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The Crocker Motorcycle Company was an American manufacturer of single-cylinder speedway racing motorcycles from 1932, powerful V-twin road motorcycles from 1936, and the "Scootabout," one of the first modern styled motor scooters, in the late 1930s. Production ceased in 1942. Motorcycle speedway, normally referred to as Speedway, is a motorcycle sport that involves usually 4 and sometimes up to 6 riders competing over 4 laps of an oval circuit. ...
For other uses, see Motorcycle (disambiguation). ...
Honda 90° transversely mounted V-twin A V-twin is a two cylinder internal combustion engine where the cylinders are arranged in a V configuration. ...
A typical mid 1980s twist and go scooter. ...
In 1999 a new corporation was formed to manufacture replica parts, and now produces complete Crockers in kit form, following the original specifications.
The original Crockers
This 1941 Crocker sold for $230,000 at auction in 2007 Over 30 speedway motorcycles were produced before Al Crocker shifted his interest to creating a V-twin road machine that would out perform anything seen on the road. The first V-twin entry for Crocker had a 61 in³ (1,000 cc) "Hemi Head" producing 55-60hp, far exceeding the horse power produced by both the Indian and Harley of the day (38-40hp). Many Crockers were manufactured to order and the largest of them were known to have had a 91+ cubic inch engine (about 1,491 cc), and was the largest-capacity "production" motorcycle until the Yamaha XV1600A took the title in 1998, followed by the Triumph Rocket III, with 2,294 cc (140 in³). When production ceased in 1942, approximately 100 of the V-twins had been produced in all. The remaining inventory of parts were sold in 1947 to Elmo Looper. Many of these parts went into restorations of the surviving examples of which 68 or more still exist today, according to a registry started by Charles "Chuck" Vernon and Johnny Eagles, two members of a group of original Crocker owners in Southern California that have been instrumental in keeping the Crocker legend alive. Although total production of all models is not known it is thought by some to be around 200 units (about 40-50 speedway, 40-50 "Scootabout" scooters, and 100+ V-Twins). Al Crocker also produced an overhead valve conversion kit in the late 1920's for the Indian 101 "Scout". Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...
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The Yamaha XV1600A is a cruiser style motorcycle. ...
A Triumph in Paris. ...
The proprietor and founder of the company, Albert Crocker, ceased motorcycle production in 1942 when the war effort put a shortage on critical materials. Indian and Harley received contracts with the US Army for military motorcycle production and Crocker got a contract with Douglas Aircraft making aircraft parts. That became a more lucrative business then Al Crocker ever enjoyed with motorcycle manufacturing and in 1942 Crocker Motorcycle became Crocker Manufacturing. Crocker later sold out to a company named Borg Warner. Al Crocker died in 1961. Designer of many of the components, Paul Bigsby, went on to fame as a designer of guitars and particularly of the Bigsby tremolo arm. 1930 National Hillclimb champion Gene Rhyne also worked at the plant, and had the job of plant foreman. (*information via Al Crocker Jr.) This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ...
Paul A. Bigsby was the designer of the Bigsby tremolo arm and proprieter of Bigsby Guitars. ...
The Bigsby vibrato tailpiece (or Bigsby for short) is a type of vibrato device for electric guitar designed by its namesake Paul A. Bigsby. ...
A tremolo arm, tremolo bar, vibrato bar, whammy bar, or twang bar is a lever attached to the bridge and/or the tailpiece of an electric guitar or archtop guitar to enable the player to quickly vary the tension and sometimes the length of the strings temporarily, changing the pitch...
Because of their rarity and quality, Crockers are among the most expensive motorcycles an enthusiast can acquire. At the MidAmerica Auctions[1] motorcycle auction in January 2007 in Las Vegas, a 1941 Crocker big tank motorcycle sold for $230,000. At the Gooding & Co. auction in 2006 in Chandler, a 1931 Crocker 61 sold for $236,500. At the Bonhams & Butterfield 2006 auction in New York, a 1937 Crocker “Hemi-head” V-Twin brough $276,500. At the 2006 auction of Bator International in California a 1939 Crocker 61 cubic-inch side valve model sold for $200,000.
The current Crocker Motorcycle Company Crocker Motorcycle Company re-started as a hobby in the basement of Markus Karalash's home in 1997 producing limited parts for the Crocker restoration community. In 1999 the company name was incorporated. Early in 2001, with an aggressive plan to resurrect the brand and reproduce complete Crocker Motorcycles, Michael Schacht, friend, entrepreneur and fellow collector, approached Markus with the idea of putting the two original Small Tank and Big Tank Crocker’s back into production, and by May 2002 Schacht and Karalash had a working agreement that brought the two into an equal partnership.
Crocker now operates a facility using modern technology to manufacture their own parts. To date the operation has grown to the point of being able to supply both the original Big Tank and Small Tank models as a complete kit. By reverse engineering two original Crocker’s using CMM equipment, highly skilled pattern makers, an in house engineering team and a number of original Crocker blueprints created by Al Crocker and Paul Bigsby, Crocker Motorcycle Company has now created almost 100 precision castings and approximately 1400 cad-cam engineering drawings for both models that are exactly as the originals, with parts showing original numbers and foundry markings. Most parts are interchangeable with original bikes. Crocker will begin delivery of their two original Big Tank and Small Tank models in Spring of 2008.
Crocker Motorcycle Companyis now the world wide holder of the Crocker Motorcycles trademark.
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