MOTOCLECTIC 001

moToclectic TRELLIS FRAME

RIT’s ELECTRIC BIKE IS RACING @ PIKES PEAK!

BATTERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

11 KWH BATTERY

COMPOSITE FAIRINGS

ISSUE

001

On the cover: A CAD rendering of the electric bike that RIT’s Electric Vehicle Team is building to race at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

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Story on page 13

02 | MOTOCLECTIC

ISSUE

001 CONTENTS

STAFF SCOTT WAKEFIELD Editor-in-Chief

DAN HOSEK Art Director

CONTRIBUTORS Jon DelVecchio, Al Eckstadt, David E. Laiacona, Tom McCann, Rich Odlum, RIT’s Electric Vehicle Team, David Werner

02 | R IDER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY 04 | F ROM THE TEAM

Words of wisdom from us, served up for you

06 | I NTERVIEW: RIT’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE TEAM

Smart students build an electric motorcycle to race at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

13 | 3 0 YEARS TO ITALY

Long-time friends take the trip of a lifetime, 30 years in the making

20 | T HIS IS A GAME CHANGER

Riding safety makes a quantum leap with a Pittsford native’s invention

24 | F ORGOTTEN PLACES: THE CASTLE ON THE HILL Take a peak over the fences into Dansville’s “No Trespassing” history

34 | I NOW OWN A ROYAL ENFIELD INTERCEPTOR Printed by Tri-Tech Inc. tri-techcanada.com © 2 019 DHSW Media, LLC All rights reserved

Beauty cometh from the pig barn

38 | T HE ROUTEMEISTER

A nostalgic trip you can follow to Pinnacle State Park

42 | T HE DRAWING BOARD

So much more than doodles on a napkin

44 | E VENTS

MOTOCLECTIC | 03

FROM THE TEAM We’re ready to roll.

This is not the beginning.

Yes, this happens to be issue NUMBER ONE of Motoclectic Magazine, but it didn’t start here. It started eons ago with an engine slapped onto a bicycle frame, and the rest is wild, free, soulchanging history. And it started with you the moment you hopped on the back of your crazy uncle’s bike, clinging for life, or crashed your first dirt bike and got right back up, or heard the growl of an engine and said “I want that.”

Some of us were so young that it seems like we were always on two wheels; some of us found this passion later in life. Whenever we found it, however we found it, or whatever we ride doesn’t make a difference. We all have a story of beginning, and that hard-to-describe something inside us connecting our spirits.

to tell your story, to connect and grow this community, to do some crazy stuff, and have a blast while doing it.

This magazine is free for you because of the names and faces and businesses you see on the pages. I’ll be straightforward here when I say, go support them! By supporting this magazine, they’ve unquestionably stated they support you and your passion for motorcycles. So grab your riding buddies and check them out. Of course, tell them you saw them here in Motoclectic.

Finally, we’re beyond excited to share Motoclectic with you. Thank you for picking it up. We all have to start somewhere, so we welcome your interaction as we find our stride and try to create Motoclectic isn’t beginning right now. You’re an awesome motorcycle magazine. Contact us holding the fruits of work that began months ago and let us know what you love or hate. You can when, after a few amazing motorcycle enthusiasts always reach us at mail@motoclectic.com. put some faith in us, said, “Heck yes, we’ll support you.” That’s how all this works. We have a passion Here we go!

04 | MOTOCLECTIC

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INTERVIEW

RIT’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE TEAM We had a chance to hang out with and get schooled by the EVT club. The chronicle of the journey starts here.

MOTOCLECTIC: Please introduce us to the past few years have contributed to him being a team lead and what their team is responsible for knowledgeable Team Manager. In addition, to help in the project. the team reach our goals; we have Technical Leads for each sub team of EVT.This includes Mechanical, EVT: Andrew Eberhard is the Team Manager and Electrical, Firmware, Integration and Design. Each his main focus is making sure the team is prepared Technical Lead is responsible for their respective to race at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this team and coordinating with the project leaders to June. His skill and experience from working on keep them on the right timeline and help with any projects with the Electric Vehicle Team over the professional knowledge they may have.

06 | MOTOCLECTIC

The large, metal box in the middle of the bike’s frame will eventually house the battery that will weigh upwards of 175 pounds.

MOTOCLECTIC: Where did the idea to build an electric bike to race at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb come from?

EVT: The decision to compete at PPIHC came from having a highly dedicated team and the drive to take on a new challenge bigger than anything this team has done before. We have had success with our first bike, REV1, for a number of years, but the technology was becoming outdated and other teams were building more powerful bikes.

