With salt on the roads now in NE Ohio and my racing schedule over it's time to start thinking about next year. I have already signed up to ride both of the Vintage 1000s, coastal and mountain. Adam is changing up the routes a bit and trying to add more dirt. The mountain ride will start in North Carolina and on into Virginia.
Having ridden my 74 Six Days for 5300 miles over the two with absolutely no problem, I think I will try a Berkshire. I have another high breather frame with title and core motor on the shelf. Time to open up the tool box and get out the Sachs engine stand.
Anyone want to join me?
Hi Rick;
I thoroughly enjoyed your previous adventures and will be watching for the next editions. Going along would certainly be a lot of fun but don't think I could swing it. You tell the story well enough it's almost like being there anyway! Good luck to you and I'll be watching!
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
150 days out now. I am starting from a bare 1974 frame for the Berkshire adventure bike. Right now it is hanging from the rafters in my shop. I started sorting out Sachs parts and will build the motor from pieces. First off will be the crank. I will again follow the "Paul Danik" method of balancing. Last time I balanced at 55 percent of G and it was way better than stock at 80 percent. I may vary this slightly just to experiment. The case will be a 6B, with as many new parts as I can come up with. I am really enjoying owning Pentons the second time around. Back in the 70's my shop was in a wet basement with workbench and VERY few tools. Racing and repairing was a struggle, especially in the winter.
Just came in for the night from my shop. I cleaned up a nice B case and removed all the bearings for replacement. Somehow I managed to get the crank apart on my last motor. I had to cobble up some plates to hold it on the press. Since I have more cranks to do I cut out a thick steel plate just for this job. I then proceeded to take two cranks apart. One came apart reasonably easy but the other one took all 25 tons of pressure to get it to pop. The crank and plates jumped up and then hit the floor. I had put cardboard boxes down to catch the parts so all is well. Glad I took them apart even though they seemed in usable shape. Both of the lower pins and bearings had pitting. One has rust where the seal rides on the ignition side. I can buy a Speedi Sleeve to repair this. I will reassemble them tomorrow and true in V blocks before balancing.
Cranks trued up tonight. One started at .009 and one at .006. Now both at .0005.
That was pretty fair shootin' there butch! Did you cover the crank balancing in detail last time? If so I'll find it and re-read it. That sounds interesting even though I have no need or plans to do anything like that.
Type at you later,
Dan McEntee
Cranks are not too hard to do. All you need is a press, copper hammer and V block set up. Sometimes getting them apart takes quite a lot of pressure. My press is rated at 25 tons and it can take that to separate the halves. I made my V fixture out of a 6" x 12" x 1/4" steel plate and two 6" pieces of 1" square tubing. I cut a V notch in one end of each tube and then welded them to the plate 2 1/2 inches apart. The crank without bearings will lay in the notch and can be rotated with dial indicator placed on the spindle. When pressing the crank back together I place a straight edge along the flywheel weights to get it as straight as possible. Once together and being rotated you will see how far out the spindles are. With the indicator on the left side, find the high point. This will tell you what you have to fix. Hit the right weight. The weights can be twisted or not parallel. You fix the twist by hitting one weight with the copper hammer. You will have to hit it pretty hard to move it. You can hold it in your hand to do this or what I do is place it on a sand bag used for sheet metal forming. If not parallel, I drive a chisel between the flywheels. Cut a thin piece of aluminum and bend into a U. Place between the webs with the chisel in between to protect the parts. To pinch, place in a vise. There are YouTube videos showing all this which will help to understand the process. It takes a while to get it right but you can do this. Both the cranks I just finished were not parallel and twisted. I like to get the twist out first but had to do both about three times. Like anything else, the more you work on it, the better it comes out. Each one of mine took about a hour to straighten.
Yikes, time is flying by. Time to get back to this project.
Since the last post my time has been taken up building a Honda XL125 racer, bored to 170, for one of our youth CC group racers. I delivered this bike to the York swap meet where he picked it up.
My Sachs 100 motor is ready to have the shaft end play checked and then the case can go together. I put in an order with Brian for another aluminum tank since he was at York. It looks like fair weather on Sunday, so I can get the frame down and sand blast. Who has the best deal on aluminum rims these days?
