Hill Climbing

A popular sport in America from the very early years of motorcycling and particularly vibrant in the 1920s and '30s. Competitors had to ride up an extremely steep slope, and the higher they got, the more likely they were to win, and it was better still if they actually broached the summit. Harley-Davidson was in there almost from the beginning, as big torquey V-twins were ideally suited to this demanding task. Moreover, it had its masters of the art with riders such as Joe Petrali. So popular was it that the factory built many special hill climb bikes in the late 1920s and early '30s. Hill climbing remains a popular sport, though the most successful machines are now lighter-weight off-roaders rather than the big V-twins.