after you!” and she just folded like a deck of cards and said, “Sounds like a plan.” Well. Maybe it wasn’t exactly like that, but it’s one possible scenario. Either way, he got his bike and she had to share her name with it. You, owner of Sweet Marissa, are one smooth sucka.

    Work began on the frame just like time had stopped with having to make the twisted downtube that would be installed in the fabricated Softail (!) frame that was made up of one-inch, seamless DOM steel tubing. Frame dimensions are reasonable are far as riding goes with a 2.25-inch stretch up and a mild 30-degree rake for smooth and quick handling. A beefy inverted fork with the requisite Larry steering damper reaches out to a five-spoke mag wheel pretty much like Wild Child’s.

Dual disc brakes up front are again featured, but this time instead of just wheel-matching custom rotors, there’s the iconic Indian Larry Question Mark rotors that might look a bit silly on a Road King (I’m not suggesting), but look perfect here. More like jewelry than brake rotors. Same type of wheel and brake setup out back with nothing silly as far as wheel and tire sizes goes. Enough rubber for a good look and good handling, but not a lick that’s there just for the stylistic hell of it like so many custom builders at the time were caught up in.

   Bodywork on an Indian Larry-style bike is absolutely minimal, but what there is has to be perfect. Bobby copied the dished Wild Child tank to a tee and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a signature piece. The simple, round rear fender is an Indian Larry staple and to do anything else like a ducktail or whatever would be blasphemous. Same goes for the cylindrical oil tank mounted across the frame, but this time with a different look to the end caps from smooth to dished ─ nothing radical, just different.

   A radical philosophical transition took place when Sweet Marissa’s owner didn’t go the Wild Child route for power and who can blame him? In case you didn’t remember, the original engine was a combo of Harley-Davidson generator-style cases with a Shovelhead jug up front and a Panhead one in back and both fed by twin carbs. Maybe not the best choice for the customer for a multitude of reasons from money to maintenance and whatever else you got. Instead, a strong, but steadfast S&S 113-inch mill occupies the engine room and is ready to dish out serious power reliably.

   Bobby did keep some Wild Child features and trademarks like the magneto, the remote oil filter and a big and beefy open belt drive, but there were some practical and aesthetic changes made. Instead of a foot clutch and hand shifter, there’s a foot shifter and handlebar lever clutch that makes this just a bit easier to drive if not as much complicated fun. An industrial-sized chain final drive replaces the belt on Wild Child and I’m more than okay with that ─ I prefer it. The single carb’s gotta make life easier without any power loss especially trying to kickstart this beast. The exhausts are different and this is the second set on Sweet Marissa so maybe they’re not through finalizing that detail yet. Third time’s the charm they say, although I do like the aggressiveness of this latest version over the showiness of the first.

Either way, it’s cool.

   An Indian Larry bike without paint by Indian Larry friend and fan, Robert Pradke of Robert Pradke Custom Auto Design in Eastford, Connecticut, would be like that dreaded day without sunshine. He’s got his own style and he takes an Indian Larry bike to another dimension the same way Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard did way back in the day. There’s just a really likeable funkiness to Robert’s graphics that keeps it from being derivative or tired in any way. For instance, I’m so over flames of any type I can’t tell you. But, if those are flames on Sweet Marissa like I’m guessing, I’m back on board.

   Toss in all the chrome and shiny bits on the frame, engine, oil tank, forks, wheels, mini-apes, and headlight to showcase the paint and it’s a highly-finished look. Even with all the glitz and glamour popping out of this ride, it’s not pimpin’ in any way. It just looks right for an Indian Larry bike as they were always like truly rideable art objects to me. Our mystery owner has got a great bike, Sweet Marissa, for himself and he’s got a great wife, Marissa, for himself too. Doesn’t get much better than that.  

  For more info on Indian Larry Motorcycles, visit http://indianlarry.com/ or check out Facebook or whatever social media floats your boat.