The 2020 Bonhams Las Vegas Auction is coming up fast and loud. Although it’s not the largest auction around, it does have some of the finest motorcycles you could ever want to see. This year’s auction promises everything from antique racing icons to early american big twins. Here is a quick look at some of our favorites destined for the auction block this January.
An enduring icon, suddenly become an ultra hot commodity. The Crocker V-twin has become the most collectible motorcycle of all, and this green machine has serious history with Elmo Looper. [Bonhams]The Big Tank twin is impossibly rare. This example being only one of roughly thirty made that year puts this bike squarely in the “rarer than chicken’s teeth” category. If this Crocker weren’t rare and cool enough on its own, this particular bike was previously owned by the last Captain of the Crocker ship, Elmo Looper.Former owner Elmo Looper, a legendary figure and founder of the 13 Rebels MC, as portrayed in ‘The Wild One’, here with his 1940 Crocker. [Carl Olsen Collection]After the second great war, Crocker decided to leave motorcycle manufacturing behind and instead continue with the more profitable, yet in-arguably less cool industrial manufacturing. Elmo Looper was the man who bought all the leftover V-twin parts and started re-building and customizing Crockers. This bike has it all, the looks, the history, and the half a million dollar estimate.
The absolute classic: the Vincent Black Shadow has charisma lasting generations. [Bonhams]The Vincent Series-B Rapide was an instant classic in its time, smashing into the moto world as the fastest production motorcycle in the world in 1946. If that wasn’t enough for the English cycle maker, started adding a few improvements to the Series-B Rapide. With a bit of tuning, larger carbs, and upgraded brakes, Vincent launched these bikes from a 110mph top speed to a blistering 125mph, giving birth to the “Black Shadow” designation. The Series-C would soon after make its debut sporting upgraded suspension. These performance upgrades wouldn’t be standard until 1950, making the HRD branded Series-C bikes, of which there are only 42 known examples, quite rare indeed.
One of the ultimate factory cafe racers of the 1970s, when Italian machinery dominated the news with the most beautiful, fastest and best. [Bonhams]Road racing bikes from this era have been so fully embraced by modern riders with the resurgence of the cafe culture that they hardly even feel vintage anymore. Of course the racing pedigree and history of a company like Ducati si impossible to overlook, but the cafe style has gone from a classy-retro bike style to a nearly timeless category of custom bike building. It’s bikes like this that have pushed modern manufacturers to create production cafe bikes.
The most beautiful racing motorcycle ever made? Some think so. There’s no denying the Matchless G45 is a compelling machine, and very rare. [Bonhams]Not only does Matchless have a long and storied history with production bikes and racing machines, they also managed to make one of the prettiest racing sleds to ever hit a corner. The G45 began as a bit of a mashup of the AJS 7R parts put into a tuned G9 for Matchless to throw at the racing circuit.A Matchless G45 in action in 1952, with rider Bob Brown down to it. [Vintagent Archive]With some further fine tuning and some success on the track, Matchless make the production G45 available in 1953. This particular bike was commissioned in 1955 by seven-time South African road racing champ, Borro ‘Beppe’ Castellani. Beppe reportedly raced this G45 extensively, taking this already very beautiful racer from rare to a bonafide bit of moto racing history.
This 1927 Indian Scout is simply gorgeous in a deep claret, with black and nickel accents. [Bonhams]Following the first Great War, Indian was looking at something other than just building bikes for the battlefields in Europe. The first Scouts leaving the Wigwam in 1920 were great bikes of their time, but would eventually culminate with the 101 Scout in ‘28, which would go on to be considered the greatest bike Indian ever made. Although this ‘27 Scout is one year too early to get the upgrades that earned the 101 its legendary status, these bikes still have one of the most beautiful designs of any production motorcycle ever made. Not to mention, opting for the ‘27 over a ‘28 will likely save you a few bucks.
The Photo of Elmo was taken at his brother in-laws house, Chuck Kohlhauer, Wilber Place Montebello. Chuck K also had a Crocker. Elmo’s bike had HD WR tanks with Crocker badges and no speedo, Indian Scout chain guard, oil tank under the seat, oil cap is just visible behind his leg. Registration plate “58 632”, this is the same bike that he turned into a Dry lakes racer with “Lupe” written on a Brit AJS tank.
Chuck Vernon claimed he had Elmo’s bike 40-61-117, and a 1947 pink slip, which ideally would have a genuine signature and correct address. It has a lever seat mechanism, an item copied from the Bigsby drawings.
