cbxdog memorial fund - final total donation is $3783.44!

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 12:45 am

This sure sucks. And I barely knew the guy. But I enjoyed our interactions here on the 'F-orum, he was a hell of an 'F-orum member - always helpful and insightful.

One way that Larry affected me in a positive way, was how he did that sandwich style deep-sump mod on his bike before I'd even shown proof that it would work. I was in a pretty dismal place having lost everything in that fire, thinking maybe I'd just been wasting my time turning a perfectly good bike into a pile of chopped-up parts. I might not even have gone forward with a replacement bike heck I was ready to just give up, roll over and ... as the Townes Van Sant song sez - "Waiting Around To Die". And then I look one day and realize that here's somebody who thought I was onto something. Somebody whom I looked up to no less.

"Praise from Caesar" as they say. 'Cause let's face it, Larry really knew his stuff!

So yeah that was pretty instrumental in helping me get my head back together, and move forward on my bike project.

And now I've been diggin' deeper seeing all of the other folks whom Larry helped out with the bikes, often far and away above the call of duty.

And how he rode around in jeans and a t-shirt like an invincible 20-something. Too cool.

You get a sense that he loved riding and loved to share that feeling with anybody else who would jump onboard. An Evangelist for the enjoyment & appreciation for the Honda CBX & DOHC-four machines which we've all enjoyed so much.

You'd have to already be INTO this stuff to appreciate it, but ... that's just a very lovely sentiment. To experience all of this awesome stuff and rather than just ... hoard it all for one's self, to share it with others and help others to get out there and enjoy the fresh air at ram-jet inhalation velocities.....

This place is gonna be somewhat impoverished without Larry "cbxdog" Conlin. I only hope that the rest of us can feel inspired by his way of doing things, and pick up the slack where he left off.

-Sigh.

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 1:04 am

edit

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 2:55 am

Hey um - in contemplating what sort of medical bills might be rolling down the pipe as I type this - There's something else that comes to mind.

And I only hope that it doesn't come across the wrong way. Please understand, there's nothing whatsoever that I'm coveting right now - (nothing of LARRY'S anyhow ha-ha) so this doesn't even come from a place of "enlightened self-interest"!

Please understand this as more of a "how can we raise more money?" rather than "who gets all of his stuff?" - And I hope nobody's offended. I don't mean for this to come off sounding so crass.

But it strikes me that if we're passing the hat for Larry's family, at SOME point, MAYBE - they might wish to farm out some of his stuff. I mean, I would hope that he's left more than enough bikes for any & all of his kids to ride, for his wife Chris to enjoy in his memory.

But I'm also thinking principally of the other myriad & sundry spares which his family might have no clue wtf to DO with.

So what I'm suggesting is that if and when such a question arises, that everybody could come together to make sure that Larry's people get everything possible from anything they decide to part with.

And that all of it gets used for a good purpose, too. And that he's remembered and honored in so doing.

For instance - let's say if his wife DID decide to sell off one of his bikes. And let's say that the market doesn't look that good for a sale.

SO - here goes, what the hell - several years ago I suggested that we should put together some type of RAFFLE - at the time, I was thinking of all the CB1100F's out there which were getting torn apart on eBay for lack of a few key components. At the time I was thinking we might even see to it that such bikes be fixed up and put in good working order, IF the raffle warrants going to the time and expense. That way you'd know the things wouldn't wind up back on eBay getting torn down, with probably half of the base components going to scrap metal down the road a ways.

I looked into it, and there are ways to set up a not-for-profit society, assigning a couple of board members, making a valid thing of it - seeing as we already ARE a "CB1100F appreciation & preservation society" heck it even says so in the site's "charter" or whatever. I still think it's a pretty damn good idea for those rugged neglected bikes out there. Of course, there's some question of organizing the SAME raffle and the SAME not-for-profit society across several international boundaries. Also, another caveat is that I asked an expert in Canadian not-for-profit stuff, and you have to state a deadline, at least you do here in Canada. It was my hope that a raffle date could be delayed until a certain cash amount had been raised, say - ten grand worth of tickets etc. Apparently that's a problem. But perhaps a date could be delayed a long time, but once the tickets all sold the draw could be bumped up earlier. Just a thought. And folks from outside the States could get somebody to proxy for them. And a surcharge on over-seas tickets could pay for shipment and ancillaries etc.

But yeah - maybe tis way, it could be ensured that Larry's family doesn't get short-changed IF and/or when such thing were to occur.

That way, even those who didn't know him & care about him, could find it in their hearts to dig deep and purchase say, a $50 raffle ticket. Or any other denomination that seems appropriate. It could be decided upon by taking a site-wide poll of who would commit to purchasing a raffle ticket & how many. Maybe we could find a way to send out an e-mail to any & all site members even the long inactive ones, get as many people's attention, and hopefully put something special in the hands of an enthusiastic young rider while at the same time raising MORE than the bike(s) themselves are worth.

Because I've seen this kind of thing happen in the past, where the best the loved-ones can hope for is that the person's things will go to somebody who would APPRECIATE them. And when it's left to market forces, even the best intentioned person can't muster appropriate compensation.

