Motorcycle Touring in The Charlevoix

     The number of motorcycles on the road today in The Charlevoix would make a rally organizer jealous. Hundreds of bikes crossed the thin slice of space-time that represents my travels today.How many passed through Baie-Saint-Paul in the course of the day is anyone’s guess, but this region still remains almost unknown to U.S. riders.
     Most of my day was spent eating. Like Italians, everyone here who is not eating seems to be talking about the highlights of their last meal or the anticipation of the next. My “light” breakfast included 12-grain bread, chocolate bread, and fresh croissants with three types of homemade preserves. Okay, it also included a couple of eggs over easy, orange juice, coffee, and assortment of fresh fruit and berries. My friends were concerned that I wasn’t eating enough! The Charlevoix is foodie heaven.
     Even the most boring of the three primary routes that cut across this ancient meteorite impact crater would be considered a premier touring road almost anywhere in the United States—the River Route is consider to be one of the top ten scenic highways in Canada.

     Most of my morning was spent with Guy Paquette, one of the finest contemporary painters in this country. I’d always admired his work – at least that which I had seen in galleries – but his more personal creations are on a totally different level than his very-much-in-demand (and very pricey) work. Just to add icing on the cake, I like this guy.
      So between eating and hanging out in an artist’s retreat I really didn’t have that much time to cruise the roads of the Charlevoix today, hence my reference to a thin slice of space-time and my surprise at the number of bikes on the road. Now this is hearsay, but it comes from Manon, who is President of the Saguenay H.O.G. chapter and one of only two women in Canada to hold such an office: almost 33% of Quebec motorcycle registrations are women riders (compared to a U.S. average of 12.9%). My observations are that more than a quarter of all bikes are carrying two people. This is May and snow is visible on most mountain peaks – just wait until summer starts!
       All good things must come to an end. So I finish my glass of Chilean wine, pack the T-Rex, and head east on Route 138 seeking the end of the road. It will take me three days to get there.


View Charlevoix Motorcycle Roads Quebec in a larger map

Tracking Down Indians

Tracking Down Indians 

by Ken Aiken

         “Street Sweeper,” the very name evokes an image of a mean, ground-hugging, custom chopper with an absurdly wide rear tire. Whether this was built as a concept vehicle or a production prototype is unknown, but the black and white photos, now curled with age, showed a 1931 Indian Scout attached to a street cleaning sidecar device. Although a strange concept by today’s standards, it definitely was an innovative design in the early 1930’s. The Indian Street Sweeper was patented (#1,922,338) on August 15, 1933 and these photos prove that at least one was actually constructed.  

Yesterday a Nor’easter had dumped a foot of snow on the city streets; today the Polar Express delivered bitterly cold temperatures. I really don’t care since most of my day is being spent in the warm confines of the library sorting through material from the Indian Motocycle Company. This is my second trip to view the progress being made on the exhibits and my first to do a little research in the archives. When Esta Manthos donated the world’s largest collection of Indian motorcycles to the Springfield Museums the gift also included an extensive library of ephemera. Correspondence and personal photos of the founders Oscar Hedström and George Hendee, company sales literature, old photographs, parts manuals, and other papers are piled on tables and shelves as library staff valiantly struggles to collate, copy, and catalog it all. Some of these documents and photographs have been scanned and reproduced as part of the informative stage backdrops for the motorcycles that will be exhibited, but cataloging is proving to be a Herculean task. Meanwhile, I’ve been turned loose in a candy shop.

Ever since first laying eyes on those little three-wheeled delivery vans and trucks that zip down the narrow cobblestone streets of Italian towns and cities, I’ve wanted to build a version using a Harley frame and big V-twin engine. However, long before these little 90cc and 125cc Piaggio post-war scooters came into being, Indian had invented my desired custom: the Traffic Car (filed July 2, 1930; pat #1,876,155 on Sept. 6, 1932). Initially built around the 45ci Scout, but with a massive steel rear sub-frame (pat.#1,933,101; filed Nov. 19, 1930; approved Oct. 31, 1933), they were introduced in 1935 and are now one of the scarcest Indian models of the pre-WWII era. [see:  “Three For The Road: A Brief Look At Trike History” www.thunderpress.net/MONTH_ARTICLE-pdfs/2008/0608/Threeforther/Threeforther.shtml]

