1928 Hill Climber
This is one of two Fred Lange Re-Creations. It demonstrates Harley-Davidson's conservative
approach to designing motorcycles coupled with their deep desire to win in competition.
There is nothing exotic about the machinery except for the ingenious combination
of the best materials on hand. This motorcycle used the powerful two-cam engine base
from an F-head motor, and incorporated special factory-made cylinders based on Peashooter
technology. Its transmission holds but a single gear. The in and out selector box
was typical of hill climb specials. The rider would depress the clutch pedal, snick
the transmission into gear by a small hand lever, and engage the clutch at the start
of his run.
The hill climber chassis was a specialized piece of equipment, beefed up with trusses
and extra reinforcement. The front fork was also not standard fare. It sported additional
side trusses and a friction damper.
Everything about this motorcycle is serious, from its special front end to the chain
shod rear wheel.
