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Chain-Frame Motorcycle, Indian Larry’s Last Build, Needs an Owner to License It

A bike frame made almost entirely from chain links. This pretty much sums up this 2004 custom bike designed and assembled by a legend builder that came to be known as Indian Larry.
Indian Larry Chain of Mystery 12 photos
Photo: Mecum
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Ridden by Larry himself from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was expected to make another appearance in Discovery’s Biker Build-Off back in 2004, the Chain of Mystery tried and proved something no other bike managed to do before: that chains can be used, safely, to form the frame of a motorcycle.

Larry used tow chains for the job, which he welded together to form the skeleton of the bike. He then fitted inside a 103ci engine, and in this hardware combination the man was able to ride at times at speeds of 100 mph (160 kph) during his voyage.

But just because it can, it doesn’t mean the bike is allowed to ride on public roads. Indian Larry died in 2004, just after the bike was completed, but before he was able to register it. That means in the current state of affairs it is illegal to ride it on public roads.

And for reasons unknown, Indian Larry's family can't have the bike "titled, registered or licensed for public road use.” But a new owner just might have the ability to pull it off.

So the Chain of Mystery bike by Indian Larry is going under the hammer this Saturday in Las Vegas, as part of the Mecum motorcycle auction there. There’s no estimate as to how much the bike is likely to fetch, but the sellers are adamant about the new owner being able to get it ready, legally speaking, for road use.

“The Chain of Mystery is a historic and important motorcycle, and it’s a moving piece of history for fans of Indian Larry. This is a unique opportunity, as this machine has never been for sale, but his family feels the time has come to share Larry’s legacy and offer this amazing motorcycle to the world,” the posting on Mecum’s website reads.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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