90 days from leaving on the 2800 mile round trip to Florida.
Just over 60 days until I depart for Chattanooga. Parts are rolling in for my Berkshire adventure bike. This will be a pretty close copy of what I did last time. The Kenda 270 tires and new Preston Petty fenders arrived yesterday. I have been doing my best to keep Al B. In business. Speed Deluxe just sent out emails updating riders. I am working to cut down ounces out of what I have to carry. I picked up a nicer tent and saved a good pound over the last one. Riding a 100 will be a challenge.
Yippee skippy, almost forgot. There is a 53 Panhead signed up this time. Which would you rather ride on the sand roads in Florida, a Harley or one of JP's finest?
Remember to true and balance those wheels!!! ;)
Quotequote:Originally posted by Rick Bennett
Just over 60 days until I depart for Chattanooga. Parts are rolling in for my Berkshire adventure bike. This will be a pretty close copy of what I did last time. The Kenda 270 tires and new Preston Petty fenders arrived yesterday. I have been doing my best to keep Al B. In business. Speed Deluxe just sent out emails updating riders. I am working to cut down ounces out of what I have to carry. I picked up a nicer tent and saved a good pound over the last one. Riding a 100 will be a challenge.
Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA
I cant think of anything better than a 53 Panhead in the sand! I saw a Harley Sportster at the Wilseyville Hare Scrambles yrs. ago. He made one lap & got standing ovation from the crowd at the finish line. I still remember it. One tough Hombre. He didnt come back the next year![:p]
All the riders on this event are characters, and dedicated to the brands of bikes they ride. What we have in common is the love of riding. It doesn't matter what you ride. In fact it is more fun and interesting to see the diversity. I am sure he will struggle in the rougher parts, but in the end, will be on a trip not to be forgotten.
Had a good day today. I was able to get my title changed from off road to on road, and get license plates. I ordered a PVL from REMX after having a long conversation with them about my over voltage problem. Will go with the DC version this time. It supposedly does not require a battery. Also called Full Circle Racing to order rims and stainless spokes. Yes, I will do a better job getting them straight this time. On pavement it really makes a difference.
Spots are still open for anyone looking for the ride of a lifetime.
Rick when you start planning for the TRans. Am. trail it would be better to go west to east. Because of snow in Colorado. my Son has done it & you have to wait for the snow to melt in Colo.:)
All the riders on this event are characters, and dedicated to the brands of bikes they ride. What we have in common is the love of riding. It doesn't matter what you ride. In fact it is more fun and interesting to see the diversity. I am sure he will struggle in the rougher parts, but in the end, will be on a trip not to be forgotten.
Had a good day today. I was able to get my title changed from off road to on road, and get license plates. I ordered a PVL from REMX after having a long conversation with them about my over voltage problem. Will go with the DC version this time. It supposedly does not require a battery. Also called Full Circle Racing to order rims and stainless spokes. Yes, I will do a better job getting them straight this time. On pavement it really makes a difference.
Spots are still open for anyone looking for the ride of a lifetime.
Rick when you start planning for the TRans. Am. trail it would be better to go west to east. Because of snow in Colorado. my Son has done it & you have to wait for the snow to melt in Colo.:)
I was able to get some things done last weekend. I blasted and painted the frame, swing arm and a bunch of the smaller parts. Typically, I had to make some engine mount repairs. The wheels I wanted to use, with mag hubs turned out to be cracked. I only have extra front aluminum ones. Larry Perkins found me some rears to make a set.
I guess this would be a good time to talk about the POG. Without all the help with parts and advice these adventures would much harder to accomplish. This Sportcycle is being built from parts. The frame with title was found in Zanesville a few years back and has been hanging from the rafters in my shop waiting it's turn to be brought back to life. I thoroughly enjoy the building process and having contact with other members. At York while talking with Dan Killian I mentioned the clutch basket wear problem from my rides last year. Last week two boxes showed up unexpectedly with some much needed spares. Dan wouldn't tell me what he wanted so I sent him a fair offer. These parts will be a big help in the coming rides. Second gears have also been in short supply so I decided to have JP Morgen cut some to make old ones useable again. I gathered up all I could find, including some from Sandy Quickel and a friend of his. These are out being done now. Dennis DeGonia came up with the riders wrench I was looking for, another good guy. And, of course, where would I be without Al Buehner? Going nowhere fast!