We couldn’t use REV1 for PPIHC because of the passive air cooling system. On REV2 we developed a water cooling system because the elevation change of the race is enough to make the air less dense and compromise the quality of the air cooling system on REV1. Another motivation is to be ready for the length of the race which requires us to upgrade the battery pack. The REV1 battery pack wouldn’t get us through the entire 13 mile race, on REV2 we upgraded to a 400V pack.

MOTOCLECTIC: Can you tell us a little more about REV 1 (the previous electric bike you built)?

EVT: REV1 (RIT Electric Vehicle 1) was the first electric motorcycle that the Electric Vehicle Team at RIT built. It is based on a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6RR and has a passively cooled 116V, 900 cell battery, a 75hp Zero motor, and Sevcon controller. The team designed and manufactured a custom battery management system (BMS) and low-voltage sub-system (LVSS) for the bike.

In the past we have raced REV1 at New Jersey Motorsport Park (NJMP), which is a track race that tested different aspects of the bike’s performance.

The bike has gone through several revisions including switching from prismatic to cylindrical cells, making custom composite fairings, motor upgrades, and improving electrical systems.

MOTOCLECTIC: What were your initial goals with this new bike? - i.e., hit a certain speed at a certain time mark/go a certain distance/look totally awesome, etc.

EVT: The main goal for REV2 was to make it look totally awesome, prove the capabilities of our team, represent the power of an RIT education, and race at the PPIHC. We wanted to make a new bike

www.motoclectic.com | 07

RIT’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE TEAM

built on our collective knowledge form REV1. We wanted REV2 to not only be competitive with the bikes other teams are building, but blow them away.

MOTOCLECTIC: Blow them away. We like that.

Why did you choose the KTM platform?

EVT: After an extensive six month search we chose to base REV2 off of a KTM Superduke for a number of reasons. These include its trellis frame that we could easily replicate and manufacture, its history of success at the PPIHC, ergonomic profile, price, and availability in our area. We also worked with KTM Technologies in Austria to secure mechanical CAD data of the superduke that was paramount to the success of our build on such a tight timeline.

MOTOCLECTIC: What are the bike’s specs and how does the power of your electric bike compare to the power of a gas-powered motorcycle?

EVT: REV2 has a custom 11Kw 400V 1200 cell liquid cooled battery, modified Emrax 268 motor producing 135hp and 500Nm of torque, a Rinehart PM 100 DXR controller, custom frame, custom fairings, custom battery management system, custom thermal management system, custom strain gauge module, custom low-voltage sub-system, inertial measurement unit, and 4G connectivity.

REV2 will have a similar power output and be relatively the same weight as the stock Superduke.

MOTOCLECTIC: What bikes are you racing against?

EVT: We will be racing against several other heavyweight motorcycles from brands such as Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Ducati, among others. So far there are seven other heavyweight motorcycles that our race time will be compared to.

08 | MOTOCLECTIC

RIT’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE TEAM Final concept renderings of the REV2.

www.motoclectic.com | 09

MOTOCLECTIC: What class is your bike in?

EVT: REV2 is registered in the Heavyweight Motorcycle class for Pikes Peak. Our bike is expected to weigh about 450 pounds by the time it is complete.

MOTOCLECTIC: What have been some of the biggest obstacles so far?

EVT: Our three biggest obstacles have been time, resources, and member availability. Our team took seven years to build our knowledge base and build our first bike, REV1, into what it is today. When we took on the challenge of building REV2—a bike significantly more complex and powerful than REV1—in just one year we knew it would be hard. We try to give as much time to the project as possible, but it can be hard at times because everyone is also a full time student with other obligations and commitments. Being a student team we are also responsible for our own funding. We have two members who are dedicated to acquiring sponsorship for the club and they do a great job, but it is always a challenge convincing people why they should give you their hard earned money.

MOTOCLECTIC: How far along is the bike and is everything on schedule?

EVT: With such a tight timeline, keeping track of our progress has been incredibly important.

We initially broke up the timeline into more approachable segments with specific goals and deadlines. We’ve been able to stick to most of these dates, but have seen minor setbacks as we expected. Our initial soft deadline was to have the bike assembled on March 10th, but we are still working toward this goal for our more realistic

10 | MOTOCLECTIC

On the opposite page, Jeremy Higgins checks out the welding on the frame for the electric bike he’ll be riding at the PPIHC. REV1 can be seen in the foreground.

RIT’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE TEAM

deadline of testing for the first time on April 6th. We have manufactured our frame, are in the process of testing and assembling our battery pack, are calibrating our motor, validating electronic control systems, and have manufactured three out of five fairings. In addition to finishing these tasks, we hope to have Jeremy complete several hours of testing before our public unveiling at Imagine RIT on April 27th.

MOTOCLECTIC: How has support been from the community (Rochester in general and the moto-community at large)?

we are working on. The moto-community has also been kind to us; Rochester EV Accelerator hosted a vehicle showcase on RIT’s campus last Spring, with EVT as a main participant.