The Indian Motocycle Company produced a number of three-wheeled bikes. Some were arranged as sidecars, but with casket-like chests (delivery vans), Landau carriages (used as taxis in Newark and Baltimore), and even specialty designs. The “Indian Fire Patrol” carried chemical fire extinguishers, a small tank of water, hose, and a fire axe and it was being used by fire departments as far away as Tokyo, Japan. During the Great Depression the classic trike design was introduced and became popular as service vehicles (“Dispatch Tow”) and for police work (“Indian Patrol”). The Dispatch Tow was introduced in 1931 utilizing the Model 101 Scout, although the patent for the sub-frame (pat.#1,933,102; filed March 18, 1931) wouldn’t be approved until October 31, 1933. In the archives are photos of models that I’ve never seen: one with a full bench seat behind the saddle and another fitted with two luxurious leather bucket seats. My favorite is a photo of a concept trike—an Art-Deco-inspired streamlined, full-fairing delivery vehicle, but whether or not it ever got off the drawing board is unknown.

Sorting through a stack of 8x10 photographs taken by the Indian Motocycle Company for publicity purposes, I discover another production model that I never knew existed. The Springfield Police Department once owned a small fleet of armored motorcycles. I suspect these were made during Prohibition when whiskey running was taken seriously. Both the motorcycle and sidecar were fitted with protective shields made of “crucible” steel and bulletproof glass. The shields had gun ports and folded down when not being used. I have no idea how much weight these added to these relatively low-powered motorcycles or how it affected handling, but I’m sure Elliot Ness would have appreciated them.

Stacks of photographs document races and hillclimbs during the golden era. Some are identified; most are not. Personal photos, family albums, and publicity photos wait to be sorted and cataloged. That of a 1902 Indian in South Africa grabs my attention, as does the image of Johnny Seymour establishing his 1926 land speed record on Ormond Beach. The archives are a treasure trove and the challenge is to organize all of this material prior to moving it into the new museum. So far only those images and information that pertain to the exhibits have been digitalized for use as the graphic backdrops on the various stages. Despite all the special accommodations that the staff has made for me, there’s only a limited amount of time available. Handwritten notes are taking much too long and so the notebook is abandoned. Making photocopies is a vast improvement, but still too slow. I’m now frantically photographing everything that catches my eye, filling one flashcard after another, amassing megabytes of information without trying to make sense of any of it. No lunch break; no trips to the bathroom; no stopping for coffee, just a race against the clock. It’s anarchy in the archives.

I find a complete parts manual for the Model 841 shaft-drive, transverse-cylinder military model of 1943 and of course have to photograph the drive train and transmission illustrations. The sales catalog for 1914 provides information about the Hendee Special and then, in the same manila folder, I discover the complete wiring diagrams and a technical review for the first electric starter used on a motorcycle. Lady Luck continues to sit by my side as I uncover information about the X-cars and other products the company was developing and producing just prior to the stock market crash of 1929. The Hendee Manufacturing Company had an aeronautics department and a considerable amount of information is revealed regarding the Hendee V-8 manufactured in 1910 and the Hendee Rotary 7 produced in 1911. All of a sudden it becomes apparent that Indian was much more than a motorcycle manufacturer and that I’ve become enmeshed in a much larger project than intended.

        Is it a coincidence that Indian riders held all American land speed and distance records at a time when Hedström was developing high-performance airplane engines? What caused the recall of the first electric starter on a motorcycle in 1914?  I don’t have the answer to the first; I believe that I found the answer to the second. Details, details, details. Separately this information becomes nothing more than a specialized version of Trivia Pursuit, but each and every detail is like a piece of a giant jigsaw puzzle that’s waiting to be assembled. It’s now obvious that the picture on the outside of the Indian box doesn’t exactly match that of the pieces I’m finding. Some of my questions can’t be answered here and it’s time to examine a few of the motorcycles in the collection.

The new Museum of Springfield History is literally under wraps. Swaddled in white plastic, the building is getting a facelift and the grand entrance hall is under construction. Progress has been made since my last visit, but the staff is already feeling the strain of meeting a deadline that is still months away. Somehow curator Guy McLain manages to make time between meetings to escort me to the collection.

I'm standing in front of the actual bumblebee-yellow 1949 Scout featured in a photo uncovered in the archives and, despite knowing the answer even before it's formed on my lips, I ask the keeper of the keys if I can take it for a test ride.  Fortunately, Guy has a sense of humor.  I don't get to ride it, and of course sitting on exhibits is permissible only in children's museum.  In stocking feet and wearing special white cotton gloves I'm free to walk on the staging and examine what I wish, although time is very limited today.  I always wanted to know how the early twist grip operated.  Now I know.  I'm interested in the differences between the 1930 and 1931 model Silver Arrows and want a closer look at the Model 841 shaft drive and the Eliason Moto-Toboggan.  Responding to my discoveries in the archives I take detailed close-up photos of the Hendee V-8 airplane engine, and then pack my cameras and gear.