The speedometer that died on the "Coastal" ride last year has been rebuilt by North Hollywood Speedometer in California. Most of the other parts I have ordered have come in. The bottom end of my basket case motor is coming along. I needed a smaller hone for the 100cc cylinder before making a decision on its usability. It should be here in a couple days. I still need to get rear spokes. I will order them today. Brian should have my aluminum tank soon, just waiting for his call.
Off to work now.
45 days till blast off now. I worked on wheels yesterday. Since both my mag hubs are cracked, I am using aluminum ones. I struggled to get a spare wheel apart as the brakes were frozen into the hub. I ended up removing the brake pivot nut and brake arm allowing me to drive the axle/backing plate out, leaving the shoes and cam in the hub. This took a while. Both hubs and backing plates got blasted and painted black. The front wheel I disassembled had stainless spokes and I bought Buchanan's for the back. I also picked up the China Akront style rims. They seem very well made. I will begin assembling wheels tonight.
I just learned the Coastal Vintage 1000 has been cancelled.
With any luck, the Mountain 1000 will be ok in August.
My Berkshire is half done. I have the parts to complete it. Luckily, I work at home and have lots to do. Hope everyone is well.
Rick
With no official ride this spring my progress on this machine has slowed. Brian called to say he has my tank done and it is on its way. I finished up both wheels and installed new Kenda 270 tires. I was a bit confused when putting the rear wheel together. At first I thought Buchanan's had given me spokes an inch too long. The POG forum supplied the answer with a quick search. My wheel is cross 4, not cross 3 pattern. The next morning it went right together. As soon as I get the forks done I can make a roller. My headlight is coming from Germany, ordered last week. I think I have all the rest of the parts to finish.
Time to revive this post. Just under 70 days until the Mountain 1000 and it is back on for August 4-8. This trip is leaving from NC and travels into Virginia. 19 riders have signed up so far. I am staring at a bare painted frame and half built Sachs. Spent the last few weeks building a new 72 125 to race and made the May 17 LL Raceway cross country. I stole the wheels for the racer so will need to build new ones. Forks are done and all small parts painted. I have most of the parts, I think. Time to make a shopping list and plan a route to get to the starting point. Anyone want to join me???
Based entirely on my own personal feeling, I'm fairly certain most of us here would answer your question in similar fashion: "Absolutely nothing I'd like more!" However, the gulf between what I want to do and what I can do is, in this case, a bit too wide to navigate. Perhaps, like me, others here are quiet due to being a bit hangdog about it, frankly.
Instead, I'll have to make do with living vicariously through you and the recounting of your exploits as with your previous great adventure...and making do was pretty terrific, IMHO.
Make sure your companions stay at least a bikelength behind for proper social distancing.
Tomorrow morning will be exactly 21 days until departure on July 31. My Berkshire is still not done. With the wheels, ignition, skid plate, seat and other small parts stolen to build a Six Days racer, I have had to reorder more parts. I think I have everything back in stock to finish up. I painted the tank red and it looks great. Hubs are painted and I have new rims and spokes. The Sachs bottom end is ready but I just sent out a cylinder to be bored. With 2400 miles to travel I want to start with new parts. Starting to feel like time is running short. Too many customer blown up engines this spring using up my bike nights. My Son in law, Nick planned to ride a Harley SX250 but it won't be ready. He is taking my 72 SL350 instead. It only needs minor maintenance to be ready. 3/4 of the riders will be on Honda SL or CL machines. A couple DT Yamahas and a couple BMWs round out the field.
