Hilltop Farm Harvests Indians, Other Brands

SUFFIELD, CT – Year two of a revived motorcycle show at Hilltop Farm, once owned by original Indian co-founder George M. Hendee, proved satisfactory on Saturday with a bluegrass band livening the proceedings. “The big change is the music. There’s nothing like live music,” said Kacy Colston, president of The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop, which owns the farmstead and puts on the event.

Also new this year were tours of the barn and some tweaks to the layout. “Last year, we had two entrances and it was really chaotic,” Colston said.

As was the case in year one, the Vintage Cycle Rally was open to and attracted all brands while keeping Indian as the centerpiece.

Jay Egan of Suffield brought a 1959 BSA A10 Super Rocket that his father had bought new for $399. His father died in 1991, but it wasn’t until five years ago that Egan tackled restoring the 650cc bike. He’s put about 6,000 miles on it. “I ride it all the time,” he said.

Egan’s brother, John Egan, also brought a show piece – a Yetman-framed Honda roadracer, which recently underwent a refreshening to expose its braised frame. The one-sided exhaust pipes were changed to put one on either side and the seat was changed from black to red. Egan recently took the Yetman to AMA Vintage Days in Lexington, OH and did three laps on the Mid-Ohio track.

Not all of the good looking bikes were in the show. The parking lot contained a few as well.

The Vintage Motorcycle Rally is a fundraiser for the Friends of the Farm at Hilltop, a non-profit and all-volunteer organization aimed at preserving the site. The group is looking to do more events in the future. Colston said that since last year a herdsman’s house on the property has been restored and rented. A greenhouse is expected to be completed at Hilltop Farm by summer’s end and hopes are to build a farm store in the basement of the barn next year.

– By Bud Wilkinson