San Francisco, b. 1967, d. 15.Aug.2004
Killed in traffic, Lightning Express
Sean
Crane, of San Francisco, died in the early morning hours of Sunday, October
15 2004. He was leaving the 10 Year Anniversary Party for Die Werkstatt
motorcycle repair. According to the story I heard, he was passing a double
parked truck at very considerable speed on his motorcycle, in the vicinity
of Mission and 16th, and another truck backed out in front of this truck.
Was brain dead immediately, officially taken off life support a couple days
later, after his mother had seen him, so that his organs could be harvested.
He was a motorcycle messenger for years. I'm pretty sure he was with Lightning Express. I know he was friends with Chris Crew and his younger brother. I actually rode for LE for a few weeks in 1994, but I knew him from racing years later. He raced motorcycles with the AFM and AMA.
Everybody knew him in San Francisco. He was pretty much *THE* San Francisco city biker: racer, rider, messenger, regular at Zeitgeist, etc. A legend even while still alive. He was notorious for running from police, and on the few occasions that I rode with him, he was on one wheel most of the time, either the back or the front. But I think he was a lot saner than he was reputed to be--he was conscientious of his safety, and that of others.
Seemed a very level-headed person to me. He had just put down racing when he died, having decided that it was too dangerous -- he had been actually run over six times at the track, If I remember correctly. I say put down, because this wasn't the first time that the danger had gotten to him -- I know it was bothering him years before. I think he might have picked it up again, but we'll never know.
He was a very spirited racer -- I remember him running off the track on the last turn of a race at Thunderhill in a heated battle among three riders for first or second place -- I forget exactly. Instead of easing off the throttle and getting back onto the final straight and taking the loss of position, he stayed on the gas, all the way down the front straight in the dirt, without losing position. It was crazy. He is perhaps most well known for doing insane stuff like this on a motorcycle, though in person he was extraordinarily easy going and friendly -- no tough guy attitude or faster-than-thou snobbery.
He was born in 1967, and came from further south--LA area, I think. I was only acquainted with him -- not a close friend -- and he was one of these guys that knew everybody.
– Zachary Royce
San Francisco, CA
My name is Stephen Crane --I was Sean Crane's half brother.
Because of the dimensionality of our family, I found out about my little brother's
death just the other day. Our family is/was so dysfunctional that I joined
the military in 1977 just to get away. I was 11 years older than my brother,
but we always tried to stay in touch.What really sucks is we finally connected
and did stay in touch. In the last months of his short life we must of talked
every two weeks, and then nothing. I tried his number it was disconnected. I
just had a very bad feeling that I can't explain. Then his mother
called my mother to finally let me know in AUGUST of 2005 !!!!! It's hurt
me beyond words that she couldn't even pick up the phone to let me know. This,
if nothing less is a lesson in karma. Boy, she has got to have bad karma coming
in spades!! I will always miss him -- his easy laugh, and the fact he would
look you square in the eye; which is something our dad taught us.
Rest in peace, my brother, for you have earned it.
Your Loving "Big Bro"
Steve
