Located near the Indonesian village of Malaka, the area is a breathtaking mix of high cliffs and beautiful white sand beaches all of which hold views of the crystal clear blue sea. Not the place where you would expect to find a Hillclimb competition.
Hillclimb competition essentially is a drag race up the face of a steep hill, with each rider allowed at least two attempts. The Lombok hill climb is one of those competitions that pushes both riders and machines to the limit through a steep 200-meter climb.
There are some forms of motorsport that seem to simply defy logic, and the laws of gravity at the same time. Yet, there always seems to be a brave bunch of enthusiasts who are willing to take the risks early on and create something from nothing.
The credit for inventing hill climbing goes to none other than the groundbreaking Indian Motorcycle Company. In the early 1900s, Indian would run their motorcycles up the steepest hills around the Springfield Massachusetts factory to prove that they were powerful enough to go over some of the roughest terrains.
What started out as an exhibition to prove manufacturer dominance, has turned into a legitimate and sanctioned sporting event that pits highly customized motorcycles against mother nature and gravity.
These exhibitions started to gather an audience, especially since not every ride up the hill would go as planned, and the antics of falling riders were just too hard to ignore. Within a few short years, these demonstrations turned into recurring events, and manufacturers like Triumph were also muscling in on the action and looking to challenge Indian in timed events. American stalwart’s Harley-Davidson joined the Insanity around 1910 and quickly began to dominate the sport. Yes, pushing a motorcycle at insane speeds up the hill became a sport.
Photos by Kevin Pentaxian