I head north, burdened with answers to questions that were not asked and even more questions about answers that were found. However, every story has a beginning and I suppose that I should start with, “The very first Indians were a line of bicycles made by George Hendee in 1898.” The rest I’ll fill in as I go.

Motorcycle Quiz

Motorcycle Quiz

compiled by Ken Aiken

Those that think motorcycle trivia is, . . . well, trivial , have probably never won a bar bet by pulling an arcane nugget of knowledge out of a fuzzy cranium. Sometimes these tidbits even spark a desire to dig a little deeper and learn a bit more about the history of particular marquees or mechanical innovations. Then again, it a great way to kill time on a evening when the wind is howling and the thermometer has dropped so low you suspect that Hell just might freeze over. Whatever your reasoning may be, here are 40-plus questions to test your two-wheel knowledge.

MOTORCYCLE INNOVATION

1.  Indian first used the twist-grip on their 1905 models; Glenn Curtiss independently invented it at least a year earlier. Who is now acknowledged as being the original inventor of the motorcycle twist-grip throttle?

2. The first engine used in a U.S. production motorcycle was a licensed copy of the French-made De Dion-Buton. What was the name of the Massachusetts company and the brand of motorcycle it manufactured?

3.  The first use of ball bearings in motorcycles was applied to the main shaft of the engine in 1902. Who pioneered their use?

4.  What were the first U.S. motorcycles to be exhibited at county fairs and circuses?

5.  What motorcycle company built the engines for the first Indian motorcycles?

6.  Chain-drive transmission was first used on the 1890 Panhead-Levassor automobiles. What was the first year and manufacturer to use chain drive on an American motorcycle?

7.  In 1904, the first year Harley-Davidson motorcycles were manufactured, how many miles of paved first-class roads existed in America?

8.  N.Y.P.D. began purchasing motorcycles in 1904, but they didn’t organize their motorcycle squad until June 1911. Earlier that year the first motorcycle police patrol in the U.S. was established. In what city did this take place?

9.  The first hydraulic brakes were used on the 1920 Duesenberg – although some historians credit the 1896 electric bus of Thomas Parker -- and the first interconnected hydraulic brakes were on the 1928 Ascot-Pullin motorcycle. On what year and make of motorcycle were hydraulic brakes reintroduced in the U.S.?

10. On July 6, 1903, George Wyman became the first person to cross the North American continent on a motor vehicle. What was he riding?

11. What was the first motorcycle to feature floorboards?

12. Who invented the pneumatic tire in 1888?

13. The single-cylinder engine was the first to be developed in the United States. The V-twin arrived in 1903 on the Hercules (Curtiss). The three-cylinder came into production on the 1909 Curtiss. What company made the first American 4-cylinder engine in a production motorcycle? 

14.  Charles f. Kettering invented the electric starter and the 1911 Cadillac the first automobile to feature it. What was the first motorcycle to feature an electric starter?

15. What U.S. motorcycle was the first to feature a side-valve engine? 

16. The first adjustable rear coil springs appeared on an American motorcycle in 1915. What was the brand? 

17. In 1910, the Scott was the first motorcycle to employ a kick-start. What was the first production motorcycle in the United States to use it?

18. What was the first production motorcycle model sold in the United States to feature a front disc brake?

19. The 1910 Scott was the first motorcycle to use telescopic front forks. The 1934 750cc Nimbus was the first to use hydraulic damping in telescopic front forks. On what year and model were hydraulic front forks first used on a production motorcycle in the U.S.?

20. What motorcycle was the first to use pneumatic tires?

21. The first American motorcycle-only race took place in May 1901. Where was it held?

22. The first motorcycle road race took place between Paris and Rouen, France in 1894. The first road race in America took place between Chicago and Evanston, Illinois in November 1895. The first American motorcycle road race took place in May1902. Where was it held?

23. The first hillclimb competition took place in France in 1897 with 57 competitors. The first American motorcycle hillclimb event took place on May 30, 1902. Where was it held?