Whaddya think, 'F-ellas? And only IF there's stuff that his family shouldn't keep to ride down the road - I'm not even sure who all he's left behind other than his wife. It would be nice to think he's got a Daughter like mine, who would jump on a DOHC bike in a heart-beat, and who's young enough to carry the torch forward for ANOTHER 35-36-37yrs.

But if that's not the case - let's say somebody's gonna wind up purchasing one of cbxdog's bikes for a lot less then it's worth.

Well why not let it be for a LOT less than it's worth? Like the price of a raffle ticket? And at the same time, his family is better taken care of than otherwise.

It's obviously not a WIN for anybody, so I won't call it a "win-win".

But then - who of us wants to see our bikes BURIED with us? Maybe in some type of mausoleum, perfectly preserved with light sewing-machine oil throughout the fuel and lubrication systems, sealed in a low-oxygen environment, with a storage tank of all needed fuels in a ready-to-mix configuration, and tires somehow swathed and sealed in a bathing of emollient lotions to preserve their freshness. Such that some distant day, it could be pulled out of mothballs and ridden into battle with the Alien armada - with my skull perched atop the headlight bucket....

No - I want my bike to go to the youngster. Wanna be around to see her race in the AHRMA circuit with the thing. Win a few trophies. Maybe THEN I can go willingly into that good night.

So I think it's safe to say that's something in the ballpark area of what Larry wanted.

Just thought I should put it out there, 'cause IF or when such a situation presents itself, there should be a group of people organized and ready to tackle the task of raising those funds.

Of course, I'd rather see his wife keep the BIKES. Take 'em out in turns, ride the damn wheels off the things. And if there bill collectors at the door, tell 'em to go to hell. Then go for a ride!

What I don't wanna see happen, is some profiteer VULTURE come along in a short while, pay pennies on the dollar for Larry's bikes, then tear 'em down to sell 'em piecemeal on eBay etc.

Not bloody likely, not in this particular instance, not with his circle of friends keeping in touch with his family. But it's something to watch out for nevertheless!

-Sigh.

Post Script:

And on another note - I don't know if he's got any unfinished projects? Perhaps it could be organized that any such projects be COMPLETED, based on any notes or posts for that matter, which he might have left pertaining to such things?

I'd like to think, if something were to happen to ME, that any of the crap I've got laying around could be assembled - ideally by the kid herself IF she could be persuaded to pick up a wrench .... argh ... but yeah, YOU guys have heard what all I've said about the project. What all is kicking around and what it's meant for. I only wish for my projects to be completed, to flesh out my little vision ... re-sale value be damned.

POST-Post-Script:
_{((('Cause let's face it, MY kid would spend any money I left for her on some type of HIPPIE crap. Meditation crystals type of stuff. In particular - Now, I've never objected to her obsession with travel before, but her current plans are to go to INDIA - okay well enough - but she wants to go to GOA India, and "find herself" type of thing, gonna join a friggin' ashram for all I know, give all of her material possessions to Bwagwan Shri Rashneesh or worse still, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, weave baskets for sale to the tourists. I've tried to get her to watch Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Beach" but her & her Hippie boyfriend have written their travel-plans in stone. To go over there and learn how to do Tai Chi while drinking Chai Tea (as if they're not already experts by now) - And me well, I narrowly escaped a Hippie UPBRINGING, so this doesn't sit too well with me. It's as though ... imagine some gay refugees escaped the fundamentalist compound & got married in San Francisco, raised a kid, and then that kid went back to Utah and joined the fundamentalist cult their mom & mom or dad & dad had fled from in the first place. Except that my Ex was from a wealthy suburbanite family, daughter of an Nth-degree MASON, who discovered the hippie lifestyle in a women's studies 101 textbook when she got to college. Other than THAT small detail, it's more or less the same story.)))

COUGH. Which is to say, in MY case - I'm really probably worth more dead than alive, so there's no question of "what would they do without him" - so in MY case, it's all about the BIKE. Gonna have to write something in my will to be certain that the kid doesn't let any of her irresponsible Hippie friends ride the bike, crash it 'cause their bead necklaces & blonde dreadlocks got all tangled up on the handlebars.....

Just ... please make sure the bike gets finished, and that the kid is FORCED to ride the thing. And ONLY the kid gets to ride it. Resale value be damned!}

Which is to say, everybody's shituation is different. Don't wanna make assumptions. Just wanna be HELPFUL is all.

Hawk Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 439 Location: Chicago

Sigh,

I think your mind and heart are at a totally different place than every other member on this forum....at least in my mind....

E

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 4:07 am

Erock wrote:

I think your mind and heart are at a totally different place than every other member on this forum....at least in my mind....

+1, tl;dr

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 5:13 am

funds (check) sent directly to Chris. I hope she got it.
I wish I had the opportunity to have met Larry.

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 6:23 pm

bobcat7 wrote:

funds (check) sent directly to Chris. I hope she got it.
I wish I had the opportunity to have met Larry.

Bobcat, I'll check with her.

Sigh, I'll be helping Chris with taking care of things. Stay tuned, I'll try to get a few minutes with her to discuss her desires wrt Larrys bikes/parts, etc., tomorrow.

