MOTOCLECTIC 010

moToclectic SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

ISSUE

010

moToclectic

RIDER FRIENDLY DIRECTORY

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Stan’s Harley Davidson 4425 West Saile Dr. Batavia, NY 14020 585-343-9598 www.stanshd.com

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Lever’s Cycles

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Lane’s Yamaha

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Pace Windows

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City Limit Moto

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Waters Auto Body & Paint 411 West Ave Albion, NY 14411 585-589-7100 www.watersautobody.net

Hebeler Sales & Service 6466 Main Rd Lockport, NY 14094 716-625-8744 www.hebelers.com

ISSUE

010 CONTENTS

STAFF SCOTT WAKEFIELD Editor-in-Chief

DAN HOSEK

Creative Director CONTRIBUTORS Johnny Highside, Tom Owejan, Dale G. Cuer, Amber Higgins, Brian Dawson

COVER ART BY

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

Put on your party hats

04 | T HE HAWK’S NEST

Do not attempt to become the Sorcerer Supreme

08 | O NE YEAR LATER

A note from Amber Higgins

10 | SLIDE SCHOOL

It’s “crack on crack”

20 | 1 965 SUZUKI HILL-BILLY

Tom Owejan throws a gas tank into the dryer

26 | G ASTRONOMICAL

The winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this plate of New York

Brian Dawson Printed by Tri-Tech Inc. tri-techcanada.com

36 | T HE ADVENTURES OF DRAKE HOLLANDER The story begins here!

© 2 020 DHSW Media, LLC All rights reserved

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS

RICHARD APPS FRED W. BELTZ JEFF QUIGLEY

CHUCK N DEB SHOW COLIN DENTINO

STEVEN CASE JOHN PARSONS

DAN KENNELLY

MITHUN MUKHERJEE

JOE ABBOTT

TOM OWEJAN

SCREAMING BANSHEE

JOHN HODGETTS

ROME CELLI

RICK HUGHSON

MICHAEL MARINO

TRACY EDWARDS

RUSSELL BURGOYNE

MIKE MILLER

JESSICA REESE

www.Patreon.com/Motoclectic

Join Patreon for as little as $1/month for access to MOTOCLECTIC+ content!

FROM THE TEAM Popular advice from self-help gurus is to celebrate the little steps along the way toward your goal. This is great advice, because some goals are so lofty that they may seem impossible to attain, but if we take note of our progress, we’re infinitely more likely to reach those goals, however distant. We often call these milestones, because - did you know? milestones were, and sometimes still are, actual stones placed every mile to help travelers keep track of their progress toward a destination.

Is this a milestone? Because it certainly feels like a milestone.

Admittedly, this milestone was supposed to occur months ago, but that was out of our hands. It’s proverbial water under a long-past bridge. Onward and upward is the only option!

So now you have in your hands MOTOCLECTIC 010! Double-digits! We’re not ashamed to say we feel like a 9-yr-old who just woke up on his 10th birthday. In fact we might even wear “I’m 10!” pins for a few days.

Mock us, but we’re rubber, you’re glue...

This is where a serious person might say, “But all joking aside...” and then go on to blather about some boring nonsense. You probably guessed that such inanities have no place in this tenth typographical greeting. Space is a premium in magazines, and we’re reserving this spot to celebrate!

Our goal is to create a fantastic, entertaining, quality magazine that showcases the unique culture of lovers of motorized mayhem. We’re doing it! You’re here with us! Why don’t you celebrate too?

“But how?” you ask. Ha! We know you’re not actually asking that. We know you celebrate life and goals in your unique way - by ripping down the road, packing a bag and heading who-knows-where, by enjoying a drink with friends, by laughing with family, and by telling stories throughout it all.

Celebrate milestones. Send pics.

And here’s to triple-digits!