24. The first closed-circuit dirt track was Naragansett Park in Cranston, Rhode Island in 1896. The first track built exclusively for motorcycle racing was a concrete oval was Brooklands in Surry, England in 1907. The first built in America for motorcycle racing was a board track built in 1909. Where was it located?

25.  The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) race was established in 1907. In 1911 an American motorcycle swept the field and captured the top three places. What was the name of the marquee?

KNOW YOUR HARLEY           

26. In what year was the teardrop tank introduced?

27. Harley-Davidson introduced rear telescopic hydraulic shocks on which model?

28. Harley-Davidson made history during a race in Fresno, California in 1921. What was this milestone?

29. In 1960 H-D introduced a fiberglass-body motor scooter that was started with a pull-cord (like a lawnmower). What was it called?

30. In 1942 H-D manufactured an opposed twin, shaft-drive motorcycle. What was its model designation?  

31. The FL Electro-Glide was introduced in 1965 with an electric starter. What was the first H-D model to be fitted with electric start?

32. In what year did H-D begin producing snowmobiles?

33. Joe Smith broke a speed record on his H-D in 1971. What was it?

34. The “Turnip Eater” was a H-D motorcycle that made history in 1970. What did it achieve?

35. In what year did H-D become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world?

36. The first H-D built for police duty was delivered to the Detroit Police Department in what year?

37. In what year did H-D begin exporting to Japan?

38. A childhood friend of Arthur Davidson designed the carburetor and oil lubrication system for the first Harley-Davidson motorcycles. What was the name of this famous inventor?

39. Who designed the first H-D logo and pinstriped the fenders of their first motorcycles?

40. William Harley and Arthur Davidson sold their first motorcycle to a friend. What was the name of the person who bought the first H-D motorcycle?

41. Harley-Davidson acquired a seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1987. What was the first year that the company sold public shares of the company?

42. The famous H-D eagle first appeared on gas tanks in what year?

Vintage Motorcycles At Owls Head Transportation Museum

Vintage Motorcycle Day At Owls Head -- previously published in ThunderPress.  Vintage Motorcycle Day is an annual event held at the Owls Head Transportation Museum (one of my favorite museums) and I highly recommend attending it during Labor Day.

The price at the pump is at an all-time high, but like a addict in need of a fix I’m blowing out carbon emissions fast enough to catch a little air when dropping into Dixfield Notch. I’m headed to the coast of Maine for the annual Vintage Motorcycle Day at the Owl’s Head Transportation Museum, one of the finer shrines to the internal combustion engine. With the price of fossil fuel climbing faster than global temperatures the quality of one’s ride becomes paramount and shouldn’t be treated lightly.

            Pulling into my host’s driveway, I see that Jeff has arrived home a mere hour ahead of me. We hadn’t spoken in two weeks and considering that he was riding in from Labrador City and me from Montreal this was no mean feat of coordination.

I arrive at the museum early in the morning. Early enough to switch on the lights to the engine room; early enough that my footsteps echo in the cavernous halls and I can poke my nose into workshops that will be securely shuttered before the crowd arrives. I arrive early enough to have unobstructed views in order to photograph a small part of this amazing collection. Today is a celebration of the motorcycle and there’s no place better to start than at the beginning.

Motorcycling began when Sylvester Roper built his first steam velocipede in 1868. He was the first motorcyclist and the museum has built an exact replica of his first design (the original is in the Smithsonian’s collection). For today’s demonstration the boiler won’t be fired up and compressed air will be used to duplicate steam pressure, but there it sits as if waiting for some brave soul to mount up and ride it away. Next to it sits an 1898 Leon Bolle Tri-car that’s ready to roll, and back inside next to the entrance doors sits an 1885 Benz. The engines that herald in the motorcycle—The Otto Cycle (“cycle refers to the four-stroke cycle, not a motorcycle) and a 1902 DeDion-Bouton (the licensing of this engine created the motorcycle industry) are displayed opposite a 90-tone Harris-Corliss steam power plant.

Wandering past a 1919 Harley-Davidson Model 19F that’s parked next to a 1929 Rolls-Royce Derby-bodied touring car that was once owned by Clara Bow, I cross the hall by the blue 1905 Panhard tourer to check out the showroom-condition motorcycles that are going up for auction later in the month. The famous Richard C. Paine collection is up for sale and these are among the items being placed on the block:  a 1910 Peugeot 660cc V-twin; a 1913 Yale; and a 1916 Model 16F Harley-Davidson. Dream on: the bargain-priced Peugeot has a pre-auction estimate of 30 to 35 grand! 

