It looks like I may need to get a Penton hauled from Humble,Texas to the ISDTRR. Humble is just north of Houston. If anyone is going through that area and is willing to transport this machine it will be appreciated and I will be glad to make a donation to their travel expenses.
My direct email is
[email protected] Thanks
Paul
Paul,
Due to ride sharing, the North Texas contingent looks to be full up with ride bikes, parts for transport, and various other items of interest.
I do sort of know one guy who is a Husky guy who will be going, but we are located a good 4 hrs North of Humble, and I don't know how loaded he is.
Tony
Tony,
Thanks for the update. If transport works out without being a hassle that will be great, if not I have storage arranged about 15 min. from it's present location with a friend.
Thanks
Paul
Thanks to all who have offered their help to me in this endever. The situation has changed as the owner realized as he was getting ready to part with the Penton, that it has been a part of his life for over 30 years, and it wasn't easy to let it go. He was a man of his word and said he would let it go, but asked if I would let him out of the deal and I did. People are more important than motorcycles.
I know how I felt when I could not locate my ISDT machine after I sold it in a period of stupidity, luckily I did find it after searching for several years. I will never forget the night that my son Chad and I made our way through a building piled high with old cars and motorcycles only to look under the chassis of an old Ford with a flashlight to see my bike tucked back in the cornor. The bike was apart, but seeing the centerstand and crashbar on the bare frame was enough proof to let me know I had found the bike that had carried me through the Six-Days.
To my new Texas friend, I hope you get many more rides on your Penton and hopefully we can ride together sometime, you are a good man.
Paul
Paul,
I hope I don't embarass you but you're a Great Guy! It is easy to see what Mr. Penton saw in the young guy that rode that cycle at Six Days. You are always welcome at my campfire.
Larry P
Larry,
I went today and looked at another bike, I didn't buy the bike but I did buy an old hand cut wellstone from the guys yard, JP would be proud as his driveway is lined with large wellstones. I was near the cemetery where my family is buried, I stopped to visit the graves of my Mom and Dad along with my Grandparents, that is a real reality check. We sometimes get hung up on issues and things, but in the end some are not as important as we think they are.
Didn't mean to ramble and thanks for the kind words.
Paul
I am the guy who owns the Jackpiner that Paul was talking about. I am the owner now only because of the kindness and and generosity of Paul. He is a special man.I was not a POG member before because I did not think I had anything to offer and because most of the members seemed to live so far from where I live. I want to be a member now so I can at least talk with Paul occasionally and read all the other messages. I saw where one new member said he liked the group because it was full of the nicest guys who were always ready to help. From reading some of the posts, I believe he is right. At 67 and not feeling very well physically, I thought my Penton days were over. Now, I feel like a kid with a new toy. I want that bike to look like it did when I first saw it 33 years ago. I hope you folks will help me do that. Paul, I have not met you personally, I hope maybe one day I will..But I probably have not met many like you. Thanks again!!
Jim Palmer
Jim,
Welcome to the Group. I am sure that whatever help you may need will be given. Having the same bike to restore and ride that you rode in enduros back in the day is a real bonus. The nice thing about this computer age is that it doesn't matter where you are from, we are all only as far away as your keyboard.
Paul
I will second that about Paul Danik being a standup guy ! I call him my friend and that means the world to me always having him look out for me. Paul you definately did the right thing but a lot of other people would not have been so kind to Jim. Jim I am very glad I was able to put you and Paul together. I can see many smiles coming your way when you ride your Jackpiner and know there is a great support network for you to help in any way. I think this worked out even better than Paul getting the Jackpiner.Those Jackpiner's give my Hodaka's fits. Especially Teddy's.
See you next week in Missouri I leave tomorrow to see if I can pick up some more bikes and parts along the way.
Paul
Jim,
Didn't you ride with a person that made the Penton brake seals? I think his name was Jim McCarty(Sp?) and also there was a Bob McKnight? Great to have you on board. I live in Kerrville and any help I can be let me know. Also at some point we may have a get together of several members here in Kerrville and do a little EASY ride and visit our local motorcycle museum (Lone Star Motorcycle Museum).
Again welcome aboard.
Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas
Thanks guys for the warm welcome and your willingness to help me. Ron, those names you mentioned sound familiar, but can't recall the faces. I joined the Trail Riders of Houston in the early 70,s. My wife and I became part of a group of five couples in TRH that called ourselves "The Nitty Gritty Dirt Riders". I remember that two of the great enduro's of that day were the Caney Creek and the Rockne enduros. My first enduro bike was a 175 Yamaha..The suspension was terrible. It took two days of recuperation after a hundred mile enduro..When I got the Penton..what a difference! I could ride a hundred and was ready for another hundred. Those were gooood days!
