Trail riding springtime & powering over snow drifts on my 74 250 penton. Came to one that was not frozen. Instead of going over the bike went in up to the steering head . I went over the bars ? landed on my butt sitting up on the snow with my boots in the dirt road . Neither me or the bike got hurt. My buddy thought it was the greatest thing he had ever seen. [:I] What is your best trip ? [:p]
I had a snow drift "over the bars" also, but of the opposite variety. Up on Uncle Bill's farm, near the market parking lot, I was busting through light powder drifts. Well, sure enough, I rammed one quite hard and surprise, surprise there was a pile of previously plowed, hard iced snow underneath. I went right over the top in a perfect somersault, and landed in the soft snow on the other side, all but my pride intact!
Tom Penton
My over the bars trip happened in 1978 while riding a YZ125E. There was a nice ditch across the track and if you hit it at speed you could fly right over. Coming around one lap I caught a slower rider just before the ditch. I was able to pass him and started back up thru the gears. I thought I had the speed to make the ditch but the last thing I remember was looking straight down at mother earth with a firm grip on the bars. I must have hit pretty hard because I don't remember getting up. My brother stopped and asked me if I was ok, but I don't remember that either. By then I was trying to restart the motor. I must have picked up the bike and remounted on autopilot. I finished the race after the cobwebs disappeared.
I rear-ended a pick up truck that suddenly stopped, and landed on my back, in the bed of the truck. The driver instantly jumped out, ran back and said "are you okay" ? I said yeah I'm fine. Got back on my bike, and took off.
Rob You are so lucky that guy wasnt hauling manure. That sounds like a Henry Leslie stunt! Thats the best one so far! Keep it coming guys![:p]
I remember at the isdt reunion ride at Park Hills Missouri "mudfest" coming around a turn and there was a smaller tree across the trail at an angle which took the bike right out from underneath me, and I did a Superman dive flying hands first into the middle of the trail and skidding to a stop completely unhurt and the bike still running in good shape.
Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1976 Penton MC5 400
1977 KTM MC5 125
1978 KTM 78 GS6 250
L78-79 MX6 175-250 KTM's
1976-78 125-400 RM's
2007 CR125R Honda
1977 MC250 Maico
2017 KTM Freeride 250R
I had a great friend and riding buddy who's family had a dairy farm about a mile from our nursery. In the evenings after he was done on the farm and I had finished our nursery work, we would often get together to ride the local trails and race around the numerous dirt roads on the dairy farm. Returning home from riding one evening in fading daylight I was heading downhill at speed on a well used trail when I hit a newly dug groundhog hole dead on.
The 32mm forks on the 125 Penton were no match and off I went, tumbling and rolling for a good distance. When the action stopped I just sat there for a few minutes before gathering up the Penton and finishing the ride home, at a much slower speed.
Possibly the groundhogs that I am constantly doing battle with around the nursery today are distant relatives of the one that dug that hole. However, my single shot long barrel 22 magnum seems to be a better match for the battle than the 32s on the Penton were for that hole "back in the day".
Great topic.
Paul
1988 I was riding the KX500 down one of the Delta mine haul roads heading over to the old Ayrshire strip pits (which would later become our club grounds / public riding park - Little Egypt ) for some quality practice time. What looked to be a pile of weathered shale was instead found to be several truck loads of ag lime that had been there a while. I hit that pile at a fair clip looking to get some "big air". I ended up well beyond the pile and all that could be seen of the bike wedged deep into the pulverized limestone was the tip of the rear fender.
Another memorable episode was when I bought the new 1986 Honda XR250R which had gotten good magazine hype . I had put on bark busters and also a pair of those full coverage plastic hand guards that bolted to the bark busters and formed what amounted to an enclosure front , top and bottom of grip.Flying down a rocky, mildly rutted downhill the rear end started swapping violently with the front end soon tucking. Over the bars I went. Felt like both hands were broken off levering against grip and hand guard. I slammed down chest first further on down the hill with the tumbling bike seeking me out to punish me for over riding it. It landed hard on my back. Good thing I had a chest protector on as it had to have provided some relief. My sternum bone to this day feels weird. Fork and shock springs and a revalve didn't help this poorly geometried pig bike and I didn't keep it long. I crashed hard more on this bike than any other I've had.
