Around 1978, I bought a basketcase 1977 250 MC5 from a rich kid that had fixed the bike up with Fox airshocks and rode the winter series in Florida. Working at a Penton dealer at the time, I soon got it together and had the coolest bike around.
My buddy Bruce had a 250 Husky and we were always in competition with each other (just trail riding) so we rode pretty hard. We were going down this powerline road built up throu the Luther swamp; a continous line of whoop-de-doos with swamp on both sides. Well. I needed more setup time to dial in the Fox shocks because the bike started wic-wacing sideways and I highsided
off backwords and landed head and shoulders in the swamp. To add insult to injury, the bike landed on me and pinned me underwater! Luckily, I guess, Bruce was behind me and saw the whole thing, he pulled the bike off me. Nasty,slimy, stinkey and covered with duckweed, didn't hurt the bike though. Wish I still had that bike. Comeon, Lets hear your best crash!
1975 250GS in Mich.
All right, this wasn't a Penton, but it's the best story I've got:
1978 Burr Oak Enduro in Roselawn, Indiana. I'm tapped out im 5th gear on my 390 Husky when I realize the tree line quickly approaching is disguising a 10-foot ditch! Just enough time to hit the brakes hard once, gear down twice and gas it to lift the front end. Well, the front end cleard but not the back! I endoed, with the bike going one way and me another. Here comes the best part: the bike is lying on it's side running wide open and I'm tangled up in an electric fence! Zap! pause Zap! pause Zap! I finally clear myself, run over to the bike and pull the plug wire, Zap! again. It was one of those where you look around to see if anyone saw that, and nobody was there.
Luckily, the bike suffered no damage, not even bent bars. I went on to finish 3rd in the open B class that year, and our team, The Limb Lickers, finished 2nd in B class.
Mick
Roselawn enduro, Naked City, are you sure it was a ditch that made you crash?? [:0] :D
Rocket
How to pick one out of the many, many I have survived over the years?
Well, there was the year at the Blackwater 100 when I was running a KTM 350 Enduro. We wore a lot of open-face helmets back then, and I had on my Bell Mag 4 & Hi-Point glasses. I was on lap two, bouncing across the rocks on the power line road on the way to the 2nd water crossing. Thought I had the hot line way off to the left over by the trees, when I suddenly found myself flat on my back, staring straight up at the sky. I heard someone yelling "Don't move, don't move!", then felt spectators helping me to sit up. My whole face felt numb.
Turns out I had hit one of the guy-wires from the power line towers, partially obscured by the tree limbs & leaves. The thing had caught me right in the mouth. Amazingly, no teeth were knocked out, but it tore hell out of my lips and gums. Another "yanked out of the saddle" experience occured while trailriding on my '84 KTM 250 E/XC.
Powering down the side of some railroad tracks, I felt something tugging at my right boot. Thinking there was a piece of brush or something caught between my foot and the bike's sidecase, I stretched my leg out behind me to free it. A moment later, I was stopped dead, stretched horizontal to the ground like I was Superman - flying low. The KTM, meanwhile, shot out from beneath me and continued quite a ways up the tracks. My friend, who was following, arrived and helped me to untangle me from the partially buried cable that had looped over my foot, pulled taught, and yanked me off the bike. Wheee!
Mike "Rowdy" Piper left the line at Dave Coomb's old Fireball GNCC event in Tarentum, PA, on a brand spanking new KTM 500, only to return at the end of the FIRST lap with the bike's seat base broken in half. When asked how he managed to do such damage to the bike, Rowdy simply said, "I looped it".
Sorry, guys - I can't stop myself: First year at the Blackwater, I'm on an '84 KTM 250 E/XC - crossing the infamous bogs. If you never rode the event, you would have to see this to believe it. One mile wide, five mile long valley of bottomless mud, covered by a thin layer of coarse grass. Walk across it no problem, but knobbies cut right through. There are no obstacles to speak of, so you just lean back and keep it pinned. I'm tapped in 4th one moment, then lying on my back, looking up at the sky the next. Where'd my motorcycle go? I'm not hurt, just a little dazed. Sit up and start looking around for the bike. Hey, there it is - about 20 yards behind me, sitting bolt upright. I had hit a soft spot, instantly stopping the bike like giant flypaper.
