Crocker Speedway Racers Light Up the Track in Broadford
"...starts were rolling with four riders abreast awaiting the starter to drop the flag, hence Crocker Speedway Racers were direct drive with no clutch in standard configuration..." said Knackers.
I WAS down at the local speedway at Broadford in Victoria one lazy weekend. The usual group of riders and support was there, and all seemed casual until a ute with a couple of extremely rare speedway bikes in the back turned up. They were two Crocker Speedway Racers from yesteryear and they definitely got everyone’s attention. Turns out they were there to be tested as they’d just been restored.
They belong to David Reidie and are part of a collection of bikes and other rides of both two and four wheels he has on display at his museum in Castlemaine.
Riding the Crocker Speedway Racers today was a well endorsed and accomplished speedway rider, Ivan Coyle, a man not shy in going forward regardless of what’s beneath him showing the young ones how it’s done. Fortunately, as I’m a sanctioned and regular photographer at both the speedway, motocross and the circuit events held at Broadford Motorcycle Racing Complex, I was able to shoot the bikes both inside and outside the Complex, properly capturing both static and on-the-track pics with Ivan in full swing.
Al Crocker built in the vicinity of 75 OHV V-twins between 1936 and 1940. He claimed that if any stock Harley-Davidson or Indian could beat any of his bikes that he would give them a full refund; it was never activated. These types of bikes are now amongst the most sought after and the most expensive on the planet. Given David paid $610,000 for his 1927 eight-valve FHA H-D sidecar racer, one of the highest prices ever paid for a Harley-Davidson, definitely in this country, I’m sure they were an expensive acquisition also. Not so well known is that proceeding these bikes were some 31 500-cc OHV speedway bikes with many of the design features carried over to the latter twins.
The first Crocker Speedway Racers appeared at Emeryville, California, on 30 November 1933. They scored nine first places and three second places out of 12 starts. While initially proving successful, the competition was heating up with Rudge four-valves and then JAP proving stiff completion. Production was to only last for two years with more engines built than complete bikes.
So what are these bikes here today?
The 1934 (#34.11) was the 11th Crocker production bike to be built. Its early history is not known but various telltale signs of a hard life on the track are obvious. The central post in the original frame shows elementary repairs probably carried out trackside; crude but effective. Crankcases show welding of the period to the engine mounts and what was left of internals were very knackered.
When found in the early 1970’s, the bike was put into climate controlled storage, but the ravages of time had already taken effect. Fortunately, most of the original components were still present including frame, wheels, counter-shaft, forks, handlebars, fuel tank, and the majority of the powertrain. Frame and forks still have remnants of the original blue paint, the catalogue listed colour for Crocker Speedway Racers. Original wheel rims long past their use-by-date have been replaced with the correct Clincher rims. A more modern wheel allowing far lower tyre pressures is used on test days.
Arriving in Australia in 2018, it was displayed in its as-purchased state at several venues including the Queensland Museum of Modern Art. As of 2024, the bike was race-ready with its original Crocker carburettor running on methanol.
The second bike is 1935 (#35.30), one of the last OHV speedway engines manufactured; it quite possibly was sold as a power unit only. At some stage it was shoehorned into the earlier Harley-Davidson Peashooter frame. The engine has reputably been rebuilt by Excelsior and Crocker Hall-of-Famer Gene Rhyne. At a later date, a Jawa adjustable counter-shaft and primary drive were installed.
Light weight aluminium hubs are laced to period Clincher rims shod with 24 x 2.5-inch tyres. Forks are JC Webb. The 1935 bike catalogue listed an Amal type 27 carburettor and Lucas Competition magneto; they take care of methanol and sparking up the mixture.
Clutch starts were introduced to speedway racing in the mid 1930’s. Prior to this, starts were rolling with four riders abreast awaiting the starter to drop the flag, hence Crocker Speedway Racers were direct drive with no clutch in standard configuration, but several have had them retro-fitted. These two bikes are a pair of true classics, again being ridden, not hidden.
Words & pics: Knackers
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