MOTOCLECTIC: How did you decide to get Jeremy Higgins to be the rider for the race?

EVT: We got into contact with Jeremy through our Faculty Advisor, who helped us in finding a new rider. Jeremy was impressed with our work, and enthusiastic to help us in whatever ways he could after he initially met with us. He is an experienced professional American Flat Track racer, and has been riding since he was three. Since we invited him to be our racer last December, Jeremy has been working closely with our design and mechanical teams to ensure that REV2 is the ideal bike for him.

EVT: We get a lot of generous support from local Rochester companies through sponsorships.

Without their donations, many of our ambitious goals could not be reached. Some sponsors have even met with us at team meetings, either to recruit students for co-ops, or simply to see what projects Story continues next month

www.motoclectic.com | 11

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The quiet village of Valledolmo, Italy

FEATURED ARTICLE

30 YEARS TO ITALY Beginnings

By Tom McCann

As I stared out over the “Valley of the Elms” the day we traveled the winding roads into the center of Sicily, a rush of emotional memories flooded into my soul. Saying it was a long road home is an understatement. It’s a story of two important, but different people who, in the end, met in a spiritually profound way.

From the roots of my youth, to the friendship I created with my long-time riding partner, Charles “Andy” Fleming, the journey to the village limits of Valledolmo is a series of connections, that had been a parallel course.

www.motoclectic.com | 13

THIRTY YEARS TO ITALY

G

randpa Guarino: My grandfather, Anthony Guarino, was born June 9, 1899 in Valledolmo, Italy (Valledolmo, which translates to “Valley of the Elms”), which is a small village in the hills of Sicily. He was born in the wake of the Italian Unification, a political and social movement that consolidated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century.

my 1979 Kawasaki KZ400 was underpowered and really boring by comparison.

The following winter I was at a local motorcycle swap meet with my then-fincée Annalisa and found a metallic-red 1978 BMW R100/7 with a Lüftmeister fairing for sale. It was love at first sight. Although we were saving for a wedding it was destiny, so I purchased the bike then and there. Now I had some European style of my own to proudly ride with this new couple.

The first decade of this new kingdom saw savage civil wars in Sicily and in the Naples region. These areas were plagued with poverty and violence. By the following year we had become fast friends As a result, many found themselves leaving Italy with Laùra and Andy and we started making for the United States to find a better life. plans for our first motorcycle trip.

My great-grandmother and grandfather were among those citizens. They left behind the life and lands they had been born in to seek, like so many other cultures, a better life that they all had heard about.

We decided to ride to Maine, since Andy has family there. We had not ridden anywhere long distance yet, so my wife and I were ready for anything.

Like so many other new riders we realized only By 1905 they found themselves migrating north after the trip how unprepared we were when it out of New York City to find a place to call came to proper riding clothes. My wife and I home. After meeting up with other family and bought some inexpensive leather jackets from friends that had come to America first, his family the JC Whitney catalogue and black sneakers eventually settled in upstate New York. with fresh blue jeans to round out the ensemble.

A

ndy Fleming: I met Andy back in the spring of 1988. I was working with his first wife, Laùra, at a local company that supplied structural steel. I’ll never forget the first time I saw him. Andy rode up one day during lunchtime on a blue 1981 Moto Guzzi SPII, a beautiful motorcycle that oozed Italian character.

I was introduced to this stranger and he had me wondering who he was. Was this the start of a friendship? And I couldn’t help but think what a cool bike he was riding!

We thought we looked pretty snazzy, until Laùra and Andy rode up.

They had two-piece matching blue, silver, and white leathers (with matching helmets of course) they purchased in Italy back when he was living there. He had met his wife over there in Italy while studying veterinarian medicine.

Andy decided back in 1978 to study abroad to see life after high school from a new perspective and experience a new culture. He fell in love with It had a style all of its own that offered a no- Italy and spent seven years over there, making apologies sound and quickly made me realize that new friends and immersing himself in the culture.

14 | MOTOCLECTIC

THIRTY YEARS TO ITALY Little did I know back then how profound his time in Italy would serve us later in life.

I spent most of the last 20 years working for Country Rode Motowerks, a BMW dealership here in Rochester, as a parts manager. It was a Over all of the years motorcycling with Andy, position I throughly enjoyed. I met many different we always talked about riding in Italy. Andy had people over the years and helped create a spent much of his time living in northern Italy. He community of riders and friends in the process. told me many stories about the adventures he Unfortunately, the owners decided to close had with his friends riding the Alps, and the many the dealership and enjoy some well-deserved curvy roads in the foothills up near Parma. When retirement. What they didn’t realize was the fabric I told him the history of my Italian grandfather they stripped away from me. coming to America from Sicily. We began to realize the die was cast.