The year, 1969. The Bike, 1969 Penton Six Day. The track, Medicine Park, near Lawton, OK. The event, end of season Championship MX. Point standings, in 1st place in 125 Class with the local Maico dealer, who owned a very fast 125 Maico, 5pts behind. All I needed to do is finish one place behind the Maico and the Championship was mine. On Thursday that week, a group of us had gone out to practice. I was getting the last minute changes to the track down, to pick the best lines and to try to improve my speed. I rode very hard behind Mike Lewis, who was riding his 360 Husky. Let me tell you, that in istself was a mistake. That thing throws BIG chuncks out from that rear wheel. As darkness was coming on us I discovered that I had a flat on the rear, so I packed it in for the day. My Father, who never really paid much attention to the things I did, must have been getting grief from my Mother for not spending time with his son, decided to fix the flat on the Penton. I though that was great. He actually came to watch the race on Sunday too. I made about 12 laps around the track during practive and things were looking real good. I was able to pass the Maico just about anywhere (Thanks to Mike Lewis and Leroy Winters for the 152 kit). I had gotten everything tuned in, the air pressure, the jetting, and most of all myself. As we sat on the starting line (left hand on your helmet, bending forward as much as you can get away with, to get as close to the clutch as you could and not get caught) I felt that I was ready and nothing was going to stop ME from winning that championship. They guys were even taking odds that I would blow that Maico away. As the flag dropped, we shot off the line and through the first turn. I was in the lead. Throught the whoop de doos and into the old creek bed we went. The Penton in first and the Maico in second, but right on my heels. I slipped a little wide on the big right turn that took us back out of the creek and that little Maico squeekd by me. Into a series of about three or four passes in and out of the creek, I flew by that Maico and was in the lead again. Hitting a long straight that went into the "NEW" BIG jump. As I approched the jump, I looked over my shoulder to see where the Maico was and I was a good 10 seconds ahead at that time.:D I was all smiles (at 17 that was the most pleasure I'd ever felt). I hit that jump and all was great. Did the perfect landing heading into a sweeping left turn that completed the 1st lap. As I was full throtle and flying I felt the rear wheel start to break loose and got into position for a good flat track slide. At the end of the left you had to make a hard right to hit the whoop de doos agian. If you missed that turn there was a 25 drop off into the creek that had water running through it. I started to feel like I was slowing down some and before I knew it............ the back wheel locks up, hit the berm and wham I'm in the air falling into the creek. I landed first and the Penton right on top of me upside down. Let me tell you, that steel tank hit me in my pride and joy and as I went to scream, my mouth filled up with creek water. I wasn't really hurt, just my pride. I had lost that Championship and that hurt the worst. This is a very improtant lesson that I learned. Never let you dad work on your race bikes. Seems that when he fixed the flat, he forgot to put the little washer in between the sprocket hub and the swing arm. It got so hot that the hub welded itself to the swingarm. To this day, NO one works on my bikes, but me!
Donny Smith
I was 16 yrs old riding a 1976 125 Penton and I was at Charleston Speedway flat tracking and when coming out of turn two broad sliding with feet up the back tire caught a bump that the race cars had left the night before, I high sided and got a free ride to the hospital with a busted spleen and a broke left femur,7 weeks in traction in the hospital and 2 months in a Full body cast. A stock 125 with a spool wheel and the right gearing could take on all anything and could run with the cheaters also. Nothing like broad sliding a Penton with your feet on the pegs !!
Thomas Carmichael
Thomas,
The pictures that I have seen you doing the broad slides with feet on the pegs is awesome. Especially when you see the competion behind you with the left foot down. I like your starts putting away the Elsinores and Rickmans(Montesa).
Ron Carbaugh
Ron , I could have done it a lot better if I would have had a "SWEETIE" like you own now !!
Thomas Carmichael
1 penton story-1 not penton story.
penton--I forgot to tighten down my brand new solid aluminum bars. They folded on the first jump and wrapped my brake cable around my front tire. Needless to say, I launched, broke both collarbones and, as you would guess, didn't get the girl.
not penton (the next year)- had my cz 380 timed hot-it backfired when i started it, but ran fine at the start line. I dumped the clutch , ran over a few guys BEHIND me and almost destroyed a really big guy's maico when I hit the rear brake and did the reverse endo. He socked me and broke my nose.
thanks for dredging up THOSE memories
rob
Rob W.
I not too sure I would have told that story! Here's your sign!:D
Donny Smith
Rocket, how do YOU know about Naked City? :D
1984 Barstow to Vegas on a later model Penton(1984 250 KTM). I am about 30 miles from the finish and running 4th 250 doing about 50mph in open desert dodging pucker bushes and chasing a dust trail ahead in the distance.
In my mind I go from that picture to my body skipping along on the ground with no recollection of the picture in between. I am going skip OW skip Ow and trying to figure out how I am on the ground now sliding and wondering where the bike is. About then it lets me know by catching up to me and whopping me in the back of my ribs. I am now doing a slower skid and thinking at least it is almost over when the guy behind me that was also chasing a dust trail runs directly over me.
After everything settles I discover that I am badly bonked but no broken bones. I gather up the bike with badly tweaked bars and discover the front brake is locked on. The upper cable guide apparently broke and at speed when the forks compressed and came back up on rebound they snagged the front brake cable.