CONTACT US! To inquire about advertising opportunities: advertising@motoclectic.com To let us know about any upcoming events: events@motoclectic.com For general inquiries: mail@motoclectic.com To contact Scott directly: scott@motoclectic.com To contact Dan directly: dan@motoclectic.com

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FEATURED RIDE Upstate Waypoints

THE HAWK’S NEST Story and photos by Johnny Highside

04 | MOTOCLECTIC

Have you ever wondered where those neat twisty road backgrounds you see in motorcycle ads are located? Well, one of them is in upstate New York. While it’s right near the border of what many consider Upstate, the twists, turns and scenic views from the Hawk’s Nest in Deerpark, New York, make it a must-stop on a ride to the Tri-State Area or other points south or southeast.

www.motoclectic.com | 05

UPSTATE WAYPOINTS: THE HAWK’S NEST

T

he half-mile stretch of New York State Route 97 is about five miles northeast of downtown Port Jervis, New York, and runs along a rockface above the eastern bank of the Delaware River. Though Google Maps estimates the ride

through the set of 17 corners lasts less than a minute, Hawk’s Nest is a fun, short ride and makes a great scenic background for snapping some stunning photos of your motorcycle.

The scenic Hawk’s Nest is only about an hour from Motorcyclepedia Museum in Newburgh!

According to a historical marker placed next to one of the four scenic overlook parking areas along the Hawk’s Nest route (a fifth overlook area is located south of where the series of turns begins), the road was built as a one-lane dirt road in 1859 and was paved in the early 1930s. The road’s curves are a product of how closely it follows the contours of the rockface into which the right of way was cut.

The road is part of New York State’s 53-mile Upper Delaware Scenic Byway, which was created in 2002.

Photos of the Hawk’s Nest road have been used in print and Internet car and motorcycle advertisements, such as the 1989 TV commercial for the Porsche 944 Series. The road also was used for the driving scene in the 2016 Marvel Cinematic

06 | MOTOCLECTIC

UPSTATE WAYPOINTS: THE HAWK’S NEST Scene from Dr. Strange featuring the Hawk’s Nest

Universe movie Dr. Strange, where the title character recklessly drives a sports car. Dr. Strange crashes his car, and his injuries cause him to lose his ability to practice medicine and start him down the path of becoming the Sorcerer Supreme.

Though the road is a lot of fun to ride, it’s not the best road to ride aggressively. The tight turns and

steep slope on the west side of the road make for potentially tragic consequences if something goes wrong. The road is the scene of crashes each year, including one in June 2020 where firefighters had to take a boat on the river to rescue a motorcyclist who’d crashed, gone over the retaining wall, and slid down the side of the gorge.

www.motoclectic.com | 07

FEATURED ARTICLE

ONE YEAR LATER

By Amber Higgins On September 2, 2019, Jeremy Higgins was badly injured during a race at the Springfield Mile in Illinois. A year later, his miraculous recovery is a testament to his will, the commitment of his wife, Amber, and the guiding hand of something more. Amber summed up the experience, and with her permission we share its message with you.

Today is not necessarily a day I’m loving having an “anniversary” for, but it’s the first anniversary of Jeremy’s accident in Springfield. My heart and my head have been a tangled up knot of emotions, so bear with me. I hope that our experience in some way can bring light to anyone who is in need of it.

believe in such things or not, Chris has physically shown us his presence in our most desperate times, and when he’s just wanting to do so.

Now, I grew up going to church, reading the Bible, going to Sunday school, attending church camp.

But I never really knew what it meant to have a Without going into too much detail, most of you relationship with God. It wasn’t until day 6 of Jeremy know that Jeremy suffered a severe brain injury being in a coma that I gave up. I literally gave up from a motorcycle accident one year ago. He was the hope that I had mustered up inside myself, it put into emergency surgery where just wasn’t enough. I remember that they removed the entire left front of day vividly. I couldn’t even be in his I hope that our his skull to relieve pressure. He also ICU room anymore. I wandered the experience in had a tear to his brain stem which halls, cried for hours on end, sat on the miraculously was in such a fashion window sill overlooking the parking some way can that it did not leave him brain dead. garage and just felt so sorry for bring light to ourselves. I could not get out of my anyone who is in own head. I needed more than what I One year later, Jeremy has made just need of it. could give myself. As I sat in the empty shy of what would be considered a hallway by the cath lab, I watched out full recovery. His “deficits” are minor the window, just hysterically crying. For the first time and can still improve further. in my life I asked for a sign. “Please just show me The part of this story that I really want to focus on is a sign, show me a sign that everything is going to work out”. And out that window passed a butterfly. the hands that held ours to get us through this past At first I ignored it but that dang butterfly wouldn’t year. It is with absolute certainty that we know God go away. I shrugged it off and kept pacing, crying, and Chris had a hand on us every single step of this pacing, crying. Then I thought about that butterfly journey. Many people may not know that Jeremy’s again. I thought I’d look up what a butterfly means best friend Chris passed away 17 years ago, but has symbolically just to see. continued to be his guardian angel. Whether you

08 | MOTOCLECTIC

Butterflies have a deep connection with the soul.