What no Harleys?[:p]
Tomorrow morning I am down to 14 days before departure. Managed to score both hubs NOS and now have wheels with Kenda 270 tires mounted. Waiting for a thinner (5 mm) front hub seal as the speedo drive was being interfered with using a 7 mm seal. Randy booked our 2nd night stop at Burnside state park and I booked a cabin 8 miles from Chattanooga for before and after the 1000. Nick may not be able to leave Friday (7/31) morning if he can't take the day off. We will have to decide what to do when he gets the word from his boss. I want to ride this machine this weekend but still waiting for the cylinder. I will call and bug them in the morning. I need to know if I can use the same 15/57 gearing and if the jetting is right. I am really counting the ounces of my camping gear. I have a lighter tent this time and will take less clothes. I shipped Golden Spectro to Adam along with some supplies for the ride home. We will have the latest GoPro cameras and a drone along. I have wanted to do a better job of letting you guys and gals see what this is all about. Time to rewax my Barbour jacket.
Oh yea...
On a good note,
Son in Law Nick, after riding two 800 lb. Harleys for the last 14 years on a learners permit, passed his motorcycle license on Tuesday.
Kids
Go figure
Motor is done and in the chassis. I struggled to get it to fit. The lower rear mount needed a bit of spreading requiring me to break a sweat lifting it in, out, in,out, and doing a number on the paint. Oh well, in a few days it won't be a hanger queen and be covered in dirt. Man, that is a small piston. With any luck I will be able to light the fire today. I still have lights to wire, horn, accessory plug and rack to build. Should be riding on Wednesday.
40271399 drank its first fuel tonight after coming back from a bare frame purchased a few years ago. The Sachs 100 is an Al B. core with rusted in place piston and no head, now completely rebuilt. Lots of you helped by selling me parts, thank you.
Rick,
Have several pistons in this size, let me know if you want one 'for the road', and that paint loss just ensures a better ground, have a good ride.
-don
All kidding aside...just to make sure run a seperate ground wire from an engine bolt to the frame at the coil mount. Best wishes to Team Frankenbike on this trip!
Quotequote:Originally posted by Don Roth
Rick,
Have several pistons in this size, let me know if you want one 'for the road', and that paint loss just ensures a better ground, have a good ride.
-don
Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA
3.6 miles on the odometer lets me know I have six working gears, clutch, brakes. Trying to break in easy and do a couple heat soaks. Will put some serious miles on this weekend. Too early to tell how it is running as I am keeping the rpms down. Still needs a rack and work on the lights.
Greetings,
Rick left yesterday morning and made it about 60 miles before the engine went sour. His wife picked him up and hauled him and the Berkshire home at which time Rick pulled the engine and tore into it. he found that the lower rod bearing had gone south.
He tore the crank apart and installed a new rod kit and had her buttoned up and and test ridden by around midnight. He went to a 140 main from the 135 but found the real problem pretty quick. He was test riding the bike and it run out of fuel...but it had plenty in the tank. He said he could see air in the fuel line, turned out the repop gas cap he was using was of the "non venting" variety...he put a used original cap on and the problem was solved. He figures with the gas cap not venting properly the bike was running lean and that was the root of the problem.
They left around 8 AM this morning and stopped about 30 miles in to put on their rain gear. At 85 miles they stopped for coffee and he said the Penton was running great! Gas stop at 120 miles in. At 185 miles in they stopped for ice cream, vanilla was his choice of flavor.
Next text stated " Gearing 15 57 good. Motor is amazing", to which I replied " you just need to feed it enough". Rick feels the change in the jetting has helped his mid-range.
At 274 miles in he said they had gotten wet 4 times and the Penton was running perfectly. Rick went on to say that he sure didn't have time to break in the Penton after the rebuild, 5 miles around the block around midnight and then hit the road in the morning. I replied that it is a Penton, no big deal !
At 310 miles they stopped at a nice stainless steel diner for coffee. They made Kentucky at 370 miles in and he figures he is getting about 70 miles to the gallon and said the Penton is running great. They stopped for gas again at Millers Landing, KY, all good.
The above was all pretty much by text. At 6:47 Rick called and said they were at Burnside, KY where they would be spending the night. 529 miles in and he said he missed 3 shifts the entire day, he said he wraps his big toe with tape before putting his socks on as he sure gives the gearbox a workout. He loves the way the bike feels like a road racer in the curves and can't get over how much fun the Penton is to ride and how incredible the 100cc engine is. Rick said the missed shifts are going into 6th, no issue at all in the lower gears. He knows he just has to hold the shifter for a second longer, he stated.
