Indian Motorcycle is returning to its hill climbing roots after more than 80 years away from the sport.

The company announced Monday it's entering the upcoming AMA Pro Hillclimb Racing Series with a modified version of the FTR750 flat track race bike. The bike will be piloted by Indian's newest factory rider, 10-time AMA Pro Hillclimb Champion John "Flying" Koester.

“It’s an absolute honor to represent Indian Motorcycle as it makes its dramatic return to hillclimb racing on the same machine that literally changed the game for flat-track racing over the past four years,” said Koester. “We’re excited to unleash the FTR750 on the hill, with our minds firmly fixed on the ultimate goal of capturing a championship.”

Koester, along with father and crew chief Gordy Koester, guided the transformation of the FTR750 into a "full-fledged hill shredder." The modifications include an extended swing arm, knobby tires, redesigned back tail and an upgraded Rekluse clutch to account for the demands of hill climb racing. The team also worked with S&S to design a custom exhaust system.

“We are always looking for exciting and unique opportunities not only to compete, but to also demonstrate the prowess of our engineering and design teams and the capabilities of the incredible motorcycles we develop,” said Gary Gray, Vice President Racing, Service and Technology for Indian Motorcycle. “We’re not only fans of hillclimb racing, but with our brand’s history in the sport, it was a no-brainer that we’d make our return after all these years.”

Original Source [bizjournals]