I was unemployed with my riding community fragmented. I had no idea what was happening, Even though we are two vastly different people, but in the end was destiny bending parallel roads. we enjoyed our last thirty years of friendship It did however offer a fresh perspective about the together with all of the ups and downs life has sudden amount of free time I had available. Andy dealt each of us. Constantly reconnected by a and I decided it was time, thirty years later, to plan mutual love of motorcycles, he has become my a trip to Italy. I decided not to let unemployment brother and together we decided it was time to stop the fun of planning our motorcycle trip. If we finish the journey home. had a chance to go now, then let’s let this happen and enjoy the process.

The Colosseum was just one of the sights to look forward to on our trip to Italy.

www.motoclectic.com | 15

THIRTY YEARS TO ITALY

We started off by finding some round trip airline tickets to Rome, and planned two and a half weeks for the trip, hoping to have time to journey south out of Rome to Sicily, visit Valledolmo and then take the long ride north up the eastern shore, into the foothills of Parma.

After arriving at the hotel in Rome, we grabbed our walking shoes and made our way around Rome.

We were exhausted but thrilled and excited to be finally together here in Italy.

After spending the part of day one enjoying Rome and the usual sights—The Colosseum, Pantheon, Next we did a lot of research on motorcycle etc.—we stopped for lunch at the first of many rentals. After considering too many options we wonderful cafes. In my opinion, one of the best found a nice small company right in Rome called parts of traveling is stopping for a meal and just Central Italy Motorcycle Tours (www.cimt.it). We soaking in the sights and sounds of the city. decided on two small BMW F650GS twins that were going to be perfect for the trip. Nice and That afternoon we decided to visit a few more light and smooth flickable power for the hills as historical sights, and then go back to the hotel. well as the Auto Strada.

When we returned to our room to clean up and The plan was to fly into Rome around 8AM local head to dinner, Andy realized that he had lost time. We would be jet lagged but it would give his wallet. After the usual amount of panic and us the next two days to acclimate and take in frustration we called the cafe where we stopped the sights. for lunch. They did not have his wallet and we suspected that he was pick-pocketed.

16 | MOTOCLECTIC

THIRTY YEARS TO ITALY After two hours of phone calls, Andy finally cancelled his credit cards and had a new one arriving by Fedex to the hotel the following morning. Thankfully we had enough forethought to stash most of our cash in the safe before we went out for the day and he only lost 80 Euro.

We stopped at the Carbinieri station to report the loss, and it was a good thing we did, because a few days later Andy received a phone call informing him that the wallet was found with just the cash missing and we could pick it up upon returning to Rome.

By the third morning we were anxious to pick up the bikes and start our adventure. The rental agency was on a side street in a newer section of Rome. We organized our belongings in anticipation of repacking everything onto the bikes.

The agency had the motorcycles ready with GIVI panniers and a top case on each. They gave us some bag liners that proved to be invaluable.

It allowed us to keep the panniers on the bikes and just take the liners into the room each night.

We opted out of the SatNav rental and used our phones instead. For a minimum cost each day we They told us that there are packs of pick-pockets had cell and navigation to keep us headed in the that work the crowds dressed like tourists and right direction. prey on the masses of people. We believe it was while we were at the Trevi fountain. It is on a We found ourselves out of the city, finally smaller side street, and there were a lot of people enjoying the back roads we’d dreamt about for crowded to see the sights. The take is this: keep so long. It quickly became obvious that the Auto your valuables close to you and only take what Strada was going to be a primary way to make you need while sightseeing. some time traveling. We really thought we had the

Andy looks out at the Amalfi coast while we were stopped at a scenic overlook.

www.motoclectic.com | 17

The beautiful view we enjoyed as we walked in the town of Amalfi.

This is a country that happily makes a large portion of their highway budget from the speeders, and there seemed to be no shortage.

Even the side roads have electronic speed traps in each village so be careful going through town.

After a while, they become easy to spot. You just need to regulate your speed and keep your eyes peeled.

The afternoon went by quickly and by day’s end we found ourselves along the Amalfi coast.

It can be said, that at times beauty cannot be accurately described, but throughly enjoyed. The Mediterranean is as beautiful as it had been in my dreams. The coast road hugs the rocky walls and we enjoyed the curvy dance as we wound our way around them. The houses are delicately cut into the stone cliffs. Any open spot is filled with lemon trees. Our senses were alive. The road, although laden with cars and lots of motor scooters, still offered us the idyllic journey that only Italy can provide on a ride along the Mediterranean Sea. The town of Amalfi was like a dream, and we knew this was where we needed to stop for the evening. We wanted to continue, but the light was fading and so were we. time to travel the back roads almost exclusively and just enjoy the towns and the sights. The problem is that the roads are not direct. If we had continued on the backroads we would have never travelled the distances we needed to cover each day in order to travel south into Sicily and then back north.

