CBXDog In ICU - 10/28/15 Update

Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 6:17 pm

I am just learning about this now as I don't frequent the forums every day. I have had correspondence with him and bought some things. I am saddened and it is a shock. So vulnerable and fragile. My condolences to his family and friends. A great guy.

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 12:13 am

Just got caught up, so sorry to hear that Larry has passed away, rest in peace Larry. Deepest condolences to his partner Chris.

MB-5 Joined: Mar 07, 2007 Posts: 2

Wow, just tuning in - this is terrible news to hear... Larry was just a great human being... honest, genuine and a true believer in the golden rule. Always a good guy to deal with whether buying or selling. I will miss him greatly. Godspeed my friend. JimZ

Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2015 1:11 am

I am honored to have met him last May at the ride in Saratoga Springs. I wish him well on his next adventure, and may the roads be endless.

Rest in peace Larry.

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 1:09 pm

I haven't been to the site for a long time. I came back to find this. It made me quite sad. I read all seven pages. I never met Larry. Thanks to everyone who posted your thoughts and experiences with him. Many of them made me smile. I'm thankful for the positive additions to the site Larry made while he was here!

Cheers Larry!
Nich

Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2015 8:51 pm

I haven't been on here in a while. This beyond sad. Larry was a special guy. We lost a really good one. Crying or Very sad

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 6:18 pm

This is very sad. I've gotta admit I broke down when I read the bit about putting a throttle in his hand. Larry & Chris must've had something really special. It made me think back on some pretty fantastic women in my own life, who nevertheless didn't "get it" ... when I was in a hospital bed, the only thing they tried to do with my hand was ... well never mind. The point being, they were often a real pain in the ass vis-à-vis the bike thing. So reading details like that, it seems that here we have yet another kindred spirit, not only in Larry "cbxdog" Collins, but in his wife as well.

I'm sure that everybody here has enjoyed interacting with Larry. I never met him personally - heck I haven't met ANY of you guys. Yet. Larry was certainly one person I looked forward to meeting when the bike's done and I take it Down East. I guess I've procrastinated too long.

But Larry did have a positive affect on me even just via this 'F-orum.

When he used the sandwich-style deep sump idea on his bike, it was solid validation that I wasn't just wasting my time turning a perfectly good bike into a pile of chopped-up hunks of metal. "Praise From Caesar" as they say. And I was in a pretty dark place at that point, having just lost that whole project in that house-fire. I can honestly say that this was one of the three maybe two things which encouraged me to pick up the pieces and move forward with ... well with myself! I don't think I even had pictures up at that time, so he must've dug through all the stream-of-consciousness crap I typed about it. Well, it was pretty uplifting to say the least.

(And I was relieved to hear that the deep-sump mod had nothing to do with his passing! Phew....)

I enjoyed reading what he had to say on the non-bike sections of the 'F-orum too - He had a lot more energy than I could ever muster, for arguments about politics, current affairs, etc. And he had a good head on his shoulders, which I guess is the point I'm trying to make. Always progressive, pro-active and pro-HUMAN.

It's really cool that some small pieces of him will live on, not only in the physical sense but in the spirit of his generosity. We should all get out our organ donor cards and sign 'em, if you haven't already.

If I can weigh in on the nature of his injury - I had another friend here another Superbike-Nut, whom I lost a couple years back, who suffered a very traumatic brain injury and craniotomy, several decades prior to meeting him - and who had made that one-in-a-million recovery. I got to know him at a time when his recovery was finally coming together, and before he died I saw his mental faculties return to the point that he was quite possibly the smartest and wisest person I knew. And both of us being chronic pain patients, we spoke at length about the life changes brought this all had about. Much as Tatcho would admit his profound gratitude for the things he'd experienced since recovering, he often said that it would've been better if they had left him on the operating table. And the more I argued with him about it, he'd simply say that I didn't understand the depth, breadth and length of suffering he'd gone through over several decades after the surgery. I'd certainly seen the man suffer, but that's not even the stuff he was talking about. Not even the way that personality changes wrought by damages to the right-frontal lobe had derailed all of his relationships (though he and his wife did reconcile and get back together in the last couple of years he had) or behavioural issues brought about by similar stuff, or the years in some of the worst institutions or the local ambulance staff at one time labelling him "the red devil" - he was talking only of the physical pain itself which lingered right through to the end.

