Hall of Fame: Indian Factory Hillclimber

Bob Armstrong was among the first generation of racers brought up on motorcycles. The son of legendary Class A racer Erle Armstrong, Bob Armstrong was born in Denver in June 1909 and was raised around motorcycles and racing.

By the time Armstrong was 18, he was already a multi-time AMA amateur national hillclimb champion. Despite being an amateur, he was among the most talented hillclimbers in the country and had access to top-level equipment. Armstrong set some of his titles riding this 1927 Indian Factory Hillclimber.

The bike, named the “Altoona” after the historic Pennsylvania hillclimb event, was built by the Indian factory with one purpose: to race up hills. It had an 80-cubic-inch V-twin side-valve motor with high-lift cams and a 5.33-to-1 compression ratio. Ball bearings, rather than bushings, were used throughout. It had a single-speed competition gearbox.

Its extended swingarm and rigid frame were mated to a sprung front end, while a massive rear sprocket ensured ample torque was readily available to the chain-wrapped rear tire.

Armstrong competed on the bike from 1927 through 1930. He turned pro at the end of 1929, winning his first pro race in Somers, N.Y., over fellow Hall of Famer Joe Petrali, setting a new hill record in the process.

Tragically, Armstrong died in a boating accident early the next year, but he nevertheless made his mark on the history of the sport, setting many hill records on this factory Indian and others.

Restored by the late Earl Bentley, this Indian is a prime example of a classic pure factory racer. It is on display at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio.

Donated to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame by Earl Bentley