After a meal filled with wonderful food at a nearby restaurant we went to bed with the beautiful blue water playing silently as we drifted off to sleep.

The next few days offered more of the same.

Wonderful weather and views that we hoped would not end.

The Auto Strada is Italy’s version of the New The land rises and falls as we continue south.

York State Thruway. The speed limit is 130 kph (81mph) for most of the country, but watch Story continues next month out for the overhead structures as they record everyone’s speed and will be happy to send you one or more speeding fines if you are not careful.

18 | MOTOCLECTIC

SPONSORED ARTICLE

THIS IS A GAME CHANGER Third Eye Design is improving motorcycle visibility forever with their wireless, helmet-mounted brake and turn signal light.

Since the advent of the 12-volt electrical system, motorcycle tail and brake lights have remained basically unchanged. Because motorcycles have only one small brake/tail light, there just isn’t much candlepower available to attract attention.

Additionally, studies show that human depth perception is affected when a motorcycle is viewed among much bigger cars and trucks, making the motorcycle seem farther away than it really is. Motorcycles by their nature are hard to see.

With the low placement of the brake light, and just a single source of light, being approached by car or truck while stopped is one of the most dangerous situations a motorcycle rider can encounter. These reasons and more have created a demand among motorcyclists for ways to improve visibility.

A

study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) measuring the long-term effectiveness of center high mounted stop lamps in passenger cars and light trucks found that these lights prevent thousands of motor vehicle crashes and injuries each year, and more than a half billion dollars in property damage costs.

did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.” Studies from around the globe share these findings—motorcyclists get hit because they aren’t seen.

Third Eye Design’s story began after its founder experienced a near collision with a motorcycle possessing a low-mounted, hard-to-see taillight.

From this encounter, inView™—a wireless helmet brake and turn signal light—was born. After years of research and development, focus group studies, engineering development and patent work, national market research and a successful U.S. pilot, inView™ was ready for production.

Third Eye Design was founded on the belief that technology can be used to make the world a better, safer place—one motorcycle at a time.

The safety risks associated with riding a motorcycle are higher than those with driving an automobile. The Hurt Report, conducted through the NHTSA and the University of Southern California, showed that approximately 75% of all motorcycle accidents involve a collision with another vehicle, and that rear-end collisions are the most significant risk. Among their findings, it was shown that “the failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic” is the predominant cause of motorcycle accidents. inView™ is a remote helmet-mounted brake and They further report, “The driver of the other signal light utilizing a revolutionary, patented vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle communication technology. This technology

20 | MOTOCLECTIC

provides an energy efficient, wireless lighting system capable of displaying brake lights, turn signal indicators and emergency lights. It is highly visible, and once installed, requires no more user interaction than a standard brake light.

Its operation is fully automatic, does not require switches or the need to turn it on or off.

inView™ key features: • Brake, turn signal & hazard light functionality • Technology so efficient it doesn’t need an on/off switch • Automatic diagnostics that test function, LEDs and battery life • Integration with the motorcycle braking and signaling systems • Deceleration (down shifting) illuminates helmet light and accessory motorcycle tail light (included) • Ultra-bright LEDs—for daytime visibility • Long battery life • Utilizes common, easily replaced batteries • Easily transfers between helmets • DIY installation • Engineered and manufactured in the USA

inView™ uses state-of-the-art LEDs mounted where it should be—at eye level on the back of a motorcycle helmet—to alert motorists when a motorcycle is braking or turning. It attaches to any helmet; the included transmitter connects easily to any motorcycle including those with CAN Bus systems. Its innovative design features built in diagnostics that alert the rider to a successful connection with the transmitter and warns of a low battery situation. It is fully programmable and upgradable to include features such as brake Sold directly through Third Eye Design’s web modulation, multiple pairing options, simple site (www.ThirdEyeDesignInc.com) and select transfer from helmet to helmet, and brakeless dealers nationwide, inView™ is available now. deceleration detection with simultaneous brake light illumination.

Wireless Brake and Turn Signal Light

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Forgotten PLACES

12 | MOTOCLECTIC 24

The

Castle on the

Hill

Just a quick ride down I-390 brings you to a crumbling facade that belies the former grandeur of this one-time cornerstone of health and wellness in Dansville. www.motoclectic.com | 25

FORGOTTEN PLACES: THE CASTLE ON THE HILL

The Castle on the Hill is private property. Be sure to secure all necessary permissions before exploring this space. The people providing information and images for this story have been kept anonymous, to protect the not-so-innocent.

