I just saw the 76' 125 on Ebay and it raises some interesting questions in my head, as I have one and it is quite different in it's components. Could the ebay bike be a very early transition bike?? My 76' 125 is pretty standard in its make up. KTM engine, Marzocchi front & rear suspension, transition frame prior to the GP frame and orange tank with "L" Stripe, frame is stamped june 76' as year of manufacture.
The one in the photo appears to have the same frame & motor as mine but a 35mm Ceriani front end, MX pipe, Small MX tank with the horizontal racing stipe and coolest of all its Six Day green! Does anyone remember when they started offering the KTM engined 125 if the early models came out with green tanks?
I have pictures in an old Dirt Bike Mag. of a Carl Cranke set-up 125 with a red watermelon tank so I know there is deviation and that no two Pentons are truely identical. Still I wonder whether this is a really late 1975 model? In any event it looks neat.
Chris
Chris the only 76 125 that I have ever seen was a red tank, It had the same tank as my 76 250. It may have been a bit smaller but if it was it was not much smaller. The tank stripes were horizonal like my 250 as well not the the "L" shaped. They looked the same exept the top end on the 125 looked alot smaller and the pipe seemed to just hang in mid air with alot of room between the head and the pipe. As far as the forks... it seemed to me that it had the Marzokes too. I was under the impression that the "L" shaped stripes did not show up until 77'
A year or so ago I was looking at some pictures of a collection of Motocross bikes and they had a green tanked 250 but I was thinking it was a 75'or a 76, I can't remember which, none the less I thought it was very cool. In 76 I was told that on the west coast the tank colors for the 250's were red... like mine and orange like yours in the east but I thought the decals were the same.... I never did figure out were the green tank models came from unless they had made them up for berkires or something and then needed to use them up so they did, but then I thought that they suspended the production of the berkies in 75' althought I know of at least one 76 berkie that does exist. but I have never seen it and have no idea what the color scheme looks like.
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
75' GS400 (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)
I have an original early '76 125 enduro with a Nov '75 frame serial, GS(CMF style) frame, orange L stripe enduro tank, but it has 35mm Ceriani forks. My KTM motor serial is also a very early 5-5100334. If the ebay bike has real low motor serial, I could believe that it was a transition bike. The tank looks like a '75 125 mx tank, green with the horizontal stripe. What adds to this is that my tank was orignally green and was painted orange (knee rub exposed it) and it looks the same for the airbox. Now for that MC-5 mx style pipe on the ebay bike, who knows how it got there.
John J Slivka
John,
I also have a 76' Jackpiner that is much the same as your 125. 35mm Cerianis, "L" stripe tank and the same paint issue as yours. On mine the side covers are orange and under the worn areas the original 75' style blue gel coat shows. The airbox is white but that too was originally blue underneath. Where the sides of my tank are worn shows it was green like yours...perplexing
I think the MC-5 pipe is probably an add on, mine has a giant bazooka style GS pipe. I'd love to know the serial number on that bike. Too bad they didn't stick with the original green on all the 76' 125's it looks nice.
Chris
The pictures I've found of the first 125 KTM engined Penton's, had a green MX tank.
Mine sounds just like JJ's -
Frame number 511 8764x
Engine number 5-51 00360
Green toaster tank, factory repainted orange
Loaded front to back with P.P. products
Some of the other first 125 KTM/ Penton's, labeled the "125 Cross Country" - had an orange toaster tank - but without lighting, and the standard '75 Penton MX fenders.
...and I've only seen them with the enormous bazooka for an exhaust.
I might sell mine (?) - it's only been ridden a half dozen times since it was new.
BobW
Bob,
Can you post the pictures you have of the bike with green tank? This is a Penton fact I never knew but suspected. I put a green MX tank on mine last night for giggles but when my orange tank comes back from the painter she will be made original.
The only photos I have of the Cross Country 125 are from an old NETRA Magazine and it showed the more common orange tank and PP fenders and headlight. The following month an add for the MC model appeared, I need to check the attic to find them.
Chris
Well, I didnt get the bike. I did talk to the owner and the frame and engine serial numbers were very early in the series. Engine was something like 00115.
I hope someone from POG got it.
Andy
#14u MOVMX and AHRMA
75 Jackpiner
92 KTM 300
That is early in the series. I learn somthing new every day on this site. I too hope a POG member won the bike, I would hate to see it parted. Whoever won it is going to search far and wide for a bazooka pipe for that bike. It took 2 years for me to find one and it was in Europe...ended up costing more than the bike but at least it is original now.
Chris
The bike is going to a vintage collector / racer in Ruffin, NC only 10 miles down the road from my place. I plan to watch over it and if the pattern continues it might just migrate over to my place in about 6 months: '78 400 > '73 250 > '78 175 > ?
John J Slivka
Rob & JJ,
Interesting thread. The onw I bought sometime back has engine # 00357 and was built in November 1975. It has the large orange tank and no lighting....it is all original. Thanks for the information.
Ron Carbaugh