Finally a starting point for the Overland Privateer frame!

After many hours reading and thinking and taking advice from Steve, a friend from Scotland, I have finally settled on a basic frame design.  Of course there will be changes made to suit the Overland concept but the basic main frame layout is my starting point.  If you want to see some most excellent Indian builds and all sorts of other manic things that move on two and four wheels you have to go here: http://strathbranspeedshop.blogspot.com/  I forgot to mention the advice given.  Simply put, the answers to some of my questions would be answered by direct observation if I had the frame which everything was going to be hung from.  Well I paraphrased it but that’s the meat of how I read and understood the advice.  By the way many thanks Steve for your comments and willingness to help this apprentice.

                                           This is reputed to be one of the most original
                                           Crocker factory speedway bikes still around. 
                                           It sold at auction for 140,000 bucks.  I would
                                           dearly love to hear and see this bike in the wild.

The factory Crocker speedway frame is the basic main frame layout I’m going to use.  Several changes that will be made are to have the main down tube run straight to the engine plates.  I don’t have to have the bend for the magneto platform because the JAP magneto runs off the back.  I will also be using a girder fork.  Those are the first changes. 

I very much wish I could get a few measurements from a factory frame. 

The measurements I would be interested in are the tube sizes used for the main triangle and the rear triangle to include the seat post.  I would also like the head tube size and of course the head tube rake and the trail length.  I also would be interested in what the ground clearance is under the engine case and the center axel to center axel wheelbase. 

From reading, observing and research I have a pretty good idea on those numbers.  But not being very creative I like to have some reference points.  Yes I realize it’s sort of odd to be undertaking a creative project and not have a very creative mind with which to see the Privateer in my mind and then execute that image in steel and alloy.

So anybody out there have access to an original Crocker speedway frame?

I have surfed many places on the wild web and looked at many photos from other sources.  The Crocker speedway frame is the one I keep coming back to time after time.  There is something about the basic layout and conformation that presses all the right cycle lust buttons.