M

any urban explorers (or UrbExers, if you’re cool) already know about this place and how to get there. There’s a lot of great photography on the internet from people who have explored the remains of this once grand castle. It seems like most did it without permission, which we don’t recommend. But, since it’s right in our back yard, it seemed like a no-brainer to shine a little light on this hidden gem.

the lake into the town of Dansville. From certain areas, you can see the decayed edifice of “Our Home on the Hillside” looming through the trees.

Again, don’t ignore the “No Trespassing” signs without permission.

From what I was told—and from all the other accounts on the interwebs—the Castle on the Hill is crumbling and unsafe, though hints of its former majestic architecture can be seen through the peeling paint, mold, and disintegrating brickwork.

It’s pretty easy to get to and, lucky for you, the fastest route down to Dansville is also the most scenic. Hop on I-390 south and take it to exit One night in 1776, the settlers of the fledgling 9. Then, follow route 256 south for a beautiful town of Dansville were startled by an explosion ride along Conesus Lake. Continue south past originating from the nearby hills. Geophysical

A photo from about 1895 of Jackson Sanatorium in all its grandeur. From the Detroit Publishing Company Photograph Collection (Library of Congress).

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FORGOTTEN PLACES: THE CASTLE ON THE HILL

forces had caused a natural spring to erupt out Frederick Douglass, Suan B. Anthony. Elizabeth from the rocks and Breakout Creek was born. For Cady Stanton, Horace Greeley, and Clara Barton decades the creek remained nothing more than a all spoke there. Barton came to recuperate at Our point of interest for the residents until Nathaniel Bingham, a businessman from nearby Rochester, learned of the mineral-rich waters emanating from the spring. A “water cure” spa was created, and the first iteration of the Castle on the Hill opened for business in 1854.

The hydrotherapy spa changed hands several times with no one able to make it work, until it came under the supervision of Dr. James Caleb Jackson. Jackson became a lifelong advocate of hydrotherapy after he made a miraculous recovery from near death at a different institution. Under Jackson, the institute became known as Our Home on the Hillside and grew to national fame, becoming a popular site on the lecture circuit.

Letters from Barton’s time at Our Home. Clara Barton papers, 1805-1958 (Library of Congress).

And how it looks today after years of abandonement.

Year by year, nature reclaims a little more, and soon nothing recognizable will be left.

www.motoclectic.com | 15 27

Home and also kept a residence in Dansville for the next ten years. It was at this time she founded the American Red Cross, assisting in the creation of a local chapter in Dansville (the first local chapter in the country).

James Caleb Jackson eventually passed on his duties at the Castle to his son and daughter-inlaw, who were also both medical doctors. For about a decade they continued operations until an overturned lantern in a pateint’s room casued a fire in June of 1882. The fire completely destroyed the main building. Though many feared it was the end of Dansville’s water cure, the Jacksons opened a new fire proof brick building, larger than the original, called the Jackson Sanatorium.

It wasn’t until 1929, when, one-time wrestler and fitness guru, Bernarr MacFadden, purchased the Jackson Sanatorium and rebranded it as the Physical Culture Hotel. Under his guidance, the Castle regained much of its former glory, though not as a water cure.

The Jackson Sanatorium thrived for several more decades until advances in medicine and pharmaceuticals made the once highly soughtafter “water cure” passé. Eventually the health resort would declare bankruptcy in 1914. It was untilized as a psychiatric hospital for veterans after World War I which was then followed by several The Physical Culture Hotel was about a lifestyle failed attempts to re-establish it as a health resort. of physical wellness through execise, cleanlliness and wholesome diet, as can be seen in this excerpt from “The Physical Culture Creed” from the hotel’s brochure:

W e believe that our bodies are our most glorious possession: that health-wealth is our greatest asset: that every influence which interferes with the attainment of superb, bouyant health should be recognized as a menace.

We maintain that weakness is truly a crime; that sickness is the penalty of violated health laws: that every man can be a vigorous, vital specimen of masculinity: that every woman can be a splendid, strong, well-poised specimen of femininity, IF THE LAWS OF LIFE ARE RIGIDLY OBSERVED. Wow.

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Both time and vandalism have left their mark on the Castle on the Hill over the past 50 years.

www.motoclectic.com | 29

After MacFadden’s death in 1955, the building was acquired by a hotel operator from New York City named William Fromcheck. Fromcheck called the hotel “Bernarr MacFadden’s Castle on the Hill,” but again, a decline in popularity took hold and there was no one to save it this time. The doors to the health spa closed for the last time in 1971. A few efforts have been made over the years to revive the building, but all met with failure. Though fire never claimed this building, time and neglect have.

Yet, through the decay, the splendor of the design and attention to detail can still be seen. This new building was huge. About 300 feet wide, though quite shallow at only about 40 feet deep. From the outside, the craftsmanship of the curved windows and wrought iron balconies still impress today. Peering in through some of the numerous holes created by collapsed walls you can see the remnants of once beautiful fluted columns.