Back out in the sunshine riders have begun to arrive. Some of these registered for the road scoots are as cherry as those in the exhibition halls. Dewey Rice finished restoring his 1922 Model F Harley-Davidson this spring and has “ridden it all over the place,” but for everyday transportation he relies on a 1926 Model JD with sidecar. Not everyone is arriving by motorcycle: some fly in and others arrive in cages that any biker would desire. There’s a chocolate and cream-colored 1954 Bentley with a price tag of only $12,500 and while the less expensive 1949 Packard ambulance needs more extensive reswork, it’s a real biker’s car. Just beyond the Bentley is a trailer packed with vintage Indian and Harley motorcycles. They’re for sale, but I don’t ask whether you have to buy the entire trailer or get to pick-and-choose. Meanwhile, Carl has fired the seven-cylinder radial engine of the 1933 Waco for flight, but the wind is a bit stiff and so takes off in the WWII light bomber instead. As the parade continues to stream through the gates, the back lot of the museum assumes a festival atmosphere.

Despite its showroom sheen, the orange C-class Harley-Davidson-single racer that’s been trailered in is reputed to be ready for the final tech inspection. I spot my dream machine and with lust in my heart wander over to check out a pristine 750 XR. It looks brand new!  Others are more captivated with the 100% original Excelsior X that’s just rolled in and parked near the veteran Indian hill-climber. The Harley WLA is loaded for bear and I just have to take a peek. Yup, there’s a Thompson machine gun in the front scabbard—bet this is one bike that no one messes with. So many dream machines and these are just the America brands!

There are Beemers, Hondas, Italian stallions, and rows of Brit bikes to scrutinize. I discover an unfamiliar Moto Guzzi scooter and another of my dream machines, a Ducati 907ie. Meanwhile, Charlie keeps the banter flowing over the PA system as time for the Ingo competition draws near. The lines at the food vendor are dauntingly long and, ensconced in the shadowed maw of a maintenance hanger, I watch the kids playing with pedal-powered vehicles within their fenced-off patch of asphalt. The Leon Bolle putts around the yard. This last day of the summer is turning into the hottest one of the season as the crowd continues to grow.

One of my friends tells me to check out the front parking lot. Making my way around the main building I encounter a sea of motorcycles just beyond a tour-bus load of bewildered seniors who are wondering what they’ve run into. There are more bikes visible in this one parking lot than I’ve seen at most rallies this year, and they’re still rolling in.

The Ingo competition is underway and I get to witness what the ten volunteer contestants have gotten themselves into. The 1935 Ingo-Bike turns out to be a weird cross between a bicycle and a scooter. When the rider provides a rhythmic bouncing motion to the scooter platform frame the energy is transferred to the off-center hub of the rear wheel and causes forward motion. The principle is sound, but the contestants soon discover success requires more practice than theory.

Just as the crowd appears to reach critical mass, it begins to dissipate as if by an agreed upon plan. This is the coast of Maine and the day is just too fine not to be riding. By 2:30 it’s essentially over and I pack my gear. Home is 250 miles and two mountain ranges away. If I start now perhaps I can get through moose country before it gets dark.

Distilled fodder from a 300-million-year-old Carboniferous jungle feeds my metallic beast as I contemplate the brief history of the internal combustion engine on my long ride back. Owls Head is one of my favorite transportation museums, perhaps because everything has been restored to operational condition by a small army of devoted volunteers, acolytes of the arcane mechanical science of motive power.

Motorcycling Montreal

Motorcycling Montreal

by Ken Aiken

Leaning back against the gray-stone wall and soaking up heat from the spring sun, I savor my first cappuccino of the day as sibilant sounds of French and the clicking of stiletto heels on cobblestones reach my ears. Across the street the horizon is defined by the top deck and smokestacks of an ocean-going vessel and white seagulls that soar on motionless wings against a flawless blue sky. It’s early Saturday and with little traffic on Rue de la Commune I’m able to park my scoot directly in front of the café – something that will be nearly impossible in a couple of hours. It feels like I’m back in Europe, but in fact I’m just an hour’s ride from Vermont.

Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the world; only 18.5% of the slightly fewer than two million inhabitants consider English to be their primary language. Despite their diverse ethnic backgrounds, residents are fervently French in culture, but communication poses few problems since most have English as their second or third language.