Retreat from the outer world and into our inner being.

Emerge from within. Transform. Endless potential.

God was a lot more present for me after I acknowledged that I could feel him in our lives. It seemed so easy to integrate him in. Like he’s just been waiting to be recognized by us so that he could bless us in a way we never knew we could be before.

Naively I again shrugged it off. Must have been a coincidence. Later that night as we were settling in, Jeremy’s nurse Katie was scanning in his meds, The journey we took to get to where we are now my mom on the other side of the bed reading a has not been easy, and it will still be challenging. magazine, me watching Jeremy However, getting to this point is the and talking to him as I always I literally screamed biggest blessing that has ever been did. I said “Jer can you open your given to us. I feel this bubble of guilt “Oh my God did eyes” like I had said about every that rises up inside of me and sits you guys see that?” heavy on my chest when I think about 10 minutes of every day. And that man raised his eyebrows at me.

Of course nobody other individuals who have not had He tried so hard to open those the recovery that Jeremy has, and the had, and I felt like ones who were unable to recover. eyes. I literally screamed “Oh my a crazy person. But I struggle with that on a daily basis God did you guys see that?” Of course nobody had, and I felt like and wish so desperately that I could man, I could not a crazy person. But man, I could take my eyes off of do something about that for those not take my eyes off of him even individuals and their families. The only him even more. more. I watched him like a hawk. thing I have been able to muster up But I wasn’t crazy, and throughout is that I promise that we will NEVER that night and the next morning, Jeremy started take a single second of this life for granted. This to emerge from his coma. That butterfly wasn’t a “second chance” is one that will never be wasted, coincidence. Of that I was now sure. and will not be in vain.

I started to look back at the previous week and could understand myself and my feelings a little more. With me being a nurse I have seen the worst and prepare for the worst. I pictured Jeremy in a wheelchair, unable to feed himself, me becoming his caretaker, us never being able to have the family we dreamed of, him not finishing his apprenticeship or being able to take pride in his work ever again. I would picture these things often, way too often. But then there was this voice inside my head that always shut that down. It would make me retreat those thoughts and focus elsewhere. At first I thought I was just a dumb child who was too naive to see the potential havoc this injury would reap on us. Knowing what I know now, that voice inside my head shutting down those neågative thoughts was the reassurance from God that I was ignoring. He was telling me not to crowd my head with that nonsense so that I could focus on Jeremy, now as he is, 100%, and get him back. He knew that those wouldn’t be our outcomes.

I have always hated the term “blessing in disguise” but I truly believe that this accident was of design.

For both of us, racing was our entire lives for 24 years, it’s a part of our being. But without racing has brought new adventures into our lives and has sent us down a different path, whatever that path may be (to be determined of course). But it truly has transformed how we live our lives, how we approach each situation, how we communicate with each other. It has brought this light into our lives that seemed to be slightly dim before­—but how would you know it’s dim until you see the potential of that light? Food for thought.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us, stuck by us, been our light in dark moments, our encouragement. We are so grateful for all the love we have received. Please love one another and live every moment to its fullest potential.

www.motoclectic.com | 09

FEATURED ARTICLE

by Scott Wakefield We spent the day at Royal Enfield’s Slide School powered by Johnny Lewis’s Moto-Anatomy. Thanks to Royal Enfield’s Global Brand Manager, Breeann Poland, for making slide school a reality.

When Breeann Poland shared the link for Slide School in the Royal Enfield USA Facebook group, I did not hesitate to click it. I had seen videos from India’s Slide School, and now it was coming to the US? How could I pass up this opportunity? The chance to learn a rad skill astride a Royal Enfield Himalayan was more enticing than buy-one-get-one-free peanut butter milkshakes.

Johnny is interviewed before the start of class

10 | MOTOCLECTIC

The custom-built watering truck kept the track in great condition on a hot, dry day.