Paul
You reminded me of another one, not me but my twin brother Randy. Back in the day everyone in the neighborhood had 74/75 125 Elsinores. One of the guys, Bill Spear lived on a farm that had cows. His practice track was out in the pasture. A nice track, rolling ground with trees mixed in. The cows didn't pay much attention to us making laps, eating grass. We ended up stopping for a rest and no Randy. After a while here he came looking dusty and a bit beat up. Seems just as he popped over a rise a young steer ran right across the track. Randy center punched the 500 lb critter and landed on his head on the other side. He said the steer didn't move much but his forks did, requiring straightening in a press.
Dereks post reminded me of my worst over the bars trip. play riding & a guy insisted that I ride his purple tank 360 yamaha. I didnt want to hurt his feelings . I had been riding only 125s up to this time. I didnt know what short shifting was! It didnt feel or sound like I was over my head. I had a open face helmet & a levi jacket that was unbuttened .Over the bars & the big Purple pig on my back driving me into the ground like a tent peg! My face & chest looked I had been run over a giant cheese grater! Thats the day I learned we drink the Beer after we go dirt bike riding! NOT WHILE WE ARE RIDING! [:p]
(http://www.pentonusa.org/forum_images/2020/danik_wheelie.jpg)
Thank you Bill and Karen for posting my "before" picture above. Possibly my text below will help you to envision what the "after" photo would have looked like if there was one...:)
'Back in the day" a MX was held at a track that I only knew of as Youngwood, the track was along the Pa Turnpike near New Stanton. I am fairly sure that Mike Rosso was at this event and he also was in the 125 class. Please correct me Mike if I am wrong.
I don't know if my "event" occurred as I landed on this lap, or possibly a lap or so later. But the "event" happened as I was landing from this jump which was actually a natural ridge more than a man made jump. We would run up one side of it, launch over the crest, and land on the downhill side, basically.
There was a bush on the downhill side of the ridge, on the right hand side, I believe the Latin name of it is Frontus Brakus Cable-snaggus, I won't print what my nickname for it is.... As I landed the front forks compressed and the front brake cable bowed out to the right and the Frontus Brakus Cable-snaggus bush did just that, sending me over the bars and separating my shoulder as I landed.
The other rider in the picture is Al Gebb, not sure of the spelling, but what I am sure of is that Al was one of the nicest folks one could ever want to meet and a tough competitor. Sadly, Al was test riding a street bike for the dealership he worked for and was involved in an accident with a car which led to his demise after a period of time in a coma.
Back to the track, if you are heading westbound on the PA pike, just before the New Stanton exit, on the right side is a hillside with some high tension electric lines running over it, that is where the track was. There is a turnpike pull off just below the track area, on the day of the race numerous cars were pulling off the pike to watch the action, till the PA state police pulled in and advised them to move along.
When traveling the pike I always look at that hillside and think back to that day, but more importantly I smile as I think back to riding with Al Gebb in many hare-scrambles and MX events before he left us much to early, but not before making a lasting impression for not only his riding ability but for his gentle and easy going demeanor as well, which he seemed to leave at the start line when the flag dropped :) Rest in peace Al.
Paul
meadville pa. enduro on my 1965 greeves,going as quick as a could and i hit a ditch bike stopped i did not,took me a few min.to get up.meadville enduro was always hard!
dennis l.brown
Paul that's another one of your great memory stories!!
I remember Al having raced and been a good friend with him. He is sadly missed.
