I still have my 1973 Penton 250 Hare Scrambler that I bought new. My son & I have decided to see if parts are available to restore it. Does anyone know where I may find parts and/or information for restoration of the following: A 1973 Penton 250cc Hare Scrambler with KTM engine (i.e. Shop Manual, Air Filter, KTM MotoPlat/or repair, carb kit, replacement seat cover, etc.)?
Data,
Welcome to the Penton Owner Groups web site. Most if not all the parts you mentioned can be found under suppliers on the home page. I also owned a 1973 Hare Scrambler back in '73. A bike I will always remember. You might consider joining POG which will enable you to get our quarterly Still Keeping Track Newsletter and a lot of other info that enables one to better understand some of the subjects discussed here on the website.
Good luck on your registration.
Ron Carbaugh
DataPlace,
I also would like to welcome you to the POG website. One of the POG's missions is to encourage young people to become interested in the Penton machines and history so that they may carry on as us oldsters head to that other riding area, we refer to that mission as the Penton Future Project. I am glad to see that you mentioned your son's involvement with your project, how old is he, does he ride? I know that the time I have spent with my son riding and working on Pentons and motorcycles in general, has been very special.
Good luck with your project and please keep us updated on your progress. Please don't hesitate to ask any question that you may come up with as these guys are always more than willing to be of assistance.
Paul
Ron,
Thanks so much for your help, sorry for the dumb question, I should have looked around more before posting.
I owned a dealership and raced several other enduro brands before I bought this one but never wanted anything else afterwards.
Just before I bought the Penton I raced against John or Jack, not sure which, and another Penton team rider and they blew me away so effortless I had to have one.
I just hope my son has 1/2 the fun I did on this bike.
PS: This is an absolutely GREAT site I am finding everything I need!
Thanks Again, Rodger
Paul,
Thanks for the encouragement. My son is now 23, all grown up. I rode him a lot on scenic trails when was very young and have been promising him we would ride together since he was about 13.
He has never ridden but has always wanted to, he recently bought a home in the country and there are a lot of leasure riders and areas near his new home and he really wants to give it a try.
I am too old to ride hard but can still putts around OK on my Honda XR500R I bought for leasure riding and want be too many years till my grandson could ride.
Feeling younger already,
Rodger
I too am new to the Penton Ownwrs Group but have restored 3 Pentons in the last 8 years or so. All the stuff you need is pretty much available through the efforts of Pentonphiles like Alan Buehner, Randy Kirkbride, and others. They have worked very hard to find and, or reproduce just about every thing one would need and all the parts they have repro'd are of very high quality. I just finished an early 250 Hare Scrambler last summer. It turned out pretty good but I couldn't have done it without the help of POG members.
Rodger and bbeck,
If you guys don't mind telling, what parts of the country are you guys from? I am from Mars, PA about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh. We have POG members scattered accross the country and abroad,who knows you might have a fellow Pentonite not far from you.
It's great to have both of you onboard!
Paul
Paul
I live in Pacheco, Ca., about 30 mi. from SF. Also, I was wondering-is there any way to post pics here?
Thanks,
Blair Beck
I currently live in Huntsville, Alabama.
I was born and grew up in Alabama and had my motorcycle dealership here and did all of my car and motorcycle racing in the southeast. I lived around the country (Atlanta/Albany Ga, Dallas/Elpaso TX, Detroit MI, Gulf Coast FL/MS, Baltimore MD & DC area) over the years but always come back to "My Home's in Alabama".
Paul,
I did a little riding in the Bradford, PA area (beautiful country) and several years back spent a lot of on-business time at Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh.
Rodger
Bbeck, I know that there are several pentonites in the bay area. I think Horton lives near by. There is several of us up here in the Pacific Northwest. There is 7 0r 8 of us up this way. I am unsure of the count of bikes but it is somewhere around 15 between us. So lots of experience. I have only been a part of this site for two years knew of no one that owned such a machine until then. It has been great fun and I have enjoyed getting to know some of the best guys anywhere. But then what would you expect they are just like the rest of the fabulous other Penton riders around the country and around the world. At the Reunion ride I got to sit and talk with a fellow Penton owner who lives in So Africa. What a treat. Welcome to the finest group of guys anywhere. Data that goes for you too, you and your son. I promised my son...now 17 that I would teach him to ride. He is now on his second bike and loving it. And is looking forward to the day that we can get his 72 Penton 125 up and running. One day I will probably have to let him ride my beloved 250 but then what else am I to do. who else could enjoy it as much as I have. It will be his one day anyway.
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
78' 400 MC5
Blair,
There is a way to post pictures on the forum, but I am not qualified to explain how to do it. Maybe one of the other guys who has done this can explain the process. If no one can help with those directions I will ask the POG webmasters, Bill and Karen, to give us some pointers.
May I also add that Bill and Karen really put a lot of "behind the scenes" time into keeping this site running. I might also encourage all of you non POG members to think about joining the POG and helping to support this website. This website is not restricted to members only and is open for all to use, but membership dues and volunteer help from Bill and Karen make it happen. If you want to read about all of the benifits that come from the $20.00 yearly membership dues, such as the 4 quarterly newsletters, ect, click on JOIN POG on the homepage.