From an area where both wall and ceiling have given way, the remains of once proud arches are visible that likely supported the main hall of the building. Inside, the floors have become a layer of dust and dirt that show the footprints of the many explorers and vandals that have come before. The wood that once supported the floors above have weakened and decayed and completely rotted through in some spots.

Any journey inside seems like it would be dangerous. As if the Castle wants to be forgotten, left alone, and that any unwanted visitor could be swallowed by the fragmenting edifice, joining it in silent witness to the relentless passage of time.

Some historical information was gathered from History of Dansville, 1789-1902 by A.O. Bunnell and F.I. Quick and from Dansville’s Castle on the Hill by David Gilbert, Dansville Area Historical Society.

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I NOW OWN A ROYAL ENFIELD INTERCEPTOR

By Al Eckstadt Jordan, NY • www.bmccny.org

Several years ago, I was working with a guy called Jim White. One day he came in and said to me, “Al, you like British motorcycles, right?” He had found an Enfield in the barn of his sister-in-law’s father and bought it for $150.00! We determined it was a Royal Enfield 750 Interceptor and I gave him some photocopied magazine articles to encourage him to fix it up. Jim left the company, but I would still see him from time to time and ask him if he had done anything with the Interceptor.

The answer was always “No.” A couple of years later I ran into him and, of course, asked if he still had the Enfield. Yes, he still had it and he asked if I wanted to buy it from him. Oh Wow! Yes! I definitely would buy it… if I had the money. But, since I couldn’t afford it I agreed to help him sell it. I called him the next Saturday and went over to look at it.

34 | MOTOCLECTIC

I

had discussed buying the bike with Mrs. E, my wife and chief financial officer, and she was interested. So I said, “What if he gives me a really good price, like $500 or less? Can I buy it?” She agreed as long as it was not over $500.

I had never seen the bike but imagined how it must look. The reality was nothing like what I pictured.

I was stunned at the appearance and condition of the machine. It was partly disassembled, covered with grime and very rusty. I figured all kinds of parts must be missing. We stood there talking about it, looking at the bike and the pile of parts.

Jim told me he wanted $400 for it. We looked some more. I said “Will you take any less for it?”

He said he’d take $300. Now, I knew what he paid for it but I didn’t say anything because that was more than a fair price. I said OK. I took the bike home that morning. It smelled like the pig barn it was stored in. I rolled it out on to the lawn along with the loose parts. Every time I turned around, my dog Jammer was sniffing it. He had never smelled anything like it before.

It was very strong. I washed it and scrubbed it down, and he still could not keep away from it!

Surprisingly, the thick layers of grease and grime protected the chrome on the wheels and fenders and elsewhere— except the tank. It had a lot of surface rust, but was clean inside. After she was cleaned up a bit I took some of the parts—like the fender and seat—and stuck them in place so I could see what the bike would look like and see what was still missing.

After posting on BritBike Forum, I found out that this Interceptor was a 1967 TT7 model, Series 1A—one of only 175 made with the engine designation YC, and probably one of the last ten bikes assembled in the original factory. It was remarkably complete. I thought it must be missing the side covers— all British bikes have curvy side covers, right? Well, no. There is only the metal work that you see, and the battery sits in there completely exposed. There is a coil cover and a small loop bracket above the “side cover” metalwork that is missing. The rear brake lever is missing the swivel bushing where the rod passes through and adjusts. It was missing some nuts and bolts. As ugly as it was, some parts appeared to be very usable, like the cables and wiring. The instruments looked good and the headlamp lens was like new. I even had the leather straps they used to secure the cables and wiring (though stiff and dry).

www.motoclectic.com | 35

The bike right out of the barn.

Opposite page: The hard work paid off.

My plan was to get the engine running. I went through the bike, polished it up as best as possible and fixed what it needed to be ridable, all while keeping it as original as possible. It still had the New York State inspection sticker from 1974 on the headlight mount. I kept the rusty chrome tank as a badge of honor, a memorial to the original owner. I had it running by August and put 100 miles on it. Over the winter it was refurbished with new wheel bearings, tires, chains, cables, a paint touch up and more.

Today it has new Amal carbs and runs great.

The 7-inch single leading shoe front brake was

36 | MOTOCLECTIC

replaced with an Enfield twin leading shoe brake which makes it much safer to ride. I upgraded the Lucas 4CA contact breaker plate to the 6CA, with more accurate timing adjustment. Some of the lighting was replaced with halogen bulbs. The Interceptors require a “primer” kick before turning the ignition key. It usually starts immediately and what a sound it makes when it fires!

Thanks to members of BritBike Royal Enfield Forum, the Royal Enfield Interceptor Owners website, the Yahoo Interceptor Group, Hitchcock’s in England for parts and parts breakdowns and especially my wife Tamara for her patience.