Youngwood Sportsman Club was the first place that I officially practiced on my 1970 Penton 125 steel tank Six Days MX. I had to borrow a good friend's Bell helmet in order to have an approved helmet for my very first official MX race. His brother had a Triumph TIGER so he painted the "Fly Tigers" aircraft shark teeth on the helmet. Nearly everyone riding motocross in 1970 had a single color helmet and I was the oddball with the shark teeth helmet on the starting line. I like to think of it as being ahead of my time instead of spending all of my saved money to buy the best bike for me to try and race motocross a PENTON :D. The first photo is where you were telling the others about the parking spot on the PA Turnpike next to the track owned by the Youngwood Sportsman Club the clump of buildings on the other side of Sportsman Road. I practice there a lot for several years as it was just a few cents (25 or 20 cents) for toll from the next exit Irwin on the PA Pike. I still have the PENTON riding jersey that Mel Bohn gave me when I walked into his shop the Tuesday after my first MX race at the Central PA MX Park on the Way Apple Farm near State College. I got hung up on the starting line with a friend (also on a PENTON 125) and we were both dead last and the tail end of the 50+ rider pack was long gone. Best thing to ever happen to me in my first race as I was then committed to passing anyone I came up on not know who or what place the were and riding mad as heck. When I pulled off of the track all of my friends were so excited, much more than me as I thought I finish way back. I found out I worked my way up to 15th and just a wheel behind 14th. The second moto I ran 3rd for all but the last 1/3 of the last lap, spun myself into a low side on a just watered off camber corner, picked myself up and finish 6th. I WAS HOOKED!!! Ron Bohn, Jack and Jeff Penton and a whole host of some of the best riders on the east coast were there too including Miroslav Halm who was currently 3rd in the 250 World Championship....and was beaten so badly by Jack in the first moto that he didn't show up for the second moto. This was bad for CZ as Halm was debuting their CZ 125 MX...PENTON embarrassed him but mostly the slower CZ.
The Husky 250 photo is me at Youngwood on my first ride on it and a 250 and funny thing is I think I'm wearing my favorite PENTON jersey that I still own and I had Mr. Penton autograph it at KTM one day back in the early 2000th. It's locked away......well it doesn't fit for some reason LOL.
Just like Paul everytime I drive past that spot on the Pennsylvania Turnpike it brings back lots of fine memories........fortunately not an over the bar memory but a few skinned elbows and forearms and "OH CR@PP" as it was always hard packed and slippery as all heck. Learned a lot there because of that.....I think ;)
THANKS PAUL for the good (and sad Al) memories. I'll just remember the good ones about Al.:)
(http://a12mopar.com/yabb/Attachments/Youngwood_mx_track_003.jpg)
(http://a12mopar.com/yabb/Attachments/MR5wvr1.jpg)
(http://a12mopar.com/yabb/Attachments/IMG954306aa1.jpg)
Ok I hope you don't mind if I contribute a mountain bike version of this. I have never been properly over the bars on a motorcycle (I have definitely been into the bars however, nearly knocked my teeth out once). Anyway, I was with my wife on a trip to Scotland (first time ever) and then Ireland. She decided to take a day shopping in Edinburgh, and I decided the day would be better spent mountain biking. I planned ahead and got a guide because I wanted to get to and ride a challenging route with no time to learn local trails worth riding. So off I went with my guide to the Glentress/7-Stanes mountain bike park (amazing terrain). I was riding a borrowed bike supplied by the guide and of course immediately after getting on the bike I realized it was set up to UK standards (front brake right, like a motorcycle). But I'm much more accustomed to mountain biking, in which the rear brake is right (in the US). Maybe you can see where this is going. We climbed about 1,200 vertical feet (not a crazy ascent but respectable) before starting back down. This was all switchback single track with some significant exposure (that is, steep cliffs if you go off the trail). I elected to ride a very challenging route (called "The Bitc* — you can YouTube it if you like). Well, I walked two sections that I wasn't up to riding because I didn't want to be carried out of there. (We had seen two injured riders already that day). About 4/5 of the way down we encountered a modest drop-off — about 24" max. But it was a surprise and appeared just after a sharp corner. I was carrying too much speed and tried to slow down. Big mistake. Should have just stayed with the bike. I grabbed full front brake. This apparently is called "a learned motor response." This launched me off the trail, over a hill, and I punched a flat rock quite hard with my right hand. This is already too long a story, but after riding one handed down the rest of the hill I visited a small village grocery to get frozen peas for the swelling, then a pharmacy in the next town over to get antibiotic ointment. The lady pharmacist freaked out when she saw one of my hand bones protruding from the back of my hand. I spent that afternoon and evening in the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary. Discharged to our hotel, to return for surgery the next day. Needless to say over the next 10 days I did not play golf go swimming or do clay bird shooting as planned but my wife did and I caddied and walked along. She took it pretty well.
Mars Attacks!
