Boy is this a neat trip back in time! These videos are awesome captures of motorcycle hillclimb events, held in California back in the 1930s and 1940s. The riders are decked out in cool old factory uniforms, and in some cases dress shirts! Spectators have to dodge flying bikes and riders with regularity and these ain’t sport bikes!
You’ll see old Harleys, Indians, and what appear to be some English bikes in the mix as well. We love the fact that the riders are jumping, bouncing, and riding the rear wheel on these amazingly heavy and awkward machines. Modern trials bikes weigh about a quarter of these monsters!
Strap on your leather helment and twist the throttle below!
When men were men and sheep were scared!
Wonder how many watching will realize that these bikes were all hard tails? No rear suspension other than the amount of air in the tyres. Always fun to ride as you never knew when the back would kick out a little….. ’53 panhead + 12″ springer… circa 1967