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 8:42 pm

SoyBoySigh wrote:

And I only hope that it doesn't come across the wrong way. Please understand, there's nothing whatsoever that I'm coveting right now - (nothing of LARRY'S anyhow ha-ha) so this doesn't even come from a place of "enlightened self-interest"!

Please understand this as more of a "how can we raise more money?" rather than "who gets all of his stuff?" - And I hope nobody's offended. I don't mean for this to come off sounding so crass.

Guess what....fail.

Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 9:11 pm

Sigh,

I get what you're saying. I've seen other people who have passed get help with the sale of bikes and parts.

Survivors frequently don't know the value of, or the process, to clear out what people leave behind.

cliffiec wrote:

Sigh, I'll be helping Chris with taking care of things. Stay tuned, I'll try to get a few minutes with her to discuss her desires wrt Larrys bikes/parts, etc., tomorrow.

Good on ya, sir.

Bill

Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 4:44 pm

So, I flew into Detroit, rented a car, and drove to the house. I met Chris, and MANY friends of Larrys. We got acquainted, and then rode to his favorite watering hole, where the Hearse was parked. What a beautiful Machine! After milling about for about a half hour telling stories, we had a quick briefing with the Police Escort, and rode back to the house. Since I hadn't brought any gear (traveling on an airplane with gear is a Royal PITA) I told people I was riding "Larry Style", not even a set of gloves.

As the procession arrived at the house we were joined by our buddy 1100Russ.

The casket pictures show Larry being brought into the house, where he spent one more night at home with Chris.

Vaya Con Dios, CBXdog!

Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:23 pm

RIP Larry

Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:27 pm

Took off for Larry's about 8:15 am. Mid 40's. Jumped on the ST and rolled. Shoulda drove....... Stopped for breakfast at Waffle House. This was in the parking lot when I left. Figured captain and the other Mopar guys would get a kick out of it. RT Hemi Charger w/4 speed. Sweet.

It was a cold ride. Stopped at another WH for some hot tea and saw I was right across the street from the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum. Didn't go in but this was out front. Pretty cool.

Here's what is was for. Sound familiar?

Anyway, after dodging a deer that got hit right in front of me on US 30/I 469 I pulled up to Larry's street just as the procession went by. Pulled in behind the police cruiser that was following (one in front also). Parked, took some pics, found Rick (cliffec), and went in to see Larry. Lotsa bikes/people. Larry was a well liked Dude. And not just here....

Only F that was there. Figured I'd show it. The pod haters will love this. Had 2 clothespins holding the choke partially closed lol. 750 with 1100 wheels and a sidewinder.

And finally our gracious host, Chris, Larry's wife. What a sweet lady. Kept her composure well until I asked her for this pic. Keep her in your prayers.

RIP Larry. Keep the rubber side down and the wind on your knees my friend.

Posted: Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:06 pm

So wonderful to see but a sad time for many.

As I live so far away the only thing I can do is pay my respects here and add to what has already been said and I wish it wasn't so but.
Goodbye Larry, you were/are a person I respected and only wished good things for. May Chris's pain ease in time and hers (and our) memory of Larry be positive.

Good people are always missed and Larry is now one of them.

Captain

Hawk Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 439 Location: Chicago

God Bless Larry...Rest in Peace..
Forever in our heart and memories....

E

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 12:31 am

Just thought of this. Here's the memorial program....

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:37 am

Larry will be missed for sure, but those of use who knew him personally will never forget him. His spirit lives on in each of us and we're all better off having known him.

See you on the other side Larry.

Tom

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:49 am

+1 Tom....not only does his spirit live on in us but for many of us, me especially, our bikes are filled with goodies and unobtanium parts that came from him. Ride on big brother and I'll catch ya when I catch ya....

Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2015 6:46 am

Thank you for sharing these pictures. Adds some closure to the whole sad nature of this. I am glad I was able to meet him before this happened.

R.I.P. Larry

Dave

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 6:10 pm

Great photos.....very nice wake.
Would anyone be willing to send a scan of the program? I would like to have one......
You can E-mail me at Jebbysan@hotmail.com

Jebby

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 7:56 pm

Later tonight Jeb. Call me and remind me.

Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 9:14 am

Thank you Russ...

Jebby

Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2015 8:18 pm

Your welcome dude.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 2:45 am

Here's a really nice photo montage put together by Chris's son. There are a lot of great pictures of Larry.

Link

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 2:57 am

Very cool, thanks for posting, Tom!

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 4:14 am

Thanks Tom......not a day goes by I don't think about him.....it's hard not to cuz the gold Boomies on the wall in the shop came from him....they are going on next years project....a special one.....

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:33 pm

That was difficult and wonderful to watch at the same time.
Thanks for the link, Tom.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 12:57 pm

A very nice tribute.

I feel cheated that I never met him in person.

J.R.

Posted: Fri Dec 18, 2015 1:18 pm

Thanks Tom.

Hawk Joined: Jan 10, 2012 Posts: 439 Location: Chicago

Thanks for posting Tom...

E

Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 2:53 pm

Good Stuff!