I some how got the idea in my head to run a couple vintage mx races next year. My only hands on experiance with Pentons ,is with the Jackpiner. My first thought was to put togehr a Jackpiner just for that purpose ,until just today,I saw a 250 cc Penton for sale on E-bay. I like the looks of that bike and figure it must be more powerful than the 175cc Jackpiner and since ther is more of me these days, the extra power might come in handy!
Is the 250 a good design? Is it a whole diffenet bike than the 175 or are some bits the same? Are they hard to come buy and is there anything in particular to watch out for when looking for one?
Thanks for any guidence you might be able to provide.
My two cents, engine parts for the 175's are very scarce to none, i.e. KS shafts, shift shafts, clutch plates, etc. 250/400 engine stuff is still out there for a bit until it runs out too. No clutch actuators for any KTM engine period so I would lean towards the 250 myself and get it built quick as parts for all are getting very scarce!!!
Having raced my 175 against 250's back when, I would say if you get one in good shape you aren't giving much away. But, torque is good, and since they are essentially the same handling- and weight-wise, just go for the 250. It will be somewhat less work!