D

ate & location? Perfect. August 8th, just south of Cleveland Ohio. With a shoestring budget, a there-and-back-again trip would suit us nicely. I quickly filled out the registration, fearing that class would fill up, and was pleased to see the confirmation arrive in my inbox. Next I opened my countdown app and plugged in the details. It was real, and I couldn’t contain my excitement.

To be clear, I have very little off-road experience. I was most definitely nervous about not only riding on the dirt, but also sliding a bike sideways with my foot down. I understand the overall theory and physics behind the practice, but putting it into play is a completely different bag of worms. But then, I didn’t start riding motorcycles to stay in a cozy safe comfort zone.

Leading up to the school, I communicated with Johnny about taking pictures, writing this story, and my lack of experience and gear. Johnny reassured me that the school is for all skill levels, and that he

had plenty of gear. He even kept his composure when I mentioned my waistline.

[This is where I skip all the boring bits about driving there, checking in, etc.]

After getting geared up, we went right into ground school, and while the beastly modified Ford Econoline watered the track, Johnny explained how the rest of the day was going to run, starting with the fundamentals of flat track riding. Basic motorcycle skills still apply to this outrageous method of going round and round, but big differences make big differences. For instance, it’s important to sit with one’s crotch firmly smooshed against the tank, and to also be “crack on crack” as Johnny put it. That means, the split betwixt your gluteus (glutei?) should rest along the right-side seam between the seat and the bike’s bodywork, with your hips turned toward the left. It’s also important to press your right knee into the tank when turning… among other things.

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Above: Scott geared up and ready to attack the track (thanks to Cody Johncox for loaning us a jersey) Below: Johnny explains the basics

12 | MOTOCLECTIC

SLIDE SCHOOL Ok. I filed this away. But I learn by doing, and until I applied it, it wasn’t quite sticking.

No sweat. I could do that all day!

With 10 riders and 5 bikes, he split us into 2 teams. I was happy to be in the second team, as this meant I could watch others give it a go, while Johnny pointed out what they were doing wrong.

But with each lesson, Johnny added a new skill. Ever so slowly I started to push the bike - and myself a little harder, and attempted to apply what I just learned. Everything was perfectly paced. I never felt like it was too much to digest.

We started with going around the track in first gear, getting comfortable with the feel of the dirt, the glaring omission of a front brake, the seating position, throttle response, and so forth.

My only complaint is that we had to stop. Just as I was starting to really get into it, the constraints of time would weigh in, and we’d be called back into the paddock. That’s really ok, because it was time to

The FT411 is a lightly modified Himalayan made for flat tracking. For Johnny’s full description of the upgrades, check out our YouTube channel.

www.motoclectic.com | 13

SLIDE SCHOOL

14 | MOTOCLECTIC

SLIDE SCHOOL

www.motoclectic.com | 15

A demonstration of proper starting line technique

learn something new. During one of these sessions, Ben Groh stepped in close to give me some advice.

He told me I was catching on, but I wasn’t twisting my hips outward. “Do that,” he said, “and you’ll be a million times better.”

zipped - slid, even - around the turns. The sensation was fantastic! To be clear, I looked nothing like the seasoned racers who compete elbow-to-elbow against the toughest competitors, but I certainly kinda, sorta felt like one.

I can’t confirm that I was a million times better, but that tip was a colossal boost to my comfort level.

Turning my lower body allowed me to get my leg at the correct angle, but even more so, I realized that the instructors were watching us, cared about our success, and were ready to help with encouragement and guidance.

Now that I was getting it, I never wanted to stop.

Confidence rose with every lap. We cracked the throttles and hit the rev limiter. Out of the turns, “WHAAAP-AP-AP-AP” would burst from the throaty S&S exhausts. Speeds increased; dust blew higher, and long rays of late-day sun sliced across our happy little racetrack. Many of us were getting it. That left foot was out, the bike was tipped, and we

16 | MOTOCLECTIC

Finally, sadly, we did have to wrap it up. We killed our engines for the last time, stripped off gloves, helmets, and pads, and, smiling despite fatigue and a layer of dust, took a group picture in front of the Slide School banner. Many of us had long rides home, so we said our goodbyes and parted ways.