This is an island city. Situated in the middle of the St. Lawrence River at the mouth of the Ottawa River, 994 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Montreal became North America’s second-busiest port until the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959 and is still the largest inland port in the world. Discovered in 1535 by Jacques Cartier while he searched for the elusive Northwest Passage, its strategic military and trade location caused it to play a pivotal role in the development of both Canada and the United States.

Vieux (Old) Montreal – with its narrow cobbled streets flanked by gray stone buildings housing restaurants, shops, and art galleries – has a distinctive European feel and the greatest concentration of 17^th, 18^th, and 19^th century buildings in North America. A promenade of a communal green and the King Edward and Alexandria piers lay between Rue de la Commune and the river. Reclaimed from their former roles as major international docking quays, they now support an IMAX theater, food vendors, and the city’s science center. It’s just one of the city’s many “green zones,” but definitely a choice one for people watching.

Riding over the low ridge that divides the tourist-oriented port from the modern city, I find a parking space on Boulevard Saint Laurent only half a block from the red-and-gold gate that leads into Chinatown. The narrow sidewalks are overflowing and small grocery stores packed as Asians come from all over the city to shop in this small, unique district. Distinctly foreign, I could be in any small Asian city once under the dominion of France.

I take time just to ride around the city, cruising through canyons of glass and steel and eventually winding up Mont-Royal between the Cemetery of Notre-Dame and the 500-acre park. Stopping at the only observation point accessible to vehicles I gaze at the expanse of the eastern part of the city. Sticking up like a sore thumb, the futuristic leaning tower of the “Big O” (Olympic Stadium and former home of the Montreal Expos) is an unmistakable landmark of Montreal Est (East) and I orient myself in relation to it.

Cruising down into The Plateau, the stadium is centered at the end of Avenue du Mont-Royal like the front sight on a rifle. Sidewalks are crowded as residents of this ethnically diverse area browse trendy shops and run Saturday errands at specialty stores. The ambiance reminds me of the Haight district of San Francisco in the 70s: head shops, music stores, and funky galleries intermingled with straight retail establishments. Once again the bike gets parked and I become a tourist on foot.

On Rue St. Denis, I ride by another of Montreal’s numerous tree-filled parks. Intrigued, I loop around and park in front of a row of townhouses in which each otherwise identical residence has its window frames and front door painted in a different vibrant color. The architecture on these streets is pure eye candy and judging from the plethora of turrets and parapets, 19th-century Montrealers took the expression “a man’s home is his castle” to heart.

From St. Louis Square (a park) it’s a short stroll down Côte Prince Arthur Est, a pedestrian-only avenue of ethnic restaurants where BYOB is the trendy norm, to Boulevard St. Laurent. On the northern edge of the Latin Quarter, this is the center of Montreal’s noted restaurant and nightclub district. This is a place where it’s easy to drop $300 for dinner, but dozens of restaurants offering midi (mid-day) la table d’hôte (complete meal specials) for) for less than ten bucks.

Quebec drivers are among the worst I’ve encountered in my travels and busy mid-day traffic means it’s now impossible to sightsee and ride safely. Parking places have become especially scarce, so I park illegally the next time, squeezing in alongside a Honda VFR in a space reserved for taxis across from Place Des Art on Rue St. Catherine Ouest (West). The smell of reefer is everywhere. This casual, but not blatant, openness on one of the city’s busiest streets surprises me. Strip clubs and tacky tourist shops blend with international clothing outlets, fine restaurants, books stores, offices, and performing arts theaters; it’s a heady mix for a country boy. After an enjoyable half an hour of people watching I return to my scoot. A police officer tries to explain in English and French that I’m parked in a reserved space. I answer in Italian and indicate that I’m leaving – it satisfies him and I escape without a ticket.

Aided by directions and a map of the city I find my way to Little Italy. My first impression is one of disappointment, but that changes once I begin to enter storefronts strung along upper St. Laurent. In a very small bottega (shop) that has large burlap bags of coffee beans stacked against the front windows and espresso machines awaiting repair lining shelves on the back wall, I discover a typical Italian bar. Ah, you don’t know coffee until you’ve had a real Italian espresso. A couple of businesses away there’s a supermarket and I end up dropping a hundred bucks on essential staples that will barely fit into my reorganized saddlebags. Best of all is the fact that I can now converse with shop owners and understand some of the conversations that swirl past me on the street.

I feel like I’ve spent a day in Europe, but with the orange glow of the setting sun reflecting from the city’s mirrored towers, I head back to the States on two wheels – which is better than a long plane ride!

