Billings Motorcycle Club Preps for World’s Oldest Hill Climb

They started back in 1918 and this year will be the 107th running of the world's oldest hill climb events. Check out the background and how Ken Elwell describes the machines that make it all happen.

Ken Elwell is with the Billings Motorcycle Club and popped into our Montana Talks radio studios to give folks a heads up about the Billings Hill Climb coming up on July 25-26 in Billings, Montana.

Ken Elwell: "This year we will pull in competitors from all over the country and Canada. We have competitors coming in from California, Utah. I believe we got competitors coming in from like New York."

Aaron Flint: "How steep are they climbing, and what does it take to climb basically straight up the side of that hill, right on the banks of the Yellowstone River, essentially?

Ken Elwell: "We're throwing extensions on the bike. We're taking a stock 450 bike and throwing anywhere from six to 12, 1, inches of extensions on the bike. We're putting nitrous oxide on them. We're throwing paddle tires on them. And the wall sometimes is over 90 degrees, most of the time, depending on the class that it is. Some of the bikes are running stock engines that you know, 45 to 55 horse. Some of our nitro bikes are running 220 horse multi cylinder engines, 1,4128 CC's. Some of them are running 1,100 cc's of 14,000 RPMs."

Full audio at the very end of the below podcast:

By the way, Ken tells us this is just one of several events hosted by the Billings Motorcycle Club. Here's a list of several more. And click here if you'd like to become a member: 

2025 BMC Schedule

June 28-29 Elk Basin Cross Country (Outside Belfry, MT)

July 11 Friday Night Motocross

July 12-13 HPMA Motocross

July 25-26 107th Great American Pro Hill Climb

July 25 Great American Trophy Hill Climb

Aug 16- 17 HPMA Motocross

Aug 23 Nighttime Pro Hill Climb

Aug 23 Nighttime Trophy Hill Climb

Sep 13-14 Twisted Coulee Enduro

Sep 13 Flat track

Sep 21 Fall Classic Motocross

Oct 4 4-Hour Marathon Cross-Country

Oct 12 Halloween Hillclimb