Paul
Sure ...just a quick same-day crank rebuild...no problemo! That would take me 3 months and $500! Well done Rick!!!
Quotequote:Originally posted by Paul Danik
Greetings,
Rick left yesterday morning and made it about 60 miles before the engine went sour. His wife picked him up and hauled him and the Berkshire home at which time Rick pulled the engine and tore into it. he found that the lower rod bearing had gone south.
He tore the crank apart and installed a new rod kit and had her buttoned up and and test ridden by around midnight. He went to a 140 main from the 135 but found the real problem pretty quick. He was test riding the bike and it run out of fuel...but it had plenty in the tank. He said he could see air in the fuel line, turned out the repop gas cap he was using was of the "non venting" variety...he put a used original cap on and the problem was solved. He figures with the gas cap not venting properly the bike was running lean and that was the root of the problem.
They left around 8 AM this morning and stopped about 30 miles in to put on their rain gear. At 85 miles they stopped for coffee and he said the Penton was running great! Gas stop at 120 miles in. At 185 miles in they stopped for ice cream, vanilla was his choice of flavor.
Next text stated " Gearing 15 57 good. Motor is amazing", to which I replied " you just need to feed it enough". Rick feels the change in the jetting has helped his mid-range.
At 274 miles in he said they had gotten wet 4 times and the Penton was running perfectly. Rick went on to say that he sure didn't have time to break in the Penton after the rebuild, 5 miles around the block around midnight and then hit the road in the morning. I replied that it is a Penton, no big deal !
At 310 miles they stopped at a nice stainless steel diner for coffee. They made Kentucky at 370 miles in and he figures he is getting about 70 miles to the gallon and said the Penton is running great. They stopped for gas again at Millers Landing, KY, all good.
The above was all pretty much by text. At 6:47 Rick called and said they were at Burnside, KY where they would be spending the night. 529 miles in and he said he missed 3 shifts the entire day, he said he wraps his big toe with tape before putting his socks on as he sure gives the gearbox a workout. He loves the way the bike feels like a road racer in the curves and can't get over how much fun the Penton is to ride and how incredible the 100cc engine is. Rick said the missed shifts are going into 6th, no issue at all in the lower gears. He knows he just has to hold the shifter for a second longer, he stated.
Paul
Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA
Made it, 726 miles to cabin #6 Racoon Mountain. My Berkshire is running just like the day John sold it in 1974. Riders meeting tonight at 7:00. The others will get a look at one of John's best. It has been a blast to take one of his machines and bring it back to life. Holding 55 on the road is no problem other than the screaming 48.5 mm piston waking everyone in my path. Only a broken headlight ground in three days of riding.
Greetings,
Rick called today from a gas stop at around 11 am. He said he is giving the little Berkie a real workout in the hilly terrain but it is running like a Swiss watch.
He said there have been some deep creek crossings and he helped rescue a BMW out of one of them. There have been some break downs and from the sound of it Rick has been making friends quickly as he helps where and when his skills are needed. " You meet the nicest people on a Penton" :)
That is about it for now.
PS. As I posted the above info a text came in from Rick.
"Done for the day. 1134 miles since leaving. Rained on the trail the second half of the day. My Penton is running great."
Paul
Greetings.
Just got a quick call from Rick. They spent the night at a campground in Maggie Valley, about 3 miles from the Wheels Through Time Museum. All is good with him and Berkie. There are 21 machines on the ride and his is the smallest displacement. His brother got a plastic bag caught in the countershaft area yesterday and it took out the seal. They pulled the motor out and took it apart on a picnic table last night and put a new seal in. He said the design of the seal makes it so you can't just pry one out and put in another. Finished the fix around midnight.
The ever cheer-full Rick laughs and seems to take it all in stride.
Paul
Greetings.
Text from Rick at 11:15 am from a gas stop. " Gas stop all good. Rough trail yesterday and rain last night. 225 miles today. ".
I take it that they have 225 miles to ride today.
Paul
Greetings,
At 11:57 Friday night this text came in from Rick. " My Penton is running well. In to camp". My reply text read as follows. " Are you texting in your sleep", I got no reply. Interesting story surely to follow.
Paul
Greetings,
Text at 1:16 PM " Ice cream stop, happy Penton."