Addendum

Written for a national magazine in 2002, this assignment left such an impression that I moved to the Plateau district in Montreal and have maintained a residence in the city ever since.

Touring NY Wine Country

Cool air slaps me in the face as I quickly close the massive wooden doors of the chateau against the onslaught of a heavy August sun. Following our guide through the dimly lit stone tunnel and down a narrow aisle flanked by massive casks made of French oak, the sharp tang of fermentation fills our nostrils with anticipation. This is the archetypal image of a European winery, but we’re far from France: we’re the Finger Lakes Region of central New York and these are the Champagne cellars of U.S. winery number 1.
Those who have drunk their fair share of fruity jug wines are probably familiar with 90% of the region’s production. However, it’s the remaining 10% that’s unsettling the oenologists in France and causing frustration for vintners of the Rhineland. I’ll let you in on a little secret: the Finger Lakes Region is producing world-class wines while offering some of the finest motorcycle touring in the Empire State.
Wine tasting and motorcycle riding? Definitely not P.C. – or is it? After all, you’re not suppose to drink the wine! The fancy (and sometimes not so fancy) jugs and vases on the tasting counter aren’t there for decoration, but to function as spittoons. Look, all you have to do is swirl the wine and stick your nose in the glass to appear knowledgeable. With a little practice you can swirl, hold the glass up to the light, and make note of syrupy residue on the glass to judge the amount of acidic tannin (body) in the vintage. Then, and only then, do you take a mouthful of the fruit of the gods, roll it around, and spit it out. Of course, your passenger isn’t under the constraint of safety maneuvering a few hundred pounds of machine while keeping it upright, so she/he can joyfully imbibe.
The panoramic landscape is breathtakingly beautiful and it doesn’t take much effort to image that we’re touring in Europe. Vineyards spill down the hillsides to impossibly blue lakes nestled between green hills patched with rectangular fields of gold. Away from the major highways the roads are narrow and meander past farms and through small country villages. The smell of summer’s peak fills our nostrils as the electric buzz of cicadas cuts through the thickening air.
As the mile-high wall of ice advanced south during the last Ice Age it bulldozed long, narrow trenches into the limestone bedrock of west central New York. Oriented north to south and aligned west to east, these trenches get deeper the farther south you travel. Technically there are 11 of these lakes, but the six largest ones – Skaneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Keuka, and Canandaigua – are considered to be “The Finger Lakes.”
The first night we ensconce ourselves on the northern end of Seneca Lake in the Ramada Lakeside Geneva. All the finger lakes bear Iroquois names, but the two largest are named after the tribes who inhabited this land before the arrival of white settlers: the Seneca and Cayuga. I was told that this hotel is built on the former site of a major Seneca village, but who knows? This evening, live music rolls across the water as classic rock and roll at the Ramada tangles with heavy metal from a lakeside gazebo. The bullfrogs in the reeds don’t stand a chance.
Seneca Lake is the deepest (632 feet) and second longest (38 miles) of the lakes. Downtown Geneva is at lake level, but Route 14 immediately begins its steady climb in elevation as we head south on mansion-lined Main Street. We’re now on the Seneca Wine Trail.
Our first stop is at Fox Run Vineyards and the annual garlic festival. Garlic is one of the region’s noted specialty products and local vendors are on hand offering bulbs by the pound and samples of various culinary treats like garlic pickles and pickled garlic. But then there’s the wine – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet, and Riesling – to be tasted and compared. In the winery we learn about the different methods of producing boutique vintages; in the vineyard about the challenge of growing grapes and why this region is suited for doing so.
There are 26 wineries open to the public on this trail alone and the folks in the tour buses and limousines seem intent on hitting most of them. One is enough for us and we simply cruise to the southern end of the lake and ride down the hill into the village of Watkins Glen.
It’s hard to determine whether Watkins Glen is best known for it’s incredibly beautiful limestone gorge or the international raceway. The raceway plays hosts to Grand Prix and NASCAR competitions as well as special events; the scenic waterfalls and natural beauty of the gorge (located in the middle of the village) attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. It can be a very busy place on a summer weekend. Today we just ride through, climbing the escarpment and proceeding east on Route 79.
