It's amazing the things you don't notice on a purchase until days after looking a bike over. Take a look at these pics. Why on Earth would someone deface the SACHS name on the side cover? What is to be gained by doing that?
http://www.rotarydiagnostics.com/PentonPics.htm
Larry Roberts, Mont Alto, PA
1973 Penton 125 Six-days
1991 Mazda RX-7 Turbo track car
Larry, That cover probably had the black Penton sticker that came on the cover. They had to grind the Sachs off in order to apply the sticker.
(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad130/eyemanrandy/PentonSticker.jpg)
Hmmm, I suppose that could be, but the other side cover is not defaced like this. Being the old cynic I am, I always assume a more nefarious reason for doing something like that.:) But I can't think of what that might be. As you can see, the engine number plate seems to be original.
Oh well, we'll just press on with the task of getting this bike in good operating condition.
Larry Roberts, Mont Alto, PA
1973 Penton 125 Six-days
1991 Mazda RX-7 Turbo track car
It was removed on purpose. I was told one of the Penton boys was in charge of removing the 'SACHS', molded in the covers, as an after school job. I'm sure many folks here know more about this than I, but the story makes your bike (and mine) special. I don't consider mine defaced, although yours does looks like one of the first ones done, before they perfected the job. :D
With only one cover being that way I would assume that at some point in time that one of the original covers was damaged and replaced with a non-matching cover.
Just a thought.....
Clark
As Clark has stated, many years of use and one or the other cover gets damaged (most likely) the ignition cover. Once this happens and the cover is replaced, a couple issues arise. 1st, like on your bike the one cover says Sachs and the other nothing, as more than likely the Penton label fell off or someone removed it. 2nd problem is now the engine type and number are not correct (unless the owner removed and replaced the engine label) Thus, as witnessed many times on Ebay, someone will list a Sachs engine for sale stating it's a 1251/6B engine when it is actually a 6B case on a cast iron cylinder 1251/5A engine.
Donny Smith
Paragould, AR
Randy, did you have these stickers repro'd? Tom
Tom Murphy
'73 250 Hare Scrambler
'74 125 six day
'81 RM125
'82 RM250
Thanks to all for your comments. The sticker thing seems to be the most likely explanation for grinding off the SACHS name. And as Donny says, the most worrisome aspect of this is if the cover was, in fact, replaced at some point, the number plate may not be original to this motor.
The frame number indicates the bike is a '73, so logically, I guess one can assume it would originally, at least, have had the 6B engine. I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later.:)
Thanks again to all for your expertise. I've been out of the M/C scene for too many years and I'm attempting to get up to speed and to get a little smarter bit-by-bit as I "attack" this bike.
Larry Roberts, Mont Alto, PA
1973 Penton 125 Six-days
1991 Mazda RX-7 Turbo track car
Larry, Check your email for an explanation of your covers.
Got it. Thanks Gofdon!
Larry Roberts, Mont Alto, PA
1973 Penton 125 Six-days
1991 Mazda RX-7 Turbo track car