Paul
Greetings,
Great news, Rick finished the event at 10:36 last night. He said his Berkshire was perfect ! Can't wait to hear his stories. Great Job Rick...
I don't know for sure but I do believe he has over 700 miles to ride to get back home. A true testament to Rick's mechanical and riding abilities as well as his commitment to finish what he starts, and most assuredly to the quality of John Penton's Sportcycle even after all of these years.
Paul
Greetings,
Rick just called and told of how the one day the roll chart directions were off enough that once in awhile they would roll up to a mailbox and pull out the mail and see what the address was just to see where they were, first time I ever heard that one...He also told of how the comradery among each group of riders grew very strong and how when someone would have an issue and tell the others to go on that they would not do so, they worked together to overcome mechanical and trail riding issues as a team. He is tired and wore out, but he said he knew that would be the case. The Berkie doesn't sound as tight as it did a week ago but he said he is once again so very impressed with the Penton and particularly the Sachs engine. A gal on the ride kept falling and breaking her brake lever, finally when she had no lever to replace it with he offered up his spare magura lever and said to her "try to break this one."
Paul
Greetings,
Today is the last day of Rick's GREAT ADVENTURE. Just talked with him and he said they could smell bacon as they came thru Cedarville so they stopped for breakfast al the local coffee shop. He figures they have 239 miles to go to reach home.
I think this is day 11 and he sounds as upbeat as he did on day 1. So far his Berkie seems to be holding up well and Rick said he is anxious to tear it down and check out the rings and piston to see what wear there is on those items. I imagine his tin can has a bit of wear as well !
Paul
Thanks for posting all of these updates Paul!
Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA
My great adventure is over for now. Tomorrow I will give her a bath and good look over. Riding for that many miles and days in a row you sure get in tune with your bike. Riding becomes second nature. What did I learn on this trip? I carried too much stuff. Next time I will cut back even more. The one man tent worked just fine. Yes there was less space inside and out under the vestibule but even in rain it was workable. I did have to assemble it rain fly first again this year as it was raining. It can be done. My Thermorest air mattress and 40 degree down sleeping bag are from last year. I took too many clothes. Next time I will only take one pair of pants. I can wear my rain pants while washing them. I took three pairs of sox and needed them all. My single layer leather boots got wet but dried way faster. I packed them with TP stolen from the campground at night when necessary. Speed Deluxe gave us all a shirt and I didn't need to carry another one. I should have removed all my food and supplies used for the road trip down but didn't. I carried too many tools. I will have to think on this one. I checked my motor mounts and they did not get loose. Neither did my spokes this time even though the trail was rough. I used my riders wrench and large screw driver every day. Charging my phone, GoPro, GPS and flashlight became a problem. Because the charging port on my bike failed (Read made in China) and we reached camp late several night in a row, we couldn't run a generator. I should have had extra batteries for the GoPro. The biggest problem with my bike was the broken speedo cable (no odometer) and lumpy front tire. Both the Kenda 270 front tires were not round. Next time I will ride the bike earlier and change out the tire if I am not happy. I spent extra time making sure the wheels were round, so I know they are not to blame. With the mileage this bike makes I didn't need to carry any extra fuel. I filled my 30 oz. MSR bottle with oil and this weighed too much. A 12 oz. bottle is enough for a day of riding. I think I can get away with only one Wolfman saddle bag next time and a small dry sack. Other than over tickling the Bing one morning my motor ran flawlessly. I can't say enough good things about Sachs motors. I revved the h**l out of it for hours and hours. It does loose power when really hot and gains it back when cooled down. If the jetting is right and the air filter is clean these motors can be abused. I use the clutch for every shift and miss two shifts a day, one at 10:30 every morning, don't ask me why. Almost always going into 6th. Everyone on the ride wore a different jacket. I am still happy with my waxed cotton Barbour. It does soak thru, especially at road speeds, but is breathable in the heat. In heavy rains I use a second quilted jacket underneath for warmth and wetness protection. It doubles as my pillow at night.
That is all for now. I will probably think of more later.
One more recollection.
At two different fuel stops I had strangers come up to me and say:
"I haven't seen a Penton in a LOOOOng time. The only thing better would be a Bultaco"
They had no clue...