I was wondering if they are ever events like the one in Missouri next week anywhere near Texas. I sure would like to go to this one, but no time to make plans. Maybe next year.
Ron, I saw that you live in Kerrville. I had an uncle who owned a ranch near Kerrville, out the road past Tivy Mountain. I spent many summers staying with him in the 40's and 50's..Ancestors from both sides of my family were pioneers in Bandera. The Palmers are buried in Bandera cenetery, and the Jones' are buried on a mountain top outside of Bandera...I still go to Bandera 3 or 4 times a year...oops, sorry for reminescing!...I like your idea of having a get together in Kerrville..Count me in....Now, about restoring the Penton..Actually, it's in pretty good shape. Where do I start. There is some rust on the rims..If I take the bike all apart..How do you get the rims looking like new..Is there a place to send them where they do that? Also, the original tool bag has one strap that is torn where the buckle attached, Is there someone who works on leather who could replace that..I have lots of questions, but I guess that's enough to start..Thanks for the help.
Jim Palmer
Jim,
I think the first thing for you to do is to decide what your end goal is for your bike. There are several options, one option is to restore your bike to like new condition, this can be rather costly and time consuming. Sometimes after you finish restoring a bike to like new condition you almost hate to take it out and ride it.
The next option is to make your bike look as good as possible without getting into a major restoration. This option should include a really through race prep of your bike, clean the brakes, check wheel bearings, steering head bearings, carb, air filter, fork seals, ingition side seal, ect. During this race prep all bolts should be checked and the bike given a really good detailed cleaning. A few rubber items may be found bad and need replacing. After this is done you will once again feel like you have a reliable machine that is ready to ride.
Obviously you can go anywhere in the middle of those two options depending on your final goal. My own opinion is to not get into a complete restoration unless the machine is in very bad condition or if you want your bike to look like brand new again. I enjoy seeing original machines that may have a couple of battle scars, but are race ready.
I invite others to voice their opinion on this question.
Paul
Jim,
I live on Bandera Highway and know the areas you mentioned well. All of the items you mentioned needing done can be done in Houston area. I will email you directly. Great to have you on the Penton site.
Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas
Ron, I look forward to your email.
Paul, thanks for your good advice. I like your idea of keeping it with some of the scars. I think I want to keep it as original as I can, but not in new like condition. I want to put the headlight back on it and make it enduro ready. I doubt that I will ever ride another enduro, but I would like to ride it around when I can get with folks like you guys. Actually, for the past 5 or 6 years I have fired it up every now and then and rode it around my one acre, but the last time I tried, it would not start. I noticed gas leaking out of where the exhaust pipe fits into the cylinder. I think the float must be stuck. Remember, I think I told you about putting it back together again after it had sat in my garage for 20 years. I cleaned the Amal carb., but could not get it to start. I put an old Mikuni carb on it and it fired up after 3 or 4 kicks, and after 20 years! I think now is the time to put the Amal back on it. I must have missed cleaning a jet or something..Maybe all I need to do is just give it a good cleaning...or do you think I should break it down and repaint the frame and the muffler...The forks are not pitted, but there is a little rust on the rims..I don't have a lot to spend on it..maybe $500..What do you think?...Aw, just talking about it is giving me the fever again. I wish I could make it to Missouri next week and take it with me..Oh, well, maybe there will be another time..Thanks guys for your knowlege and suggestions!
Jim Palmer
Jim,
Let's get it running first and then you can decide what you want to do as far as any restoration. I will try and help you get the caruretor sorted the next time I am in Houston.
Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas
Hi Jim, and welcome to POG!
Ron is correct in that getting it running is your first order of attention. First things first though, ditch the airfilter for a new No Toil or Uni Filter. It's served you well, but sucking 20 year old filter foam into the intake is a no win situation.
There are, however, some things you can do that are almost free and a great way to pass the time.
Not knowing just how much work your rims need, I am going to go on the assumption that she has been stored inside for most of the time and the rims are not rusted through out. If this is the case there are several cheap ways to address this. Go to any good sized auto parts store like Auto Zone and check out the chrome cleaners and polish. Just about any of them work pretty well, and I have used rubbing compound more than once. If the areas are pesky, use some fine steal wool with moderate to light pressure to clean them up before you polish them. After you get them cleaned up, put some wax on them to help keep the Houston humidity at bay.
Fine steal wool also works well to clean any small scrapes you may have in the frame paint as well. Again, wax the frame after you get it clean.
