Here's a pic of a friends all all original 75 250 HareScrambler. It is so original, even has the factory grips. I owned it for a few years and put new tires on and road it on the street a few times. Never been down!
(http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/klflashroadrunner/DCP02768-1.jpg)
This just confirms my suspicion that some of the '74-75 HS Enduro models had green side numberplates and MX exhaust pipe tips, like mine had. Mike
Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
Mike I think you are right. My 11/73 Harescrambler was "unmolested" and had the following:
1.Tiny black "Hare Scrambler" stickers on tank, not white.
2.No sign of black/white horizontal stripe on left tank, just the shadow remnants of a blue "Penton oval".
3.Left side plate blotchy yellow.
4. Right side plate green, just like the photo.
5.Mine does have the enduro pipe though.
6. Mine also has the oval tube case guard.
Adding credence to your theory, is it not true that all of the yellow 250s had green number plates? I suppose you could theorize that they were always MXers with the enduro kit but I think KTM would not have painted a yellow/gold combo and therefore all of the plates were green and this carried forward to the early 250 redheads.
Mars Attacks!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c36/80fj40/marsattacks.jpg)
I was going to restore my 11/73 frame # 3-5401964 engine # early '74 HS to MX status, even though when I aquired it around 1979, it came with green side numberplates, an MX pipe, an MX tank, and the remnants of a metal d-shaped headlight missing the lense and bezel with wiring exposed, a handlebar light switch, and a rear mounted tool bag rack, and a badly busted up rear fender. The enduro parts are long ago removed and lost, but now I'm not so sure...Mike
Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
A note on the numberplate colors, in the '70s FIM mandated color for 250 MX was green, while all classes of ISDT competition were required to be yellow. KTM would have had no choice of the background color if the bike was to be used in an FIM event. I suspect that KTM would make batches of side plates with both backgrounds and then install what their best guess of the intended use of the bike. Of course we all know the Pentons were so versatile that the "enduro" bikes got used in MX and the "MX" bikes got used in enduros so in practice the numberplate colors became random.
Brian
'72 Berkshire
Brian is undoubtedly correct for competition purposes and I guess to clarify the point is that it seems probable that KTM probably (sporadically) shipped "enduro" bikes w/ green plates and "MX" bikes with yellow plates, as he points out. There is a KTM ad with an MX 250 circa 1974/5 with yellow plates. I can't find it at the moment. There are lots of restoration pix but they don't add much since the restorer can use any color he wants. So, pics or ads from back in the day are the only useful indicator.
Underlining and confirming Brian's point, the below link shows a yellow tanker in competition enduro use back in the day. The plates are gold/yellow.
http://rugginose.forumfree.it/?t=34824584
http://rugginose.forumfree.it/?t=20276346
If we were to check the 73 ISDT video that probably also would show the same yellow plates on the 250.
Not that any of this means much, just for fun.
I dont know how early they started using those colors in FIM MX, but 500s were yellow, 250s were green, and 125s were black. AMA was the same except 250s were white. You can always tell pictures of the 250 USGP from the 70s because all the usual Americans have green numberplate backgrounds instead of white. I also dont know when the ISDT stopped using yellow, maybe when the renamed it ISDE, but I know they dont have to use a certain color now.
Brian
'72 Berkshire
I've got one of those framed black & white "Penton '74" ads hanging on the wall by my computer which clearly shows an early '74 HS in MX trim but with yellow numberplates. Mike
Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
Mike,
Un-crating a new Penton was just like what Forest said " a box of chocolates.
You never knew what you would get. chuckle chuckle!!!!
Every one could be just a little bit different ....... even if we got 3 125 Six-Days at the same time.
john d.
For those who cannot log in to Rugginose (note the groovy fin coloration--must have been a Steelers fan even over in Europa!):
(http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/7735/1973250gstaiocchiparafaql8.jpg)
Plus, have a look at the yellow KTM/Penton shown on page 125 of the Dalton ISDT book and it shows a yellow plate on a yellow bike. (the bike is listed as a 175 and it is hard for me to know from what is shown in the picture whether that is correct or like some of the 125s the color was just not the same as typical).
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c36/80fj40/pentonval.jpg)
Mars Attacks!
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c36/80fj40/marsattacks.jpg)