I guess you have to ride a Penton to really appreciate what John put together.
Rick...perhaps they meant "If you REALLY wanted a challenge you would attempt this trip on a Bultaco, and not on one of the finest machines ever made!" Now that would be a task!
Quotequote:Originally posted by Rick Bennett
One more recollection.
At two different fuel stops I had strangers come up to me and say:
"I haven't seen a Penton in a LOOOOng time. The only thing better would be a Bultaco"
They had no clue...
I guess you have to ride a Penton to really appreciate what John put together.
Richard Colahan
1969 V1225
Upper Black Eddy PA
AMEN BROTHER!!! [:p]
The bikes...
2) Triumph 750
Yamaha XT 500
Yamaha DT 250
2) Honda CL 450
Honda CX 500
BMW R60
BMW R90
Yamaha XS 650
3) Honda SL 350
3) Honda CL 350
Honda CL 360
Honda XL 250
Honda XL 350
Penton 100
And a couple I can't remember.
These machines, half of them, were up to the task. The rest showed up, having been recently purchased for the trip or very rarely ridden. Points replacement hadn't been done and these owners had no idea what to do when the engine gave up. Owners manuals, forget it. Timing, what is that? The gap has to be how big? You have to put grease on the cam? I have owned a Honda twin for years and carry feeler gauges and 400 grit sand paper in my wallet. Nick thinks this funny, but guess who can't tune the Honda I gave him to ride? No one but Randy and I had spare points on board. Most mornings Randy and I found ourselves with two or three to work on or there would be more bikes on the trailer. Most of these riders were eager to learn and will come back next year better prepared. There were other small problems that couldn't have been foreseen, like broken shifters and frames. Thread locker and or nylon nuts, the lack of, left shock bolts and others out on the trail. Poorly braced mufflers made riding behind a couple bikes almost unbearable after they fell off, never to return. Luggage racks, over burdened with stuff, probably not needed, and poorly braced, broke, sometimes taking the rear frame hoop with it. My SL 350 came home with broken tail light, wiring rubbed thru after the fender collapsed onto the tire, and broken frame hoop. I looked at the rack arrangement before leaving and pretty much knew this would happen if Nick took too much stuff. Was all this worth it? Yes it was. My Penton and 350 are easily repaired. The memories are what counts.
The riders...
Randy and I turned 65 on the way to Chattanooga. With hair mostly gray now but still with 18 year old brain, we have an advantage, experience. Not only in dirt riding but in machine preparation and selection. All the riders share a common interest, riding vintage motorcycles. It is great to see younger riders looking in this direction. They all will leave the adventure as better riders and mechanics. Passing on what us older and wiser cycle owners know is well received and appreciated. In this day of instant gratification sitting behind a screen, it is nice to see others getting out and doing something physical. This ride is not beyond the normal everyday rider, even without dirt knowledge. Each group that leaves in the morning sticks together and works as a team to overcome the navigation, trail riding and mechanical repairs. This is part of the fun. There are 21 riders and 21 different talents (personalities) on the ride. Each has something to contribute. Each ride has a mixture of veterans and new participants, so every ride is different. Other than challenging myself with my machine selection and preparation, this is what keeps me interested in going again.
Enthusiasim is the Elixer of Life! A little momentum to go with it doesnt hurt either! Happy Trails![:p]
Since I can't post pictures here go to the Penton, Built for Champions facebook page to see more on this ride.
Thanks for this whole thread Rick! I was jealous, but enjoyed following along on the Vintage 1000 facebook page! I was always watching out for pictures or videos of you, but only saw a few, and attributed that to you not having to be doing too much work on your Penton, opposed to others! Very inpsirational ride that I hope to do one day myself! Keep up the good work!
Two weeks after finishing this adventure I broke my left foot hitting a stump during a hare scramble so no riding this last month. But...Randy Nick and I have signed up for the 2021 Vintage 1000 mountain ride. Stay tuned for more adventures. Now...what to ride?
Rick How about a 1974 250cc Penton Enduro with the big bazooka exhaust? My favorite Penton . You will love the power & better shifting trans. Just a thougt [:p]