Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/78404
VOL. 49 ISSUE 29 JULY 24, 2012 P53 4 5 allows it to ride bumps with great- er stability in spite of the rigid frame's absence of any rear sus- pension. Both Crockers' girder forks seemed pretty rigid, too – they didn't offer much help in the damping department, although the fat tires aided in this regard. It's claimed by those in a po- sition to make comparisons that the handling of the Small Tank Crocker is very close to the In- dian Sport Scout, as in more ag- ile and quicker steering, as you might expect from a shorter, light- er 45ci bike like the Indian, with a 56.5-inch wheelbase, weighing just 370 pounds with oil, no fuel. I've ridden such a bike, convert- ed for road racing, and after my spin on the Crockers I can see how the comparison is a valid one - even if you'd need to raise the footboards quite a bit to stop them scraping once you get go- ing. Still, at least they're hinged. The Crocker's broad seat is a lot less upholstered than it seems, with just a thin leather- covered base supported by two vertical springs. Those absorb a little of the rigid frame's road shock okay, but at the expense of feeling frankly unstable when you lean the bike into a turn and your body weight swings inwards towards the apex of the bend. This gives a sense of insecurity I never really got comfortable with, much less the bounce of the springs supporting the seat – the whole thing is reactive rather than absorbent. In front of you, atop the fuel are three polished tank, filler caps – one for each side of the gas tank, and the third for lu- bricant – with a cast aluminum dash mounted on the top of the tank and incorporating a Corbin speedo, dual ignition key locks (no, I don't know why – only one worked on each bike!) and an ammeter. And finally, a word for that graceful handlebar with its pulled-back grips, which com- bined with the footboards to de- liver such a comfortable riding stance - someone really should copy it on a modern cruiser! Whether the trio of Crockers going under the hammer at Quail Lodge in August are separated or sold to the same buyer, the new owner(s) have a treat in store. The Crocker 61ci V-twin was a true original that pushed the en- velope of prevailing motorcycle design, and in doing so incorpo- rated the passion and skill of two men, Crocker and Bigsby. Those two asked themselves not wheth- er something could be done, but how to go about doing it. American excellence on two wheels, the Crocker represents a landmark in transatlantic mo- torcycle design, just as Phil Ir- ving's HRD-Vincent and George Brough's eponymous Superiors did on the other side of the pond, at exactly the same time. All three may be firmly stamped as the world's first Superbikes, the opening pages in the first chap- ter of a story that's still being told today…. CN