Two new researchers joined our team June 18, connecting at Niagara Falls, where Clancy visited a century ago. George Catt, from Kingman, Arizona, was on his 174,000 mile young 2001 Honda ST 1100A. A retired “Documentation Specialist,” Catt added a new element to our research group, that of someone who could verify the veracity of documents.

The other addition was Daniel DiGiacomo, from Staten Island, New York, a former Environmental Conservationist for the state of New York. I had met with both Catt and DiGiacomo earlier in the year halfway around the globe at the Rider’s Corner Restaurant and Bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand where the seed was planted for some of our mutual research projects.

After his pal Catt vectored off early in the day in search of a new tire 600 miles away, DiGiacomo, on his 2008 Suzuki DL650 stayed with our team over state Route 5 as we moved eastwards. He was often pointing out environmentally significant locations that Clancy would have passed, like 150 year-old trees.

DiGiacomo, pictured on the left in photograph # 1 below, was being reminded by Catt, on the right, before Catt headed west, not to accept any undocumented old wooden nickels as he wandered with us over the Clancy Trail.

Route 5 was the “Old Buffalo Highway,” therefore the one Clancy had used 100 years earlier to leave Buffalo and drive east. I found the Diegelman Motors shop, shown in photograph # 2 below, just off Route 5, having long been closed. At one time it was obvious the repair shop had been a thriving business. Today all that was thriving were the mosquitoes, which, along with a barely readable Private Property sign, ran me off the property.

Once Catt left us the rest of the day was a meandering competition between the 1200 cc Bavarian Adventure behemoths and the three significantly smaller 650 cc Japanese models (two 1983 Honda CX650 twins and Suzuki DL650 single). As we hammered Route 5 at speeds never exceeding 55 mph, and often in the 15 mph and 30 mph range, I reflected on how we were often traveling at the same speeds Clancy had on his 934 cc Henderson.

The breath taking speeds required nourishment for some of the pilots. The lead motorhead decided that a roadside restaurant named Scooters was deserving of the groups dollars for a mid day pit stop, shown in photograph # 3 below. While noshing they opined why the day before the Pope had blessed a certain brand of motorcycles. In the spirit of Clancy, this writer will refer to the other brand as Clancy did, “a well-known twin.”

Our day ended in Watkins Glen, New York, well off Route 5, but a town mentioned as purportedly on the Clancy Trail. Another town nearby was also mentioned, that of Reading, New York, little more than a spit in the road today. Why Clancy vectored off the direct route to Syracuse, New York to drive south to Reading and Watkins Glen remains a mystery. One theory put forth was that Clancy, the ever curious, wanted to see the southern tip of Seneca Lake. Other theories were that he visited another Henderson dealership or a friend. My favorite theory was that since Clancy had been from sea to sea and had time and the Henderson was running well enough, he could easily make the detour to see what he could see.

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Sun Chaser, or 'Dr.G', Professor of Motorcycle Adventure at SOUND RIDER magazine. Professional Motorcycle Adventurer/Indian Motorcycle Racer/journalist/author/global economist/World's # 1 Motorcycle Adventure Sleeper & Wastrel
Soul Sensual Survivor: www.greataroundtheworldmotorcycleadventurerally.co m