68 Planetary/Lunar Lander (very sadly, sold with Gamma death-ray to the Italians)
78 400 MC5 also sadly sold
79 space rock shox bike
(http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c36/80fj40/marsattacks.jpg)
I've been to Edinburgh and went sightseeing and shopping with my wife ... good choice, huh?
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1aBX76WF3oA/XrZLAHGx2EI/AAAAAAAAGII/2fY8PSg8Rl8hh1PEILMDmZiovZs8PGfLwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/calvin-hobbes-bikemare-4-2-1995-p-d.jpg)
Tom Penton
It is a close call whether I'd do it differently if I had the choice over again. Yes for sure I'd want to avoid the endo! I'd upload photos if photobucket weren't so complicated these days. At least I had a hand to drink beer with!
Mars , I hope you were drinking Guinness instead of just beer while you were in Ireland! But dont worry I drank enough for both of us when I was there! I think you did a proper enough over the bars on the Mtn. bike to be in the hunt1 So far Rob W. gets my vote for the best one yet ! [:p]
Well, my photobucket link worked yesterday, today it says "image not available" Anyone have any hints?
Edit: I may be on to something. I'm trying using Google's Blogger.
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DzBSN6eN4Bo/XrZIGvKF_sI/AAAAAAAAGHs/F4ocIbRZYk0sqje4Z7E5_Tm6GEdaYvH0QCPcBGAsYHg/s1600/Ronnie%2BRall%2B_%2Bsm%2B2.jpg)
Tom Penton
I love the open face helmet & the military surplus goggles ! I had a pair just like that! 49 yrs. ago! [8D]
Ronnie Rall, Nationally ranked flat tracker, also rode local Ohio TT, Motocross and hare scrambles. A dairy farmer, he'd as often as not be late to the races and have to scheme to get a late sign-up: "Had to milk the cows ... no, can't skip even one day!" An all-around fast racer and a gentleman to boot!
Tom Penton
I have the article from cycle news about Jack beating Halm. I will bring it to the next meeting. My dad always spoke highly of Ronnie Talk.
Just think what Mr. Rall would have done if he was on a Penton! The Russian never did so good after they put them back on CZ,s after the KTM World Champ. [:0]
WOW...
Want to see a perfect trip "over the bars"
Look in Keeping Track #20
Jack Penton gone in a cloud of dust!
Happens to everyone I guess.
One of my most memorable trips over the bars was at the Trask Mountain qualifier sometime in the late 70's. The special test was so dusty you could barely see past the front fender. There was a small jump or hump that I didn't see coming so I wasn't ready for it. The rear end came straight up, me over the bars and when I was coming down my right foot went between the spokes and fork leg up past my ankle. When I hit the ground I was so tangled up I thought I was going to need help, no help came so I had to rotate the wheel backwards till I rolled my foot out. It bent the axle so bad it touched the left fork leg. I had to loosen the clamps and rotate the axle around to clear the fork. It was a miracle that I didn't break a leg, must have been the quality of the HI Point boots I was wearing.
Tom.
Just want to say Hi to Tom and welcome to the board:) I haven't talked to you in the longest time......and yes I'm still into Mopars and have three currently, how about you? We'll have to "talk" in another thread so I don't hi-jack this one. Again hello and welcome to the board.
Mike
Thanks Mike for the welcome aboard. I've been following along for sometime. Saw this post and thought I'd share my "trip" aboard my KTM. Been forever since we spoke. Still have both my Mopars.
TOM.
A welcome from me, to, Tom namesake. I guess I'm a Mopar guy too, though I never thought of it that way, and if I have a handle on what it means (Chrysler product?) First 4 wheel vehicle: '72 slant 6 Dodge Van, '87 Plymouth Grand Voyager, '96 Dodge Grand Caravan, 2018 Dodge Caravan.
Tom Penton
Another OTB episode of mine - 2013 AHRMA ISDTRR I was pushing my 74.5 HS to the start from Parc Ferme on day 1. It was a far piece but downhill so I ran/pushed hopping on the bike after achieving a pretty good clip and promptly stomped the bike into first gear with a poorly placed foot. Perfect front flip over the bars landing flat on my back. Quickly jumped up and bowed to some bemused observers., Really made a showing.there.
