1929 Indian Crocker

[Ohio-Rider]

Ok, got to see the 1929 Indian Crocker today. I took about a dozen pictures. I will post as many as you all would like to see.
The owner was not present this morning so I'm going back later to see if I can speak with him.

[Ohio-Rider]

They even started it a few times. I have to say, it does sound quite healthy.

[Ohio-Rider]

Heres is another.

[rbenash]

Wow - thanks for posting. Man if you could only capture some audio and post the .wav file we could all hear it run

[Barry Brown]

that looks pretty good except for that Wheezer gas tank. this guy should buy my original Crocker racing gas tank I have for sale. it ain't cheaP BUT IF THERE ARE CLOWNS OUT THERE WHO'LL PAY 75 G'S FOR A REPOP BIKE SAY NO MORE.

[Barry Brown]

this is why a cast aluminum tank is a good idea

[Ohio-Rider]

Yeah Barry..... That tanks is an eye sore.
I did get a chance to meet the owner. His name is Dean(Dino) Cohen(spelling?). He owns Dino's Indian in Erie Pa. I also got to meet his machinist, turns out he is a local boy from nearby Sharon Pa. They are good buddys of Jimbo who arranged this swap-meet.

Dino told me he had just finished putting this bike together a few months ago and has been riding the hell out of it every chance he gets. He is well aware that the engine he built is a reproduction. He also told me that he believes the heads where of Australian birth. He said the Crockers came with the bike when he purchased it last year at Waseum. He shyed away a bit when I ask who the previous owner was so I let it be.

Turns out he also has a 1907 Indian Twin that he plans on bringing down and riding in our yearly flathead run. Once a year a bunch of guys ride their old machines from here to Lake Erie and hopefully back. Its called a flat head run, but we don't care who comes along. -Steve

[Barry Brown]

yah, I know Dino, used to see him at Wauseon. he had an original paint ( black) mag ignition 40 Chief for sale there once for 8 or 10 g's I forget but it is one of those ones you wish hadn't got away!

[Kojack]

Originally posted by Barry Brown
I have never seen a real Bigsby custom just fake misrepresented crap!

Barry, those Soviet Canukistan winters are making you crabby. Maybe fake, maybe misrepresented, but crap is too strong of a word. I think most of them are well done. This one was at Wauseon last year.

[Barry Brown]

If Indian had only had the sense to market their own ohv we wouldn't have to go through all this wannabee stuff. Harley's greatest move EVER was the 36 knuckle.

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Barry Brown
Harley's greatest move EVER was the 36 knuckle.

True, but let's not forget the importance and greatness of the original 1905 "Model 1."

[Barry Brown]

I SEE YOUR POINT BUT UP TO 1912 OR SO INDIAN HAD THE EDGE with a successfull vee twin as early as 07, and don't forget the incredible big base 8 valve plus being the largest producer in the world

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Barry Brown
I SEE YOUR POINT BUT UP TO 1912 OR SO INDIAN HAD THE EDGE with a successfull vee twin as early as 07, and don't forget the incredible big base 8 valve plus being the largest producer in the world

True in part. Indian did have a industry lead going back to 1901/02. But when the H-D hit the market in 1905 (not 1903), Bill Harley's machine contained a very good combination of modern features that quickly took hold and stuck. After that time the more bicycle-like Indian design (of 1901) was increasingly obsolete and riders knew it. There was a BIG migration to the superior "western" type of motorcycle typified by Harley-Davidson (and its imitators) which allowed Harley to catch Indian PDQ. It took Indian until 1909 to admit defeat, but that year they finally gave up the diamond frame and camel-back chassis and adopted the design H-D had been marketing since 1905. As to the twin, in 1907 or so a twin wasn't really necessary or desired by very many riders. That demand would take a few more years to materialize and by then Mr. Harley would be ready!

And then in 1936 Bill Harley did it all over again with his fabulous "61 OHV" EL model!

Photo of Bruce's 1905 on the gravesite of Wm. S. Harley in 2003:

[Eric @ B.O.S]

Here is quick extra contribution on the Crocker OHV conversions. First off, although every one says they existed, I do not know of any period written proof or document. Around the same time Indian was producing their OHV conversions for hillclimbers etc... and the truth is, the Indian OHV and the Crocker OHV look oddly similar. I have nerver found any proof that they were actually different productions. Every one wants to believe that Crocker made some conversions but it seems to me no one can prove it.

I am one of the ones that wants to believe. I have had lots of discussions with Chuck Vernon on this subject, and he says there are differences between Indian OHV and Crocker. He says he only knows of ONE existing Crocker OHV conversion. He got the bike / engine out of Las Vegas when he bought the remainders of the Crocker stock, which included the Crocker original prototype 36-61-1X. He put the OHV conversion back to running condition and sold it to a collector in California who still has it. Vernon says this is, in his opinion, the Bigsby bike in it's late form (JD transmission etc...). Here is a picture of that bike.

[Eric @ B.O.S]

In that stash he also found some OHV conversion cylinders that were fully machined from billet. After doing some research he found out that these were the prototype Crocker OHV cylinders machined by Paul BIGSBY. Chuck passed those cylinders on to me along with a letter that attests his research. They are a very beautifull with very thin fins. They were probably just a try out because they do not look like they have ever run and they are different than the cast version altough they are interchangeable. So if anybody has any original heads, now you know someone who really needs them.