1940 Crocker Small Tank

FROM THE DICK SHAPPY COLLECTION: The 1940 Crocker Small Tank V-Twin

Rare surviving Crocker V-twins are now the most valuable American motorcycles ever made, they sit shoulder to shoulder with the legendary machines from Brough Superior and Vincent as the most desirable collector motorcycles of all time.

Even among motorcycles as rare as Crockers, there are a few that are extra special, and this is one such example Every Crocker was built to order, and no two are the same The nickname [Dales Burnout Special] comes from Dale Walksler, the founder and curator of the Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. This Crocker became known as the burnout special because, as you may have guessed, Dale used to do burnouts on it to showcase the bikes prodigious power to museum guests Today there are 68 known surviving Crocker V-twins and theyre among the most valuable motorcycles in the world.

-SILODROME GASOLINE CULTURE: The Crocker V-Twin - A Rare American Motorcycle Worth Almost A Million Dollars by Ben Branch

Designed during 1934-35, the Crocker big twin was intended as a durable and powerful, yet fast and nimble machine While Bigsby made the patterns, most castings were subcontracted, then machined in-house. The heavy steel gearbox formed part of the lower frame, its case being brazed in place, its 3-speed gears and shafts so overbuilt that damage is unheard of even today Their most unusual feature was a pair of cast-aluminum fuel/oil tanks, holding 2.5 gallons initially (the Small Tank models). Crocker had built the fastest production motorcycle in the US, with speeds over 110mph the norm built in small numbers for a very discerning clientele.

-THE VINTAGENT: The Crocker Story By Paul dOrleans


This rare and valuable motorcycle has gone through an extensive rebuild and restoration to honor one of the most iconic motorcycles in American history. Built to customer-specified engine capacity and power output, this small tank is one of a kind.


MAKE: Crocker

MODEL: Big Twin

CROCKER REGISTRY: Engine listed as "Dale's Burnout Special"

ENGINE: 62 CI OHV air-cooled V-Twin. Rebuilt by the late Dale Walksler of Wheels Through Time Museum, Maggie Valley, North Carolina

ENGINE NUMBER: 40-61-113 which powered the original 'Dale Walksler Burnout Crocker'

TRANSMISSION: 4-Speed Manual with a Tank Side Hand Shift

HP: 50

COLOR: Blue. Black & Red Accent Paint.

CARBURETOR: Schebler

IGNITION: Magneto

EXHAUST: Two-into-One with Cannister Muffler

BRAKES: 7-inch Single-Leading Shoe Front & Rear Brakes

WHEELS: Wire Spoke Wheels with Steel Rims

TIRES: 3.5-18 Front & Rear

FEATURES: Steel Fuel Tank and Fenders, Sprung Solo Saddle, Foot-operated Clutch, Chain Final Drive, Kick Starter, Girder Forks, Rigid Rear Frame, Cast Aluminum Footboards, Electric Headlamp and Taillamp


Check out Dale Walksler's Burn Out Bike Special on YouTube with this engine roaring.


CROCKER HISTORY:

American Al Crocker was born in 1882, and after graduating with an engineering degree from Northwestern University, he went to work for the Aurora Automatic Machine Co., the builders of Thor motorcycles. He helped develop Thor engineering and became a successful racer from 1907-1909 where he met Oscar Hedstrom and Charles Hendee, the chief engineer and owner of the Hendee Manufacturing Co., manufacturers of Indian motorcycles. By 1919, Crocker had opened his own Indian dealership in Denver, Colorado, by 1924 he took over the Kansas City dealership, but six years later, he couldnt ignore the call of the west.

He moved to Los Angeles, California and opened a motorcycle repair shop selling used Indian and Harley-Davidsons, the Crocker Motorcycle Company. There in 1931, he began designing speed accessories, including steering dampeners and overhead-valve conversion kits, for Indian motorcycles. The same year, he began building and racing Speedway racers and by 1933, racers Jack and Cordy Mine took nine first place wins and three second place out of twelve starts on his designs.

Its estimated that Crocker made only thirty-one of the Speedways before turning his attention to a new project - developing a large displacement V-twin road worthy bike to compete against Harley-Davidson and Indian. From 1934-1935, with the help of Paul Bigsby, Crocker achieved his goal and completed a new overhead-valve 1,000cc V-twin with hemispherical combustion chambers and 50HP, making it one of the most power motorcycles in the world at the time. Crockers first OHV v-twin roadster came out in 1935 and Harley-Davidson wouldnt introduce their slower and heavier first OHV v-twin (the EL Knucklehead) until six months later. To give his Crockers an extended range, the size of the cast-aluminum fuel tanks was enlarged in 1938, making all earlier models Small Tanks, and later models Big Tanks. (Vintagent)

By 1936, Crocker was tied with Vincent Motorcycles for the fastest production motorcycle in the world. Part production was often outsourced but manufacturing was limited through 1940, as each bike was made to order to the specifications of their clientele. Al Crocker was so confident that his motorcycles were the best in the country that he offered a money back guarantee to any rider who was beaten by an Indian or a Harley-Davidson. No one ever came looking for that refund. (Silodrome)

In 1940, Crocker began to produce a motor scooter deemed the Scootabout, but with the entry of the United States into WWII, vehicle production ceased. Crocker Manufacturing would undertake war production for the duration, moving from their iconic Los Angeles location. It wasnt until 1999 that the Crocker Motorcycle Company was revived in Southern California to manufacture replacement parts for Small and Big Tank Crockers. Today, Crocker V-twins are among the worlds most expensive motorcycles.


TOP 100 MOST EXPENSIVE MOTORCYCLES BY THE VINTAGENT

4. 1938 Crocker Small Tank $880K (2025)

6. 1936 Crocker Small Tank $825K (2019)

7. 1937 Crocker Small Tank $715 (2015)

8. 1939 Crocker Big Tank $074K (2019)

10. 1940 Crocker Big Tank $550K (2019)

24. 1937 Crocker Small Tank $423K (2019)

30. 1942 Crocker Big Tank $385K (2015)

36. 1938 Crocker Small Tank $371.8K (2016)

55. 1939 Crocker Small Tank $302.5K (2008)

56. 1940 Crock Big Tank Twin $302K (2012)

61. 1937 Small Tank Twin $291K (2012)

66. 1937 Crocker Hemi-Head $183.1K (2006)

77. 1941 Crocker Big Tank $243.8K (2007)

81. 1939 Crocker Small Tank $236.5 (2006)

82. 1939 Crocker V-Twin Big Twin $233.2K (2008)

-As compiled by Mecum Auctions