Old times motorcycle climbing is much more exciting to watch than nowdays because it is nearly impossible to make it all the way to the top anymore, thxs
My uncle Bob Moore, who was born in 1910 rode an Indian Chief in the 30s. He use to describe these hill climb events that took place near his home in San Bernardino, Ca. The bikes used chains on the rear wheel for traction and had a thumb kill switch on the handlebars, when the thumb didn't depress it, the motor would shut off. The problem was the bike would become a danger if left running and would power into the crowd. I did some hill climbs around his area in the 60s, the hills were exceptionally steep, particularly near Devore.
Excellent video! Good job. I am an olde fart myself today. When we lived in Seattle, the olde fart who owned the apartment building we lived in was named Ted Maholovic. Ted showed me some black & white photos from this kinda stuff, and also up on Yosemite, with bikes packed in the snow. Ted and his brothers were from San Francisco originally, and they rode with Dudley Perkins and his folks. Those were the days, LOL. I still ride a rigid frame, going on 40 years on the same bike.
Thank you for this video somewhere in this race and crowd are my grandfather and great uncle the Scanland brothers that raced these Gypsy Tour races and meets from the very beginning I have and wear their 1937 Gypsy Tour participation pins on my cutoff that my great uncle pulled off his original jacket on the day I rode my Harley in the 1970s to his front yard in the mountains in Oregon he laughed and told me I was a real woman now and that it was genetic in my blood lol since he and my grandpa used to zip me in their jackets when I was an infant in 1950s to give a ride so I would stop crying and go to sleep lol
Ridgid frames springers and knobies ( sometimes) just good clean fun. No specialized racing equipment no clubs shooting at each other some folks even havin picnics. Times were better
What a great video. One of the subtle things I like about it is that it was during a time when racism was rife but (unless my eyes deceive me) for one beautiful moment Blacks and Whites are helping each other out and united by their love of modified machines and the thrill of speed.
Knuckles win again, I think, @ 233 it's clearly an OHV,great rider and it's right after that white HD goes down about 3/4 up the hill, not a clear shot but I'd say it's a UL-ULH flatty, I'm still riding and glad Granny married the HD guy, instead of the Indian guy, honey mooned at the falls, on a ,I believe a JD with a DCB-HD hack for granny, she was a hottie. You did a nice job with this hill climb got good vantage point , made my day BTW I too still ride my '38 hot rod Knuckle too, in my 60's
Modesto "Hospital Hill"? Or maybe Peralta Hill Climb in El Cerrito put on by the Oakland Motorcycle Club. for many years. Any idea what is written on the hillside in chalk? If there is more of this footage please post it. Thanks
I found my birth relatives and my grandfather was said to be a marine and Harley hillclimber...Ted Kirtley..probably post wwII. I hope to find out more about him
Pretty please, could you tell me which music was used originally on this video? It was really fitting and I'd like to listen more of it. And video is of course awesome, I've seen it few times already :)
For those who have a longer deficit span - the full version of this film is 17 minutes long and it is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IOzkdgiaiYM.html
Best run was the chap who came down backwards sucking up his exhaust smoke as he did so. Can`t understand having a bloke with a starting flag at the bottom when the bikes are already moving, showmanship maybe?
