Harry Sucher documented the inner workings of Indian History, and wrote the stellar archival book, The Iron Redskin. Harry started his research when the original Indian builders, designers, and executives were still around.
In the back of The Iron Redskin, in the appendix on Crocker motorcycles Harry featured a close friend, the master Crocker builder and collector, Chuck Vernon. He is one of the legends of cycling on the West Coast, a diminutive man in his 80s who drives a supercharged CTSV Cadillac with a Corvette driveline. Chuck still builds Crockers and owned serial number 001 of the big twin versions. He’s still smart as a whip and an encyclopedia of information about motorcycling and Crockers, and he still rides. He recently published the first Crocker Registry. Every Crocker ever built has been researched and documented in his book.
And so began the story behind this particular motorcycle. Chuck spotted this old 1917 Indian frame in Harry’s garage. Someone removed the rear suspension and welded a hardtail to it. He caught Harry when he was clearing out the shop, and Harry handed the frame over to Chuck.
Chuck’s notion was to build an old-fashioned backyard-racing bike, and so the Harry Sucher Special was born. It was destined to be built in the tradition of the teens, and guys who built race bikes in their garages. Chuck started by adding an Indian 1915 front end to the Indian frame. It was lighter that later Indian forks and contained more rake for improved handling at speeds. The bars were modified vintage Harley-Davidson, and the wheels were 3-inch wide clinchers, 28-inches in diameter.
The engine is a 1918 Big Valve Power Plus Indian engine Chuck found at a swap meet, and rebuilt himself. Big Valve engines were rare and used specifically by racers at Altoona, PA, and Daytona, FL. They were also used by the police and with sidecar applications. Chuck’s big valve displaced 61 cubic inches, and maintained a stock Indian lower end with flywheels and connecting rods, but it rocks with Venolia cast-aluminum pistons, with raised domes. Chuck had these pistons designed specifically for this configuration.
Chuck also used Daytona grind cam designs to offset the long-stroke, low-rpm engine and boost the revs. He studied Phillip Vincent’s performance exhaust tuning procedures when building the exhaust system. Check out their length and exit hole positions. He used 2500 rpm as his peak rpm number and designed the pipes to reach that goal.
Chuck swapped out the stock Shebler H carburetor, for a Linkert and fired the motor with a Bosch magneto. The transmission is a stock three-speed Power Plus with a Daytona factory-racing shifter, with shortened throw, and a no-linkage direct shift configuration.
The sheet metal is stock somewhat Indian with a front export fender flipped and reversed to the rear. The front fender came from a 1912 Pierce and Chuck modified it to stop the mud slinging. Chuck’s neighbor, Dick Pickeral, painted the bike in an Indian dark candy blue. Dick also installed the larger Indian script decals for racing, so the folks could read them in the crowds.
Although the Sucher Special was built with various model components, from several years, it is designated a 1917.
“Vintage motorcycles go by the year of the chassis,” Chuck said.
Chuck recently gave this rare beast to Don Whalen, Bikernet’s antique motorcycle authority. Chuck and Don have been wheeling-and-dealing in the antique motorcycle business for over 30 years, and they recently collaborated on a rare Crocker restoration. Only 65 of these puppies were built, and these two guys can muster the parts in their collective garages. Amazing.
On the other hand, this Sucher Special, is a one-off. You’ll never find another one like it.
–Wilburn Roach
Bandit’s Cantina Vintage Tech Chart for the Sucher Special
Engine: Indian V-Twin Big Valve
Displacement: 61 cubic Inches
Carburetor: Linkert
Ignition: Bosch magneto
Transmission: Indian 3-Speed
Front end: Leaf-spring
Wheels/Tires: 3.00-28-inch