Moral of the story is if you apply only front brake at 50mph or so there is no mental picture between riding and soil sampling. I got out my tools and romoved the front brake and finished though not with the zest I had minutes before. I still ended up I think 11th.
Mick
I have been riding the Roselawn enduro since the mid-70's. Probably heading that way in 2 weeks for the spring run. The enduro starts on the landing strip for the nudist camp now, not that I would ever look! [:0]
Rocket
Ok, I guess I will jump in, I have crashed a number of times and I am sure that I have forgotten most of them. Two of them come to mind, The first one was on my first bike... a suzuki 90 We were riding at clear creek, We had been on a long ride and The dunes tend to all look the same. Bob stopped at the top of this hill, I did not understand why and this was my shot to impress him, so I went flynn by, To my dismay, I was not where I though I was. The trail was steep and it wound throught the sticker bushes. I panicked and stomped on my brakes.... I did some violent tank swapping. I let off on the brakes but I was still going too fast. I down shifted and lightly touched the rear brakes... ( this helped) I continued this sequences and by the time I got to the bottom I did managed to stopped just short of the creek at the bottom. I realize that it is not techically a crash because I never actually hit the ground. I came so close I should have. It was just dumb luck I did not. I was shaking from head to toe and I slowly rode back to camp down the fireroad that followed the creek.
The second is a Penton story, I went through a time in my life when I believed what others were saying about me. I thought I was cool!
I was out on my very new Penton, the bike I have still have. I was out riding on my day off. The land that I was riding on had been cleared for a future college and it was flat, flat, flat. I decided to open it up and see just how fast this thing would go. once I got up to speed I started looking around to see who was looking and to my disappointment no one was, I was alone. When suddenly in front of me was a large block of cement. I was going way too fast to avoid it and I strained at the bars to lighten the front end. I hit that thing and the front end came up into my face, then the rear wheel and I was on the edge of a endo, still hanging on... somehow I managed to slide the bike to a stop. I had crushed both wheels. but to my amazement I did not damage the hubs only the rims. I looked around and that block of cement that I hit was the only one there was not even so much as a small rock anywhere to be found. I stood there and said...OK God you have my attention. NO bruise, no breaks and only a small road rash. The bike was so bad off that I could not even roll it back to the truck and I walked back half mile and got the truck to get the bike. I pulled the bike into the back and went home. I have to watch that pride stuff, Pride really does come before a fall. [8D]
Thom Green,I own and ride a 76 250 MC5 MX which I bought new.
In 1972 I bought a new Jackpiner. My friends and I would hit the open fields and chase rabbits. We didn't catch them, just chased them. It was great practice for Enduros. These rabbits were know for really quick turns and it was always a game to try to anticipate there next turn. Anyway, there were four of us out that day had we kept going further to the West and getting into some areas where we had never been before. I'm on the tail of this one rabbit and going along in 4th at almost full throtle when the rabbit goes up this long slope of an embankment and then suddenly turns hard left. This rabbit had a pattern of making a hard left and then quickly truning back to the right again. I thought to myself, OK, I'll just keep going straight because I knew that this one woud just turn back to the right again and I would cut him off. So I cranked the throtle all the way open and hit 5th. I topped that embankment and that's when I realized that the rabbit had turned left for a reason. It took me a month to get all that Pond water out of the Jackpiner. Another two months for my broken collar bone to heal. Rabbits=1 Donny=0
Donny Smith
You Folks have me topped but ill still put mine down.
A bunch of us from Tallahassee and Rick G and Herman ( out of Ricks Pensacola Shop) went to a 2 day enduro on the 4th of July weekend in southern AL or Miss. I cant remmeber which ( the reason for my memory laps will come out in a min).
It was hot , upper 90's and a bright sun both days. The first day about half way through the course the trail led into a creek. The creek was not deep but had a hard stone bottom and was covered with a thick layer of sliper moss . Well it was just deep enough and slippery that you had to paddel not ride the 400 yards down stream to get out.
The high 90's temp combined with the steam coming off the engine and haveing to paddel to keep the bike upright got me about the time we came out of the creek. Guess it was heat prostration , never had that happen to me befor. Got the bike out of the creek and off the trail put the kickstand down and headed back into the creek. Stayed there about 10 min neck deep chuckle chuckle.
Feeling better i said ok Now we are very late!!! lets see if we can get back on time. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!
About 5 miles farther down the trail we ( the little Penton 100 and I ) we runnig 100 % and at leats 20 % over our heads chuckle chuckle !
We came up on a nice sandy Jeep trail sweeper. Could not see all the way around it but the trail was good . We entered in 6th gear down shifted to 5th , taped the rear brake and set up a nice controled feet up drift and pegged the throttle .
What to my supprise to find but a Honda SL 125 ( the fellow on it had decided he had had enough fun for one day. Figure he would ride back the trail he came in on and head home) in the blind spot of the corner coming at me at about 25 mph. All i saw was a snapshot in my mind of the him and the bike lol.