Thanks
Paul
Adding to what Paul states, there are more than material things as a benefit to being a Penton Owners Group member. I would not be where I am in life today without being a member of this group. Pulling chains is a small part of life as a POG member
Young Ted
Paul Danik's question to Rodger and Bbeck as to were they live brings up a question. Is it possible to put the poster's city and state for all to see when he or she posts? I have always wondered where the person lived that posted on this Forum. Heck, it might even be a neighbor of mine. Probably some legalities, but it sure would be nice. Perhaps it could be up to the member, or poster, if they wanted that to be known.Just some thoughts,what's the chances webmaster?
David Duarte
Young Ted, would that be you? If so Sir, it was an honor to ride with you at Tulsa. And thanks for the great story in Keeping Track.
Tom...
Hey Blair- Just noticed your post. i live in San Jose. I am just getting back in/on to Pentons after a 30 year vacation. Have acquired two bikes since October (73 & 75 Jackpiners). Let me hear from you.
Mike Horton
To Mike Horton, David Duarte, Blair Beck, George Vadney, Gavin Housh, (I know I'm forgetting someone) and everyone up in that area of California.
Somewhere, someday, there's a very slim chance that you may run across my old Hiro Penton.
In 1975 and '76 I lived in Modesto, while I was practicing one day the transmission on this special Penton self-destructed, parts were unobtainable rendering the machine motorless and pretty much worthless to me.
Considering I worked at the Honda shop then and could afford a new CR, it was a no-brainer to ditch the old for the new. I sold it to motorcycle legend Ray Huff who had a cycle repair shop in Modesto.(Ray passed away last year)
Sometime around the early 80's, Ray's son Dennis put a Honda 250 single engine in that Hiro/Penton frame. I talked to him after that about riding it, and he said "yeah, it's fun, I like it".
I called Ray Huff about two years ago to ask him if he knew where it was. He told me that while he was gone on vacation, someone busted into his shop and stole a bunch of bikes. Right now, to make my best guess, I would say it was stolen about four years ago, possibly longer.
It looks just like a 1974/5 Penton Six Day, has the stock frame (possibly yellow), stock suspension (one-off "Lorain Custom" swingarm with vertical mounted shocks) and possibly blue Gas Girlings.
Stock green mx tank, tall GP seat, and alloy rims.
I never kept a record of the frame number.
So if you're ever out "junk'n" in the salvage yards, at a swap meet, or just hear about a Penton w/Honda engine....it's highly unlikely, but would'nt that be something if you ran across it again.
Thanks, Bob Wardlow
Tom - Yes it is I. Thank you for the compliments. Not to nit pick, but you left the 'Still' out of Keeping Track.
Young Ted
In resonse to Rob W's Hiro story and looking out for a potentially stolen Penton with a Honda engine in it out on the West Coast, please don't make a rash call to the local authorities or start an inquisition with a Penton/Honda owner too quickly...there are a bunch of guys now making "Penda" project bikes to run in the classic 125 class, mating Honda XL motors to Penton Six Day frames, and doing quite well with them too. There are at least 3 guys runnning that bike combo in our little corner of the Northwest right now.
Mac
Hello Bob, I will keep my eyes open for that Penton/Honda creation.
I am really curious as to how this Penton/ Hiro came into your life,as the the project was a few years before the time you were riding it. Can you remember any of the details about your becoming the owner of it? I can not remember how many Hiro projects were completed at Penton West in Rancho Cordova Ca., but it was very few.I am sure age has something to do with my memory,but i sure do remember Ray Huff. That guy was one of the fastest, and toughest guys i can remember.
David Duarte
Hi Dave,
Yes I'd be happy to mention some of the details about my days racing a Hiro powered Penton.
In '74 I bought and raced the new Husky Mag. 250, it never quite agreed with me, so in '75 I choose to find a new 125 to ride.
I went to the Penton dealer I normally worked with, that was Ralph Sharphorn, from "Lake Cycle" in Grand Haven, Michigan. He told me about this new bike that Penton was trying out to replace the Sachs powered units, but he said he was'nt planning on getting any of them because they were proto-types and he'd just wait and see how it worked-out.
So I asked him how I could get one, and he told me he thought that Buck Walsworth was going to have a few, and that I should talk to him. So I did and it turned out that I drove the 300 miles or so down to Valparaiso, Indiana and got the brand new Penton at "Buck's Cycle".
That was about early to mid summer of '75 I believe, and it was just over $1500.
Man,that's cold. Cutting it off like that.It's like waiting for the next episode of the "Phantom" on the wireless.
Lew Mayer
Hello Bob, I did not think that Hiro came from Penton West, but i cannot wait to hear "The rest of the story". I hope you continue the story.
David Duarte
It's easy to get carried away in thought and ramble on about my time with that bike. That particular Penton was my partner at a time in which my life was at some major cross-roads. That point of time being 18 yrs. old, out of school and free to explore the world outside of the nest.
I don't think I was non-typical from alot young aspiring motocross racers, in that my dreams revolved around moving to California to race. You could'nt read a magazine without thinking California was the place you had to be if you were going to follow your passion in the sport. We (me and that Hiro Penton) certainly had some adventures together. You know I like sharing stories about the early days, I feed off of it, and it's why we're together in this harmony of the P.O.G.. Someday we'll open that can of worms, hopefully around a campfire. :D Brob
Rob! You edited your story. What happened in the race?
Lew Mayer