Motorcycle Hill Climbing – Vertical Adventure

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Adventure is loved by everyone, but when it gets extreme, all of us may not be up for it. Imagine hills covered with motorcycles racing to reach the top. It includes a daredevil attitude and a motorcycle that can pump enough power to reach the top first. Motorcycle hill climbing is an extreme sport which has a long history. It has been around for a notable period of time and the sport is gaining popularity as more riders join the community of hill climbing partly for the adventure and partly for the risks it involves.

History

The sport began as a mere case of showing off the abilities of a powerful motorcycle built by Indian. The founders wanted to use an innovative way of advertising the new ride so they called the press to the steepest hill in Springfield, Massachusetts. The bike zoomed up to the top of the hill leaving the press in awe of the prototype. News of the bike’s abilities augmented the sales and Indian accomplished what it wanted through this thrilling stunt.

Image credit: dualsportalchemy.com

This awesome demonstration made it clear that hill climbing on a motorcycle was no longer a difficult job, so it became a sport for the adventure-seeking motorists. Riders began to use their usual motorcycles and located the steepest hill in the region. They staged meets and then raced each other to the top of the hill.

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Bike manufacturing companies catered to the growing needs of hill climbing riders, but the group of hill climbers remained a small community. Hill climbing started getting more recognition when the Daytona Motorsports group took over professional motorcycle racing from AMA. The AMA became the sanctioning body of the sport. DMG was created to run, promote and govern top-class motorsports. The PHCA and DMG partnered to bring motorcycle hill climbing championships to the world.

Top Championships

1. Widowmaker Hill Climb

The Widowmaker Hill Climb is held annually or semi-annually in Croydon, Utah. It has become a popular event among the locals as well as nationwide. The popularity grew because of the difficulty level that it portrays for the riders.

2. Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

It is also known as the Race to the Clouds. It is an annual motorcycle hill climb to the summit of Pikes Peak Colorado. With more than 150 turns, the track measures 12.42 miles. The race has been taking place since 1916.

3. Big Sky Challenge Pro Hill Climb

The Big Sky challenge pro hill climb is held at BMC in Billings, Montana.

Places To Motorcycle Hill Climb

Some of the best places to hill climb for motorcycles are Billings, Montana. The Big Sky Hill is a perfect track for hill climbers. The Pikes Peak is another place which is loved by motorcycle hill climb enthusiasts. Red Wing in Minnesota and Bay City, Wisconsin are also some of the most popular places for hill climbers. 

Image credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Classes

Entry class – This class allows almost any motorcycle. The class allows any rider who turns up to be a part of the race. The limit for this class is 450 cc Single. It is mandatory for all the riders to wear a neck brace along with the helmet, gloves and boots. In addition to this every bike must be fitted with a dead man’s switch.

Xtreme – This class allows fours up to 700 cc and twins up to 750 cc. The rules for this class allows custom frames and any fuel up to nitrous or nitro. It also allows paddle tires which can be wrapped in chains or the ones with bolts.

Top Class – This class is for the pros only. The rules allow custom frames and running engines that are larger than 700 cc or twins larger than 750 cc. 

Conclusion

Motorcycle hill climb is an adventure that is gaining popularity. Many bike riders who enjoy the thrill of bike racing on hills, race each other to the top or else they race till the first person reaches the highest point if they are unable to summit the hill. The events have challenges for all bike riders. The thrill of motorcycle hill climbing is accompanied with risks as well.

The hill climb events allow for a variety of motorcycle classes to take part in the championships. Motorcycle hill climbing has seen some of the best motorcycles and some very amazing custom frames as well.

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Ice Racing – Pure Adrenaline

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Ice racing is an insanely cool sport which involves cars, snowmobile and motorbikes slip-sliding on the ice as they compete for the checkered flag. Soaring around frozen turns and balancing themselves on slick ice, ice racers love the sport because of the adrenaline rush that it brings along with it. Taking one of the most popular motorsports and bringing it to ice can sound dangerous but then where’s the thrill to it if it did not have that element of danger lurking around.

From tires that have no traction to those that are specially fitted with screws, the vehicles that are used could be anything from modified ones to the average cars and motorcycles that you would take to your local pub. You can use a variety of vehicles to race on ice depending on the racing levels and the type of championship you are racing for. The dependency of this sport on ice makes it popular in the snowy regions of Canada, North America and Europe. There are events that take place in ice rinks at places that have a warmer climate.

Image credit: blog.caranddriver.com

History

The history of ice racing is not very clear and there isn’t much information on who exactly got the idea of putting a motorbike on ice to race. We can obviously ascertain that the sport bears its origin in countries where the climatic conditions could allow such a sport. The earliest record of ice racing has been recorded in 1924 in Sweden. As the game gained attention from racers, motorcycles began to be modified for getting more traction. In the 30’s, the tires began to be fitted with short studs that made the bikes skid a little sideways on the curves. Slowly, people got more creative and began using longer studs and motorbikes got faster while racing. These long studs were first seen in a race which was held in Stockholm in 1933.

Once the Second World War ended, championships began to be held in Scandinavia and the then USSR. Gradually, the race began to get a wider audience and it spread to Central European countries as well.

International events began to be organized in 1961 in Ufa and Moscow with the first FIM cup being organized in 1963. International championships have continuously been held since and the game has garnered a lot of attention from racing enthusiasts.

What started with motorbikes has now included other types of vehicles and the sport is globally appreciated now. Snowmobiles, cars and all-terrain vehicles are now used in ice racing. The races are categorised into those that have studded tires and vehicles with non-studded tires. Almost all dirt-track racing vehicles qualify for ice racing.