Ernie Skelton claimed he had Elmo’s bike 39-61-63, but what evidence ? None
Elmo had 3 Crocker’s = 36-61-4 and 38-61-38 = an 86″ Crocker with knuckleheads, and the Big tank in the photo. Murray Looper sold the bikes in the 1970s.
Elmo Looper did not buy the Crocker inventory because there was none. Al Crocker gave him the Bigsby drawings, the inventory is on each page and that is where all the “NOS parts” magically spring from. Skelton borrowed the drawings from Murray Looper and never returned them, it is as good as having your own factory at home. Harry Sucher did not mention any of this in his book ‘Iron Redskin’. The ‘Crocker Register’ and ‘Iron Redskin’ are equally unreliable and to a degree, pure Fiction.
Sounds like there’s a wild array of Crocker-after-Al stories. Makes sense that no Crocker inventory existed, and it’s well known many Crockers were built/rebuilt/restored using replica parts since at least the 1970s. Makes sense if there’s no factory and no parts stock. People claiming these are factory parts is another matter, and casts doubt on the whole enterprise of Crocker ownership. I have European friends who collect amazing motorcycles, but won’t touch anything from the USA – Crocker, Cyclone, 8-Valve, etc – because of the shady dealings here. Who to trust when every hand extended for payment says ‘trust me’?
Who knows Elmo and Murray better than anyone ? The Looper family, Elmo’s son is 73, Murray’s kids are in their 60’s.
Murray signed hand written receipts for the bikes he sold, he had a shed of Crocker’s that Chuck Vernon picked through and bought a trailer load, five or six.
Who knows Al Crocker better than anyone ? The Crocker family. His Grand daughters are around.
Harry Sucher, Chuck Vernon and Skelton made no attempted to find Al Croker junior in the 1970’s, 80’s or 90’s for a genuine history lesson.
They wrote their own adventure stories and then the Crocker Register, what a joke that is. Not club based or any connection to a factory Number system.
Early 1970’s = 30 odd bikes,
Late 1970’s = 48 bikes,
2010 = 72 bikes plus 4 = 76 !! It is Sesame street
How many did Paul Bigsby say ? 64
AAA Electric Motor Service took over 1346 Venice Boulevard in 1946, Crocker Manufacturing co was another company at 1330 Venice. All of Harry and Chucks stories are Bogus, especially the history of each bike. All the Register edition’s have names next to each bike, there’s the re-occurring pattern. It’s a breeding program.
There is no integrity, no one bothered to question those guys or their stories.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with building complete replicas, and repop parts are essential to all vintage bikes, but Engine stamping and BS…….
Big Bike magazine May 1972, the J D Cameron article has a Crocker, 38-61-38, claimed to be built by Cameron in 1945, the 1972 president of AMCA . The 2010 Crocker Register claims Cameron built it from parts from the Bigsby estate in 1968. same bike, 2 stories, same club, AMCA.
I have photos of Murray Looper with the bike in the 1950s and 1960s. I have a photo with Elmo on it in 1941, he built it.
86 inch Crocker stroker with Knuckle heads, pistons and rods, 7 years before Clausen and Hood’s 80″ Knucklehead.
When did 3-7/16″ dome pistons come out ? 1941 Knucklehead 74″.
Of course Cameron, Clausen and Hood were Booze fighter’s and Elmo gets in the way of a good story
What happened to 38-61-38 after the 1972 article ? ALL internals were stripped out and went into some one else’s bike, which magically became a stroker , which gives birth to a new BS story. The motor remained empty for the past 45 years. Its a historic bike and that history has been intentionally stripped and buried.
Elmo has been turned into nothing more than a voiceless Mascot, his only purpose is to be the guy who saved Crocker by buying up the inventory, the pile of “NOS parts” and unfinished bikes.
Chuck called Ernie “Mr Crocker”, hmmm
one shining example
https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0121-435631/1940-crocker-big-twin/
The bike itself has HD XL wheels, light and transmission, home made frame, forks and tanks.
The Documents show pics of internals of Engine. does not mention the HD rods , VL flat top pistons , .791″ pins.
Document 5 shows Crocker Register = 40-61-117 , “a former Looper / Smythe motorcycle with an early 1947 California pink slip”
The looper family have never heard of Arty Smythe and Elmo did not need any help building a bike