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FEATURED ARTICLE

THE ROUTEMEISTER

By Jon DelVecchio

Greetings fellow motorcyclists! When the editors of Motoclectic broke the news about starting a local motorcycle scene magazine, I immediately wanted to be a part of it.

I’ve lived in Rochester my whole life, spending about a third of it riding the roads within a 200-mile radius. Along the way I’ve discovered some fantastic routes.

I found some on my own, but many of them were suggested by the previous generation’s riders, passing the torch to me.

Jon and the Routemeister.

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A

while back I was lucky to come across a veteran rider nicknamed the Routemeister.

I figured with a name like Routemeister, his roads had to be good. His wavy gray hair, charismatic smile and faded Aerostich suit added even more to his mystique. He was a damn fast rider! Before following this guy around, I had no idea how many curvy roads there were within an hour of Rochester. I truly wanted to ride like him.

The Routemeister took me on jaunts that started in Monroe County and crossed into Pennsylvania without going through any major towns. He knew how to string together backroads in a way that were twisty as hell and traffic-free for hours.

I asked him once how he discovered such awesome nearby roads. He told me that he and a friend looked at a map and decided to spend their Sundays one summer riding every road in Steuben County.

Although there are too many day trips from Rochester to share in a single article, I’d like to offer one of the most meaningful to me. This is the first ride the Routemeister took me on.

However you prefer, get to either of the two gas stations in Canisteo, NY on route 36. That’s a good first stop where you can gas up and grab a drink.

Hop back on your bike and continue down 36 out of town. Hang a left on route 119, which goes by Canisteo River Rd. Take this all the way to Addison.

The first time you ride this road you’ll be blown away by the scenery and sweeping turns. If you have lots of time, turn left or right off 119 to ride the county roads back and forth that crisscross it.

www.motoclectic.com | 39

The Routemeister enjoys the view from one of the picnic tables in Pinnacle Park.

Once you get to Addison, find Pinnacle State Park. With the passage of time, I saw less and less of It has a golf course with a clubhouse set right on the Routemeister in local motorcycling circles. top of a high peak, hence the name.

Last I remember talking to him he was club racing an SV650 in his mid-seventies! He passed away Arrive at Pinnacle Park around lunchtime so you last year in hospice care, with perhaps a few can sit down and enjoy a tasty burger outside on comforting memories of the roads taken on his the picnic tables that overlook the valleys below. motorcycle.

On my first trip there, when I took out my wallet to pay for my share of the bill, the Routemeister said, Go enjoy this ride, folks. And as you’re grinning “I got this one.” I always thought that was cool and in your helmet, try to envision the Routemeister did the same thing whenever I brought my own rippin’ those roads ahead of you on his red Honda friends there for the first time.

VFR. Godspeed and happy trails.

There are many options for travel back to Rochester. My advice is to set your navigation system on “shortest distance” to Bath. From there you can take the expressway home if you’re short on time. If not, head to Naples, then continue on north to home.

40 | MOTOCLECTIC

Jon DelVecchio is a member of the Rochester Sport Motorcycling & Touring club (r-smat.com). He also operates a motorcycling school, Street Skills LLC, that specializes in cornering skills (corneringconfidence.com).

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EVENTS PAGE

PLACES TO GO AND PEOPLE TO SEE Check out these local events, happenings and meetups in the area and support your moto-community.

EVERY WEEK!

Every Thursday at Leaf & Bean Coffee Company - 3240 Chili Ave, Rochester - all year, come hang out, 7pm till they kick you out.

EVERY

The Roc Moto Social 2nd-to-last Wednesday evenings starting in April; Location TBA - Follow The ROC Motosocial on Facebook and on Instagram @rocmotosocial

APRIL

5th Annual GCCC Motorcycle Swap Meet - April 14 - Greater Canandaigua Civic Center, 250 N. Bloomfield Rd. Canandaigua. $5. Food available, free parking. Phone: 585-396-3688

APRIL

Vintage Saturdays - Stan’s Harley-Davidson April 20 11:00AM - 1:00PM - Ride your old iron!

More info at www.standhd.com

APRIL

Run to the Windmills - April 28, 1PM. Meet at Bob’s barn, Corner of Rt. 19 & County Rd. 49, Canadea RSVP 585-610-8721

MONTH

14 20 28

DOWN THE ROAD

Rust and Relics Show & Swap Meet - Curtiss Museum, Hammondsport May 3-4 9:00 - 4:00 Spring Vintage Swap Meet - Jim’s Motorsports - 10277 State Route 34, Weedsport, NY 13166, 315-626-3400 Americade 2019 - June 3-9, Lake George, NY

Please email any events or meetups you run or know about! email: events@motoclectic.com

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