Next thing i knew i was in the trail on my back looking at the clear blue sky. The Gentlman on the Honda was sitting with his back against a tree bleeding from the knee and my shoulder and left knee did not seem to work quite right.
Bikes were buzzing buy my head so , I tried to get up and off the Jeep trail. For some unknown reason I was haveing some trouble getting things to move *grin*.
The Honda rider got up with a look of astonishment on his face and hobbled over to help me off the trail. I wondered why he was getting up when i realized that there was a string of verbal abuse comeing out of my mouth directed at him that would have put a DI at Paris Island to shame chuckle chuckle.
We got off the trail and while we waited for the clean up truck we got to know one another and acesss the damage to the bikes. I had a badly bent set of fork tubes and a dent in the pipe ( thats all we could see from where we sat). The poor little Honda had not faired as well. The entire font fork and tripple trees had been ripped off his bike along with the gas tank.
My knee we bothering me but the jeans were not torn and and there was a small spot of blood at the knee so i figured no worries .
We got back to the start and Rick G said lets have a look at it. Well when the jeans came off we found 3 inch slice under the knee cap that went deep. Off the the local hospital we went . Some how one of the ball ends of the levers had contacted the knee in the crash and done that much damage with out tearing the jeans.
7 stiches and some work on my shoulder and they let me go.
The moral to this story is NEVER , Never Run more that 80 % on unknown trails unless its life or death Chuckle chuckle!!!!!
Or you could meet one of those * Nicests People on a Honda* they use to advertise about so much* GRIN *
John D.
Rocket,
When is the Roselawn run? I'm only about an hour from there and if I'm not already committed (my wife says I am) ;) I might come and watch. That's my hometown stomping grounds; it's been a while, but I used to ride all those trails around Shelby, Thayer, Schneider, Burr Oak, etc. just for fun. Does that run still go over into Illinois, too?
Mick
The spring run is April 18th. This one starts about 3-4 miles south of Nakid City. Different club runs the spring run. The Summer Bummer starts west of Roselawn at the "City".
If you are coming you might as well bring your M/C and ride. I'm sure Ted Del Solar will be there riding.
Rocket
Here in Dallas we have a "Roselawn" cemetary. So far I've managed to not send in my entry, lol.
My "best" crashes (still not sure those exist) somehow seem to elude me, although several witnesses have scored max points for degree of difficulty, and one international judge once awarded me bonus points for orginalty for my patented signature Inverted Superman No-Hander Lander Sterilizer........with a back flip.
Funny, all I remember is realizing a paramedic was trying to get me to lay still:)
I didn't earn the nickname "Kamrad Krash" fur nuthin' ya know!
These kids today think they inveted Free-Style. PA-LEEEEEZE!!!!!!!!!!
Tony
Rocket,
Unfortunately thats the same day as the CC national in Marion, Illinois and I'm planning on being there. Good luck and bring home the gold!
Sorry guys.Love all your stories but cant help you with one of my own because never had a PENTON CRASH
Cheers,Speedy------>>>>
But then,...on some other bike makes,...o boy,.....[B)][}:)]:(
Helmut Clasen KTM
162 Hillcrest Ave
L9H 4Y3
Dundas Ontario Canada
Ph.905-627-5349
[email protected]http://speedy_c.tripod.com
Sachs GP-GS 250-7A reeds
Zuendapp 125 GS ISDT repl.73
KTM 450 EXC Auto.03
Duke spec.Edit,1996
Adventurer 02
Back in the summer of 1975, I use to work evenings at this little drive in restaurant and would use my Jackpiner to commute on. There was this High Schools atheletic field about a 1/4 mile long directly across the street and the trail started at the end of the field and ran off through the woods. All summer long, I crossed the field at night and into the woods. Late August just before school started, I was heading home one night on the Piner when I slammed into this wooden bench they just put in the middle of the Atheletic field. Never hit the brakes, Mister, that bench didn't even budge an inch.
Not Surprised, The bike took the hit better than I did. I think they still use that bench at the School!!
For better or for worse, my past is mostly a blur... however, I do remember some of the details of one of my favorite moments.
I came up on a spectator point in a National Enduro and the steep, slippery hill was full of stalled riders. Of course, you are dead if you wait for traffic to clear, so I headed off to the left of the mob and was gassing my way up the hill through some thick brush. Next thing I knew I was on the ground and my bike had gone airborne and the front wheel got stuck on a low lying limb of a tree (I swear it is true). But the best part was when some spectators worked their way over to me on the ground and some little old lady (she looked ancient to me at the time.. but she was probably 40) yelled "Henry, Henry, oh my God it's a girl, Henry". With the help of Henry and a few others (is that legal?), I got my bike down and managed to get up the hill and finished on my hour.