After thanking our hosts and Johnny and his crew, we hopped in the car.

[This is where I skip the part about driving home, DQ Blizzards, and staying awake with Top 40 pop music.]

| 17

SLIDE SCHOOL

The crew gets ready for the group shot at the end of the day

I went to Slide School with the goal of leveling up my riding aptitude, to add a new skill (or the basics thereof) to my quiver of motoring abilities, and to have a blast on a Royal Enfield. In the few weeks since, I’ve become more aware of how I ride - how I corner, where I look, what I do with my hands, elbows, and so forth. I also think of the insane fun I had turning left and sliding on my left foot. So at the very least, I’d call that a success.

But there’s more.

I came home with an increased admiration for the time and effort that goes into racing well, and a

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renewed admiration for people like Johnny and Ben who train and cultivate a new crop of racers and riders.

Would I do it again? Despite soreness in strange places the next day, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Thank you to Johnny, his crew, the Lupikas, Bree Poland, and Royal Enfield North America for all the awesomeness of Slide School.

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FEATURED BUILD

1965 SUZUKI K15 HILL-BILLY

by Tom Owejan

Introduced in 1965, the Suzuki K15 Hill-Billy was a 7.3 horsepower, two-stroke, 80cc, on/off road motorcycle requiring premixed fuel and oil. It featured a luggage rack, high pipe, skid plate, and swappable on/off road sprockets. Dry weight was 155 pounds. It had a top speed of 38 mph with the trail sprocket and 60 mph with the street sprocket. It was marketed as an economical work horse and an all-around fun machine.

Apparently, white clothes didn’t stain in the 1960s.

Marketing and advertisements for the Hill-Billy from 1965-1967

20 | MOTOCLECTIC

T

his small motorcycle arrived at my shop in sad shape. The drive chain was so rusted the bike could not roll until I cut the chain off. The tires were flat and cracked, the seat was disintegrated (the foam had actually turned into powder), the gas tank was a chemical sewer, the carburetor was seized and‌ well you get the idea. The saving grace was that it was very complete.

The tear down was pretty straightforward. After completely dismantling it down to the bare frame, I media blasted all the painted parts, then repainted them in the original black and silver. I did put a lot of effort into cleaning the fuel tank, which weighed about twenty pounds—full of rust and petrified oil and fuel. First, I washed it out with solvents and detergents removing as much debris as possible.

www.motoclectic.com | 21

1965 SUZUKI K15 HILL-BILLY I then added a couple pounds of assorted hardware—nuts, bolts, washers, etc. I sealed the openings with tape,  wrapped the tank in an old quilt, and stuffed it along with a couple of old pillows into and old clothes dryer and tumbled it for four to five hours on a no heat setting. After removing the hardware and washing the tank out it was clean and ready to reseal. I am sure there are other ways to do this, but this method works well for me.

Next, a fresh piston and rings. I disassembled and cleaned the clutch. I soaked the carburetor for many hours and was able to eventually get it apart. The old fuel mix had literally glued it together! So by now it had a rebuilt carb, new cables, new grips, many hours of polishing chrome and aluminum, and new tires and tubes on cleaned and polished wheels.

The teardown

MOTOCLECTIC 3222| |MOTOCLECTIC

1965 SUZUKI K15 HILL-BILLY

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1965 SUZUKI K15 HILL-BILLY New chain, brake‌ the list goes on. One of the things I have found on nearly all these old machine restorations is that they are loaded with incorrect hardware and much time is spent trying to sort this out. A shop can never have enough hardware.

So now that it is finished, this Hill-Billy will be added to the Japanese section at Motorcyclepedia Museum,

24

an area of the museum we are currently expanding.

When you take into account how many new models each of the big three Japanese manufacturers had each year we have a big job ahead of us. For me it is one machine at a time.

1965 SUZUKI K15 HILL-BILLY

This motorcycle—along with over 600 others—can be seen at Motorcyclepedia Museum located in Newburgh, New York. And check out their website at: motorcyclepediamuseum.org

www.motoclectic.com | 25

FOOD REVIEW

GASTRONOMICAL! Dale G. Cuer’s reviews of “plates” in the greater Rochester area is back!