Tires

If you would imagine racing on ice, you may be picturing bikes and cars slipping and sliding as they try to reach the finish line. That is exactly why tires were modified and studs were added to it for traction and better speeds. Many racers use sharpened studs because it improves traction by increasing the penetration.

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Tires do not come pre-studded so racers by the tires and then the pit crew screw the studs to the tires. Menard’s Racing in Wisconsin was manufacturing studded tires for cars in 2008.

Tracks

Ovals and road courses are usually used as tracks in ice racing. Very often, dirt track racing tracks are used for racing with the snow plowed off the tracks. Sometimes, tracks have to be created by spraying a dirt surface with water so that the extreme temperature could turn it into ice. In places that enjoy warmer climates, artificial ice tracks are used. Certain racers also create a track by plowing away snow from frozen lakes. Some of the most popular tracks are:

Georgetown Lake – Located in the spectacular Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Georgetown Lake has a team of ice racing enthusiasts who have been enjoying the sport for over 40 years. Racers can take part in the championship or those who love the sport but prefer to watch it, can join the spectators. There is no entry fee for spectators.

White Lake – The small township of White Lake Michigan has a cool way of spending its long winters – ice racing. The AMA Grand Championship 2016 has chosen the White Lake as its track to hold the championship.

Alpines – Not very far from Geneva and Chamonix in the French Alps is an exclusive ice racing circuit which can give you the experience of pure adrenalin. At an altitude of 5,000 feet the 1 kilometer track is the best tracks that ice racers can find.

Conclusion

The love for extreme sports and the need for thrill drive many racers to enjoy racing on ice. This is a sport that can never be rendered dull.

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The Extreme and Spectacular World of Motocross Racing

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Motocross is one of the most popular and extreme off-road motorcycle racing sports today. It is usually held in an enclosed off-road racing course that is composed of dirt roads, hills, ramps and a lot of mud. The size of the course can allow up to 40motocross riders to race and compete at the same time.

The Bikes

In motocross, the bikes used are much lighter than the normal motorcycles. Aluminum is preferred over other heavier metals to make the bike lighter. The bikes are categorized according to their engine size and it ranges from 50cc to 550cc. Some motocross bikes are customized and adapted according to the rider’s taste and needs. With the harsh conditions of the motocross courses, the bikes have to be very durable to withstand all the big impacts and crashes that may happen during the race.

History

1924 – 1930

The earliest known freestyle motocross was held in 1924 at Camberley in Surrey and this event was known as the Scrambles. Riders in Europe began adding various obstacles and shortening the tracks of the courses in the following years. In 1930,motocross became very popular in the UK and different districts and companies constantly held events.

1950 – 1970

In the 1950, the introduction of the swinging arm suspension greatly improved the technology of the bikes. In 1952, the 500cc European Championship was held by the international motorcycling governing body. It was then upgraded to the World Championship status in 1957. Companies began creating motorcycles that are lighter with more maneuverability. Japan began producing top quality motocross bikes that would rival the European bikes in the 1960s. In the 70s, motocross became popular worldwide, especially in the United States.

1980 – 1990

Japan continued with its high technology innovation of motocross bikes and greatly improved its quality. In the 90s, new laws were introduced, which ensures that the production of four-stroke motorcycles adhere to strict environmental standards.

Today

Motocross has developed different types of riding disciplines such as Supercross, Arenacross and the Freestyle motocross. This type of sport continues to evolve with the improvement of the motocross technology and the demand for more extreme competitions.

Major Competitions

Here are some of the most popular Motocross competitions held in Europe, USA and other countries worldwide:

1. AMA Motocross Championship
2. FIM Grand Prix Motocross World Championship
3. Motocross des Nations
4. British Motocross Championship

Other Types of Motorcycle Sports

Freestyle Motocross

It is also called the FMX and it is a variation of motocross wherein the goal of the riders is to impress the judge with a series of death-defying acrobatic stunts and jumps. The judge scores the acrobatic tricks according to the level of difficulty, style and the crowd reactions. This type of sport was first introduced at the 1999 X Games competition.

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Super Moto

Supermoto or supermotard is an exciting motorcycle competition that combines the asphalt racers and the off-road racers in one big awesome race. The tracks are made out of asphalt and off-road with some jumps. Other Supermoto race has asphalt all throughout the course. The bikes usually undergo modifications with stronger engines, reinforced frames and better road tires. Supermoto was conceptualized to bring the best riders from different genres into one big racing event.

ATV or Quad Motocross

The ATV and Quad motocross is just like the usual motocross event with extreme courses. However, the main stars of the race are ATVs and Quads instead of motorcycles. It is usually held in motocross racetracks across the US and the courses features different obstacles such as dirt roads, wooded trails, hill climbing and creek crossing.

SuperCross

Supercross is another form of motocross racing but the main difference is its highly technical courses that are constructed inside a large sports stadium. The course is considered as very difficult because it has tighter turns, shorter straights and very steep jumps. Since the course is in an indoor arena, the size of the course is limited, which makes it highly technical and extreme.

The Dangers of Motocross

If you have seen a motocross event, you would immediately see how dangerous and insane this type of sport has become. The dangers of this extreme sport are very real and one fatal mistake can be very disastrous. Crashes are very common in anymotocross event and it would seem that injuries are inevitable for most riders. Imagine flying 20 feet high into the air while trying to balance and control a roaring beast of a motorcycle and crashing to the ground with an impact that will rattle your brains out. The most common injuries sustained by the riders include broken ribs, broken collar bones, leg injuries and head injuries. Even if the riders are wearing full protection, the risk of fatal injuries is very real. However, motocross riders risk it all because of the thrill and the adrenaline rush they feel when they compete and race around the unforgiving race track.

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Thrill Girl Lorraine Tully