You fellow Mopar enthusiasts - I'm needing a rust free trunk lid for a 70 Plymouth B Body. Will go on a 70 Roadrunner I'm restoring.
Tom your dad is a Mopar guy too with several Chrysler T&C's. Also several of the "back in the day" Mopar engineers (aka "The Ramchargers") were big time dirt bike riders and along with most of them being big bore Husqvarna riders, before the bigger bore Pentons were available some also had Penton 125's. The first Mopar engineer I met was Dick Maxwell who was one of the original "Ramchargers" and developer and head of the Direct Connection racing products program. After he retired he went to work for the AMA as the AMA Pro Racing promotion manager. He was the father of the Dodge and Plymouth "Six Pack Lift-Off-Hood" (A12 package) cars that were built mainly as a street racer and his personal Woodward Avenue street terror. He told me "Mike I can say it now but not back then it was the last "B@d@$$" street racer car we could build before the EPA and insurance costs shut us down. (The Demon Challenger was somewhat modeled after the A12/Six Pack concept). At an EPA meeting about national off-road emissions regulations the EPA's chairman came to me during a break in the meeting and said; "Mike my dad wanted me to ask you if you are the same Mike Rosso that used to ride 6-Days and the enduros and 6-Day qualifiers here in Michigan?". "My dad used to take me to all the events that he could when he wasn't working or on the road to other races." Turns out his dad is John Wehrly who from 1962 to 2005 was the head of Dodge division engine development. That included the Hemi and six pack cars, etc.,. I was asked to call John and we became good friends, we just spoke a few days ago and he asked me how JP was doing. I introduced John W to John P (a hero of JW's) back when and I drove JP, JW and his JW's wife to the Packard Museum, in JP's Chrysler T&C of course, and we were all interviewed on the radio there. The first time I met JW in person was when I invited him to a big Chrysler national at Carlisle, PA after he retired. The biggest surprise was here we are at a huge national car event and John brings a large photo album of dirt bike photos of him and riding buddies (one on a 125 steel tanker Penton) and his sons. Dirt bike guy through and through. JP autographed and gave JW his book and it was amazing how excited and honored JW felt...... JW sent me three big boxes of late '60' to early '70's of MOTORCYCLE magazines, brochures and memorabilia. Included was one pristine, perfect PENTON steel tanker brochure. There are lots more Mopar Penton, Husky and dirt bike racers and riders out there and after meeting some of the Mopar engineers and owners it seems their Built for Champions and Ready to Race was a shared attitude. John Wehrly gave me his 1979 Husqvarna WR 250 to take care of a few years ago. His staff got it from Malcolm Smith as a birthday present for him back in '79. Malcolm came to Michigan and John and several engineers and friends went on a week long trail ride in the UP, if I can I'll post photos of that ride.
(Derek where are you located, I'll post a "parts wanted" on one of the Mopar sites I'm a member of for a clean, no rust, no damage '70 Road Runner trunk lid if you want?)
To keep somewhat on topic. Appalachia Lake (pro) motocross back in the early '70's. Dave Coombs Sr. event, three moto format, 125, 250, and Open classes. I'm on a 125 Husky and sign up for the 125 and 250 Pro/expert classes. The 125 class has Gary Bailey his son David, Tim Hart (CA but hung out in the east a lot) and quite a few top east coast guys. Gary on his Bultaco disappears in all three 125 motos, Tim Hart breaks his Maico 125 gear box in the second moto and is out. David and I scrap it out for second and third after that....the little 14 year old woops me [:I] I end up 3rd. Have two top tens going in the first two 250 motos on the 125. Start the 3rd 250 moto and bad start and mid to rear of the pack half way down the start when all of a sudden I go from the stretched out over the rear of the seat and rear fender acceleration position to the flying W, skydiving position over the bars and basically belly flop to the ground, knock the wind out of me and ring my bell and somehow get missed by a cartwheeling 125. Sit up and just sit there wondering what just happened. It was either a huge groundhog hole or a big, deep hole that may have been from the track crew removing a large rock? (rumor). I myself think it was a leftover WWII land mine as it put me about 15 feet in the air with more than enough time to realize my day was over.:D
Mike
Thanks good sir. I'm in deep Southeastern Illinois and closest town is Eldorado.