There are a lot of great things about the fall. In fact, it is my favorite time of the year. I love the cooler weather, fresh apple cider, football season, and the change in the color of the leaves. I enjoy the sound of the dry leaves under foot while I am in the woods during the early part of hunting season. Unfortunately the joy of the season is bittersweet. I celebrate all the good things that the fall brings at the same time I begin to lament. I will miss the good riding days, and the times I can hop on the bike and just go. I don’t look forward to snow at all, and I hate to shovel. So I rejoice even as I begin to dread the impending doom of winter.

Whatever must one do to keep their spirits up until the freedom of the road can be restored? How do I not go stir crazy, having to travel everywhere in my four-wheeled glass box? I can only watch “Easy Rider” or “Wild Hogs” so many times before they no longer serve to ease my longing for the open road. I can only sit in front of the bedroom fan, wind blowing on my face, listening to engine noises for so long.

Wait, I have it! There is one thing that I can do! One thing that will bring me joy until the spring finally arrives. I can enjoy a plate from one of the many eateries in the greater Rochester area! There are so many places that have great plates. So many places that are worth a trip out into the snow to visit.

Unfortunately there are also some eateries that are not worth the journey.

If only there were some place where I could get detailed information about plates in the area. Information that was not just a rating of stars. A place that described why the plates got the rating that

26 | MOTOCLECTIC

they did so that I could make an educated decision.

Thankfully that place does exist and it is right here.

Right in the pages of Motoclectic Magazine. If you are reading this then you know it is right here in your hands.

Here they are folks: The next four in my ongoing reviews of garbage plates. This is by no means a thinly-disguised excuse for me to eat at least one plate a week. This column is really, at its core, a public service; an epic sacrifice on my part for the greater good of all humanity. It is fortunate for you, reader friends, that I am so willing to sacrifice on your behalf. Without any further delays here are this month’s reviews.

STEVE T. HOT’S & POTATOES “The Hot Dog Plate”

Steve T.’s is in a great spot just off 490 in Gates, NY. It is an easy place to access and the food was good. It has that traditional “hot dog stand” feel

and the people there were very friendly. It was a good destination for an afternoon ride.

MAC SALAD: 3

The mac salad was cooked al dente but lost a point for not being tangy. It lost another point for not having a very good flavor over all.

HOME FRIES: 4

The home fries were good but they lost a point for not being really crispy.

MEAT SAUCE: 4

This was a good traditional meat sauce. I did subtract 1 point because it was VERY spicy.

HOT DOGS: 5

Great hot dogs. They were split and fried.

MUSTARD AND ONIONS: 5 Good spicy mustard and onions.

OVERALL RATING: 21

SILVERLAKE FAMILY RESTAURANT “The Gitsis Plate” Located in scenic Warsaw, NY, this plate was a pleasant surprise. While not the highest rated plate on my list, it was good, and Warsaw is a

really nice town. It has a well developed main street and they have a great coffee shop (The Vertical Café) just a few doors down from the restaurant.

MAC SALAD: 3

The mac salad was not al dente, losing one point. It had no tang, losing one more point.

HOME FRIES: 3

The home fries lost 1 point for not being even a little crispy. They lost 2 points for the flavor.

MEAT SAUCE: 4

A traditional sauce that had the best flavor of any I have tasted. I did have to dock it a point because it was more like chunky ground beef than an actual sauce.

HOT DOGS: 3

The hot dogs were split and grilled but not very good quality. I could not give them more than a three.

MUSTARD AND ONIONS: 3

The onions were cooked. While I liked them, they did lose a point for this. They lost 2 points because the mustard was yellow and on the side.

OVERALL RATING: 16

www.motoclectic.com | 27

GASTRONOMICAL!

REGAL HOTS “Regal Plate�

I returned to Mt. Morris for another location with a plate. (They must really like their plates in this town.) This eatery is on a side street in town and just a short distance from the dam in Letchworth State Park, which makes for a nice ride.

MAC SALAD: 3

The mac salad lost 1 point for not being al dente. It lost another point for not being tangy.

their thruway trips around a stop at this eatery.

I liked the atmosphere and there are some great places to stop on Main Street. But the plate was not my favorite. The plate came with 1 dog, 1 burger, and 3 sides: mac salad, french fries, and backed beans. No choices. The sauce was a sweet chili sauce and the baked beans were also a bit sweet. Between the two, the whole thing was a bit too sweet for me.

