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Impossible motorcycle hill climbs

AgitatedPancake

AgitatedPancake

Frobot
Joined
Nov 28, 2020
Member Number
3093
Messages
1,168
Loc
Sacramento, CA
Alright I know you guys have seen these before, but most of the footage is like 10-20 years old. I figured the sport had died off (understandably lol). Well, low and behold I just saw this clip posted last week. So fawking rad, and balls of steel. Post up links to more if you have them, always down to see these madmen attempt these hills

 
Quick & Dirty said:
Sounds like mostly 4 strokes. I remember when the Kawi 750 was the hot ticket.
Click to expand...

So I'll be the first to say besides casually putting around on 200's in my younger years I've never been a motorcycle guy, but holy hell kick starting a 750 2 stroke? And it looks like a hell of a ride. IIRC, I remember hearing about the 500cc two stroke beasts of a decade or two back

Edit - and yeah there seem to be a lot of street bike engines - high cube low RPM alongside the high revvers
 
About 1993 one of my friends had the 750 that he drag raced. It was a "little" warmed up. The standing rule was if you can start it you can ride it. I was feeling froggy one day at the track and said I want a go.

That thing kicked back on the kick start and wacked my shin so hard whilst launching me off to land on my ass I had to leave the visor down on the helmet so people wouldnt see me cry. I had a purple leg for ages..

cool story
 
I had a 1973 H2 750 that I recently sold. Had to jump on the kicker to turn it over, just like the guy in the video. Good low end grunt for a 2-stroke. It was a project I had for years and never got around to, and now I'm too old to start messing with sketchy motorcycles.
Edit: Come to think of it-This motorcycle is where I came up with my user name on a motorcycle forum decades back.

H2.jpg
 
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I could only imagine, I've heard about the nasty two strokes being ankle breakers, that's wild for both of you haha. I could understand a bit of intimidation over those monsters

And if you guys were wondering, one person actually did complete the hill climb that day, I just finished the video. Time stamped so you guys can skip straight to the run :grinpimp:. Pure arm strength is the only thing that kept this guy on his bike

 
They still do hillclimbs out here at Carnegie in Livermore, CA (next door to livermore lab test site). Its a pretty big hill but not crazy steep, its the conditions that make it tricky. Dirt at Carnegie is hard as a rock, then powder dry and dusty.



I love going by the pits just to get a whiff of nitro
 
Here's a climb area been around for a while I think since the 40's

 
I went riding with a group of guys down in the Spangler hills area in southern California. It was all I could do do go from hill climb to hill climb, I didn't even attempt the shit that they were challenging themselves on. A few of them I think I could make up on foot, but probably would need to rope off:eek:. There were a few go pros, but I don't have any of the links
 
Tell_Sackett said:
I went riding with a group of guys down in the Spangler hills area in southern California. It was all I could do do go from hill climb to hill climb, I didn't even attempt the shit that they were challenging themselves on. A few of them I think I could make up on foot, but probably would need to rope off:eek:. There were a few go pros, but I don't have any of the links
Click to expand...

There's nothing more fun than climbing a hill and when you turn around on top realizing you can't see half the hill because it's vertical or slightly past.


It's even more entertaining when you dump it and go to stand up and realize you're already standing when you're laying on the hill :laughing:


How I never broke anything past a few fingers I'll never know.
 
My question after the first one is how do they get the bikes back down the hill?
Cause if they are riding them back down the path that would be just as entertaining
 
IUsedtoBendCars said:
My question after the first one is how do they get the bikes back down the hill?
Cause if they are riding them back down the path that would be just as entertaining
Click to expand...
The event I posted has a long trail that cuts back and forth for them to come back down on.
 
det107 said:
Quaboag Hillclimb events in Monson, Ma was fun to watch. Been around for a while...

Something about a cease & desist order this year- :mad3:
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That hill climb and club have been around since 1944.

They finally had their day in court, and they were able to resume hill climb events. Here is the schedule for the rest of the 2022 season. One motorcycle,
20220909_112446.jpg
and one 4x4 event left this year.
 
Back in the late 80s I had a Suzuki GT550 that was a 3 cylinder 2 stroke. For what it was, it was pretty quick. It'd eat a Nighthawk up... 😁
 
AgitatedPancake said:
Alright I know you guys have seen these before, but most of the footage is like 10-20 years old. I figured the sport had died off (understandably lol). Well, low and behold I just saw this clip posted last week. So fawking rad, and balls of steel. Post up links to more if you have them, always down to see these madmen attempt these hills

Click to expand...

That is awesome! In addition to the riding skills, the machinery and solutions are fantastic. Dimpled engine case, fabricated bolt-and-cable 'tire chains', chain saw starter, and so on. I guess they use rope cut-offs as the power boaters do for when the rider gets launched.

What about a heavy, chugger, 2 WD? Huge diameter tire in the back, smaller front wheel driven a bit faster, thumper engine geared really low - idle on up. Maybe a combination flywheel/gyro mounted low right behind the front wheel.
 
Guy here runs a Sportster up Gunstock. :laughing:
 
AgitatedPancake said:
I could only imagine, I've heard about the nasty two strokes being ankle breakers, that's wild for both of you haha. I could understand a bit of intimidation over those monsters

And if you guys were wondering, one person actually did complete the hill climb that day, I just finished the video. Time stamped so you guys can skip straight to the run :grinpimp:. Pure arm strength is the only thing that kept this guy on his bike

Click to expand...

Fuuuuck. That's insane. That is fuckin music and poetry at the same time.
 
There's one in Iowa this Sunday.
A kid I used to work with rides the custom hill climb bike his family owns. He is uncoordinated as can be on a jobsite, but apparently he can ride bikes up hills like a champ. :laughing:
 
Nitro runs the hill climb in Columbus MT also.
Used to be in Billings too.

Snowmobile hill climb in Jackson Hole Wyoming is a good time.
 
Billings MT

Started in 1918 - Bentonite Nightmare

406mtsports.com

Bentonite Nightmare is even scarier at this year's Great American Motorcycle Hill Climb in Billings

The 103rd anniversary hill climb is Friday and Saturday at the Billings Motorcycle Club.
406mtsports.com 406mtsports.com

406mtsports.com

Plenty of runs up the Bentonite Nightmare eventually led to Great American champions being crowned

BILLINGS — When the dust settled in the South Hills on Saturday night, 110 different professional riders had attempted to make their way up the nearly 500 feet Bentonite Nightmare.
406mtsports.com 406mtsports.com

www.ktvq.com

101 year tradition brings the best climbers from around the world to Billings

BILLINGS – The best riders come to test their skills at the Hill Climbing Capital of the World. The 101st annual Great American Pro Championship Motorcycle Hill Climb draws riders from around the country and around the world. They attempt to summit what is known as the “Bentonite Nightmare” in the S
www.ktvq.com www.ktvq.com



 
Part of this video is from Dickeyville Wi. That climb used to draw some big crowds.

 
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