ANYWAY - Enough about Tatcho.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that even the best of recoveries from traumatic brain injury can be a hellish experience for a person to go through. And in that light -

At least Larry didn't suffer any worse than he did. That if he were fated to die from this accident, that at least it weren't drawn out any longer than it was. And he's at peace.

It's cool to put a face to the name! Watching the vid links and seeing him on the bike, I can identify with the way he insisted on riding in jeans and a t-shirt. Or at least, that's what I was like in my early 20s! Ha-ha. Obviously, here was a man who kept himself young at heart.

And yet to see how he went out of his way to help others enjoy riding too, putting others ahead of even his own ride with the "North-East 'F-ers" - That's a pretty rare & noble quality.

So too with the time he's spent here on the 'F-orum. Many of us can speak to how the site has helped ourselves personally. But few can speak to having spent many many long hours fielding questions, guiding the youngsters & other noobs through the process, all with an eye toward sharing the experience with strangers whom you might never meet. Heck, I've gotta confess that I picture myself no longer having a computer once my bike is finished!

Going through the site last night, I scratched the surface of what all Larry did for others here, the time and effort he spent to scrounge and keepsake the parts & components vital to both basic operation and sporty performance enhancement - for OTHER people's bikes. One gets a sense that he was cultivating in all of us, that same joy and sense of youth that he himself enjoyed through these bikes - not so much a preservation of the machines themselves but the experience taking root the stirring in other people's souls.

It brings to mind that line about civilization, about old men planting trees of which they'll never know the fruits.

Here's something for us all to watch and think about Larry - "The Man Who Planted Trees":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_7yEPNUXsU

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_7yEPNUXsU[/youtube]

-Sigh.

Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 8:29 pm

sad news...Rest in Peace Larry.

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 4:37 am

Wow sorry for my belated post here. I didn't know him personally but did talk with him and exchanged parts with him. My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. Sad news.

Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 7:15 pm

So sad. Rest in peace and Godspeed brother.

Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2016 6:02 pm

Just learned about Larry's passing while Toddk was here at my house. Still in shock and sickend. WTF?
My condolences go out to Larry's family. As many others here, Larry hooked me up with more then a few CBF parts I regret I was never at the NE ride with him.
Larry and I had many "spirited" political conversations both on line and off. We did not agree on many things but always remained respectful to each others opinions.
We also talked about our Harley's and the different lifestyle that is connected with them, I will miss him..God speed Larry.

Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:50 pm

Well shit! I've been away from this site for quite a while due to conflicting interests, needs, projects, etc. I bought my current 1100 from Larry years ago. After conversing through this site we decided to meet halfway in Indianapolis and make the deal. After that we stayed in touch off and on. Larry was a hell of a guy and I am so, so sad to hear of his passing.

Hawk Joined: Aug 20, 2009 Posts: 351 Location: Indiana

It's been some time since I've posted here and with life and everything else I must admit I put it on the backburner and so my motorcycle needs my TLC once again.

This is, however the first thread I searched for as when I think of CB1100F.net I think of Larry. In doing so I'm sad he's no longer apart of that journey with all of us (at least in the physical form.) Just wanted to share and pay my respects once again. He is surely not forgotten in my heart.

I didn't want this to be a thread hijack. I get in my feelings sometimes and just want everyone here to know that I appreciate you all! Coming back and reading up all of these stories (for rides I really, really, wanted to go to) and positive things said about Larry just goes to show I wasn't the only one who thought he was a pretty cool dude. I've always thought I have an old soul but I am older now than when I joined up here and one thing I'm learning is that no matter how good of a person you are, death does not discriminate. Life is too precious and can end way too soon.

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:17 pm

Bump for Bobcat...

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2020 2:30 pm

I still think of Larry often. I scattered some of his ashes at both ends of one of my favorite roads, so I always think of him when I take a rip on it. Plus the blue RMI is a tribute build that has many parts on it from him.

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2020 4:54 am

cliffiec wrote:

Bump for Bobcat...

thanks Rick. I was thinking more of the humorous but endearing
site cover photos shown in his honor for a time instead featured
bike photos. those were priceless. 4 as I recall. joyful memories.