MAC SALAD: 3

HOME FRIES: 3

The mac salad was al dente but lost 1 point for not being tangy. It lost another point for not having much flavor.

MEAT SAUCE: 4

Home fries were not an option so -1 point there. And another -1 because the fries were not very crispy.

They lost 1 point because they did not have home fries. They lost another because the fries were not very crispy.

This was a good traditional meat sauce. It lost 1 point for flavor.

HOME FRIES: 3

MEAT SAUCE: 3

HOT DOGS: 4

The meat sauce lost 2 points. 1 because it was a chili sauce and 1 because it was sweet.

MUSTARD AND ONIONS: 0

HOT DOGS: 4

Unfortunately they get no points because there was no mustard or onions at all.

The hot dogs were split and fried but did not have a very good flavor.

OVERALL RATING: 14

MUSTARD AND ONIONS: 0

No points because of the absence of both.

Good hot dogs split and fried.

OVERALL RATING: 13

MISS BATAVIA DINER I was excited to rate this place because I grew up hearing about this place. People from both Buffalo and Rochester would tell me about planning

I would love to hear from other plate enthusiasts.

If you have a comment or would like to suggest your favorite eatery that serves a good plate, send us an email at info@motoclectic.com.

GASTRONOMICAL

COMPARISON Eatery

Nick Tahou Dog Town Henrietta Hots Wimpy’s Bill Gray’s Steve T’s Penfield Hots Meisner’s Charred

Overall

Salad Fries

23 23 22 21 21 21 20 20 16 Silverlake Fam. Rest. 16 Main St. Pizza 15 Daryl’s 14 Regal Hots 14 Miss Batavia Diner 13 Charcoal Corral 9

Hots

Sauce

4 5 5 4 5 5 4 4 5 3 4 5 5 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 5 4 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 2 1 2

4 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 3

*New entries in bold

Mustard and onions

5 4 4 4 4 5 4 5 3 3 1 3 0 0 1

Nick Tahou and Dog Town still sit atop Dale’s leaderboard. It will take a near-perfect plate to unseat the top two. Send in your suggestions for where YOU think the best plate in town is, and we’ll give you a shout out in the article when Dale rates it.

Dogtown’s Hot Dog Plate

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If you know Scott and me (or even if you’ve read a couple of issues of Motoclectic), you can probably guess that we both have pretty nerdy leanings. One thing we both share a love for is comics, so when we started to develop the idea for a pulpy/noir style story on the roadtrip back from IMS in Cleveland, it seemed like a no-brainer to somehow fit motorcycles into it and get it into Motoclectic!

If you’ve read some of the articles I’ve written for the magazine (Castle on the Hill, Down the Rabbit Hole) or seen the Motoclectic+ (shameless plug—check it out at patreon.com/Motoclectic!) throwback posts, you’ll know I’m a sucker for history. Setting it in the 1910s/20s opened up a bunch of possibilities story-wise and the potential for great visual content due to the explosion of invention going on in the motorcycle world at the time.

32 | MOTOCLECTIC

Research into the early era of motorcycles and board track racing lead to some fascinating facts—the first motordrome was built in Playa del Ray, California in 1910; at its peak, board track racing attracted tens of thousands of spectators; racers barely wore any protective gear despite moving at speeds near 100 mph; this led to a high rate of casualties among racers (and sometimes spectators!) and motordromes earning the nickname “murderdrome.”

We have to thank Motul for getting on board (no pun intended) as our sponsor for this story. They’re a perfect fit—they’ve been producing oil since 1853 (back in the whale oil days!) and have been trusted by manufacturers for their technological developments in the motorsports field for decades.

Without further ado, let’s get on with the show!

august 23, 1917

Come on, Drake!

He might actually win this one, Fernie.

Don’t jinx it, dad!

We got that orange bucket of bolts running better than ever.

There’s no way courbet can pass him this time.

RR! | 33

That was close, but he’s gonna get someone kille That bastard hit me on purpose!

STORY BY DAN HOSEK & SCOTT WAKEFIELD ART BY BRIAN DAWSON LETTERS & COLORS BY DAN HOSEK 34 |

s ed.

TO BE CONTINU ED… | 35

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