The city of Ithaca is squeezed between the steep limestone slope and the southern shore of Cayuga Lake. This is a hip little city, home to Cornell University and Ithaca College. It’s Sunday and nothing much seems to be happening. We visit the local farmers market (mostly ripoff prices) and the revitalized downtown pedestrian area, Ithaca Commons. There is a fantastic craft galley, an excellent music shop, and two great used bookstores in this downtown area. Still, this award-winning urban project seems overrated and we pack up and head north on Route 34 to nearby Lansing.
Honestly, I wouldn’t normally give a second look to this staid brick building at the junction of Route 34B and this would be my loss. Rouges Harbor, situated high above Cayuga Lake, is anything but a harbor. Built as an inn and tavern in 1830, this restaurant and B&B is one of the best kept secrets in the area. The funky chic interior is 100% authentic with a patina of atmosphere that a modern restoration could never achieve. The food! Here we found one of the best menus experienced this year (including those in Montreal) supplemented by an extensive list of New York wines. Tall, narrow doors; floor to ceiling windows; pressed tin ceiling; sloping floor; and not a square corner in the place made our antique-filled bedroom a delightful repose from the commercial boxes of modern lodgings. However, the bathroom was absolutely modern and the supply of hot water, endless. Non pretentious, this is a perfect base of operations for motorcyclists touring the Finger Lakes.
The next morning we return to the heart of the city to view the magnificent Ithaca Falls. This105-foot waterfall is just one of 150 within a ten-mile radius of downtown. We take our photos and then head for the region’s largest antique shopping mall (3 miles north on Route 96). There’s plenty to see and do and I have a list of places – Moosewood Restaurant, Ithaca Beer Company, Ithaca Gun Company’s museum, the new Museum of the Earth, and the Ithaca Clock Museum – that will just have to wait for another visit. We have an appointment for a guided tour of perhaps the greatest collection of glass in the world and already we’re running late.
At the Corning Museum of Glass we spend the afternoon enthusiastically running through incredible exhibits, watching a glassblowing demonstration, and then actually working hot glass in their studios. After all this effort we headed to the Wellness Center & Health Spa in Bath (how appropriate) for a relaxing massage, then on Elm Croft, a restored 1835 Greek Revival mansion for the night. Travel writing is a tough job, but someone has to do it.
Keuka is only one of a dozen Y-shaped lakes known in the world and the only one whose waters flow both north and south. Ironically, the birth of naval aviation at the beginning of the 20th century occurred not along the Atlantic seacoast, but on this lake in the village of Hammondsport.
Glenn Curtiss is the father of naval aviation and the contributions of the prolific inventor far outstrips the accomplishments of his rivals, the Wright brothers. But before he was a pioneer aviator, he was motorcyclist and every time you twist the throttle on your scoot you’re utilizing one of his many inventions. The Glenn Curtiss Museum is one of the lesser-known treasures of the Finger Lakes Region. As a avid bicycle racer and builder he began experimenting with engine-driven bicycles in 1897 and developed his own motorcycle business in 1899. In 1902 he began breaking speed records on motorcycles of his own design (Hercules, later changed to Curtiss), which finally culminated in his land speed record of 136.36 mph in 1907 that earned him the title of “the fastest man on earth.” Motorcycles obviously weren’t fast enough and he began building airplanes in 1907. He made the first pre-announced airplane flight; won the first international aero race; acquired pilot license number 1 in both the U.S. and France; and trained the first woman pilot. His planes were the first to cross the Atlantic (Lindberg’s was the first non-stop voyage); the first to land on ships; and the “Jenny” became the most famous of the WWI bi-planes. The Wright Brothers earned the headlines, but Curtiss did more to make flight viable. Three hours in this museum isn’t nearly enough, but we really must be on our way.
The Pleasant Valley Wine Company was established in 1860 and their Great Western champagne shared a gold medal at an international competition in 1863. Irreplaceable 100,000 gallon redwood fermentation vats sit alongside modern ones of stainless steel; sherry-filled oak barrels lie hidden away in caves carved deep in the hillside beneath the chateau; and bottle after bottle of champagne are stacked beneath vaulted brick ceilings. The history of wine making in the Finger Lakes becomes a tangible reality as we are guided through this incredible labyrinth. We leave the cool depths of U.S. Winery No 1 to continue our journey along the Keuka Wine Trail.
Wine is the catalyst driving this resurgence of regional tourism. Every lake seems to have its own wine trail and every year more and more vineyards are planted on their steep slopes. The chefs follow the wine, the hoteliers follow the chefs, the artists and craftspeople come close behind. The beauty of the Finger Lakes has always drawn visitors who return year after year, but this region has remained semi-secret until now. New legislation passed on August 1 allows small wineries to ship their produce outside the boundaries of the state. The Finger Lakes are about to be rediscovered.