Crocker Motorcycles Indian-crocker 1933
First Crocker motorcycle, powered by a 30.50" single cylinder engine of Al's own design.
Starting in 1931, less than 50 of these Speedway motorcycles were built and they saw success on the track. They were faster than the CAC, which was being fielded by Harley-Davidson, but slightly slower than the JAP powered machines—putting them somewhere in the middle of the pack in terms of overall performance. Still, with a competent rider on board, Crocker motorcycles were able to take many checkered flags.
Created by master bike-builder Gwen Banquer, this motorcycle is an Indian 101 Scout fitted with a copy of Al Crocker's famous overhead-valve conversion kit. It is one of a limited series of only seven such machines, the construction of which commenced circa 1995/96, and is the only one modeled on a 1930s board track racer.
Crocker's overhead-valve conversion kit for the 101 Scout started out as an all-cast iron affair before the second series switched to aluminum-alloy for the cylinder heads. Surviving original kits are exceptionally rare, so Gwen Banquer was especially fortunate to acquire (on loan) an original un-machined set of the later alloy/iron type, from which casting patterns were made. It should be noted that, although of 'stock' appearance, the Banquer 'heads have more 'meat' in the valve seat area to prevent cracking.
Gwen first displayed a mock-up of his Crocker OHV-converted 101 Scout motor during Daytona Bike Week in March 1996, and by August of the same year the first bike had been finished and was running. Gwen rode his first Crocker Scout at Daytona in 1997 and later that year received a 1st place award for 'Best American Motorcycle 1926-1940' at the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days held at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington. Mike Corbin had seen Gwen on that first Crocker conversion at Daytona and told him that he wanted to buy it, thus beginning a great friendship between the two men. Indeed, Corbin was so impressed with the bike that he immediately commissioned Gwen to build him a speedway version.