As for your pipe, I would go ahead and take it off, plug up the exhaust manifold to keep debris out of the jug, and have some fun with a wire wheel on a drill and some sand paper. After you get the gunk off, hit it with some High Temp black paint. This is avialable at you local Auto Parts store as well. There are lot's of opinions on what works best, but I'm partial to the Dupli Color Hi Temp Flat Black Epoxy engine paint. Might not hurt to check the packing in the end cap as well.
For you lower fork legs, use a scotch brite pad to bring them back to a luster, and wax when done.
Pop out your wheel bearings and check them out. If they are still good, clean them up and grease them. If replacements are needed, just about any bearing house will have new ones, just take them in with you or get the numbers off your old ones. When I rebuilt my Berkshire, I was able to purchase every bearing for the wheels and engine locally. The wheel bearings are cheap, but yours are probably just in need of grease.
While your wheels are off, pop out the brake shoes, scuff them up with some sand paper, and use emory cloth to clean your hub surfaces. In the event you need new shoes, they too are available.
As Paul mentioned, checking out all of your rubber peices is a good idea. They tend to get brittle and crack over time. Replacements are available for most everything if you need them.
If it were my bike and I was just going through it, I would pull the engine, take the tank and seat off and start cleaning. Pay particular attention to anywhere you have electrical connections, especially gounding points, and make sure they are shiney clean.
If you have been running her around the lot, your cables may be OK, but I would check and lube them just to be sure.
When reassembly starts, check every nut and bolt for tightness. At last years ISDTRR in Arkansas, I ate it in the last Special Test on Sunday when my front brake stay came off and lodged into my front wheel. Bikes built in 1972 were not meant for free style activities, do not try this at home........
It may sound like a lot, but it can be accomplished in a couple leisurely weekends, or a few nights a bit at a time. With the exception of the bearings and air filter, everything I have mentioned should cost about $25-35 to accomplish if you don't already have the sand paper, emory cloth, grease, and cleaner/polish hanging out in the garage.
Welcome back!
Tony, just North of Dallas and clearing his throat loud enough for Ron to hear about riding in Kerrville. [:p]
Tony,
How could we have a ride without you and Walt??
Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas
Tony,
Thanks for all that good info. I think even an old man like me could do what you suggested, and have a great time doing it..When I did put it together after it had sat for so long, I did put new filter foam in it, and oil, but don't remember the brand. I will get what you recommend..Before I do the cleaning up on it, I want to get it running again with the Amal instead of the Mikuni carb..Ron has offered to help me with that. I guess when I tried to clean the Amal, I must have missed something...Thanks again for your welcome and your interest in helping me...Looking forward to future contacts!
Jim Palmer
Hey Jim,
Welcome to the group! You won't meet a better bunch of people anywhere. If you ever get a chance, the 3 best times to catch a lot of us in one place are the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, the ISDTRR, and the annual POG meeting at the AMA Museum.
As far as your bike goes, I agree with the other guys. I would clean it, detail it, and get it running right first. You are very fortunate to own your original 'piner. You two have a long history together and I think there is a chance you'll find that a full restoration might diminish the character of the bike. Remember, it's only original once. You can always restore it later but you can't unrestore it later. Whatever you decide to do, we'll be here to help.
As far as your rims go, I've had good luck cleaning lightly rusted chrome with 0000 steel wool. 000 can also be used on the bigger blemishes. Anything coarser (00, 0) will scratch the chrome.
Take care,
Kent
Quotequote:Originally posted by firstturn
Tony,
How could we have a ride without you and Walt??
Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas
Yahoo! Doing the Snoopy Dance.
I know, that's a visual you don't really need......
Tony
Quotequote:Originally posted by jimpal
Tony,
Thanks for all that good info. I think even an old man like me could do what you suggested, and have a great time doing it..When I did put it together after it had sat for so long, I did put new filter foam in it, and oil, but don't remember the brand. I will get what you recommend..Before I do the cleaning up on it, I want to get it running again with the Amal instead of the Mikuni carb..Ron has offered to help me with that. I guess when I tried to clean the Amal, I must have missed something...Thanks again for your welcome and your interest in helping me...Looking forward to future contacts!
Jim Palmer
I have very good friend who has a 72 Six Days that he is the original owner of. I think he followed the delivery truck to the dealership just make sure no one beat him to it.
I sort of think of it as marrying your high school sweetheart and still being together after all of these years. If nothing else, you were right once, and been right for a long time.
The carb thing can drive you a bit nuts and it's easy to miss the forest for the trees. There were way too many witnesses to this last year at the ISDTRR when I had a plugged up jet in a carb I just knew was good to go after having been cleaned and rebuilt.
If I hadn't pulled that float bowl and slide off and checked, I'm pretty sure Dane was gonna slap me in the back of the head. chuckle chuckle
Tony
Kent,
Thanks for the good words and welcome. That's what I have decided to do..is just clean her up real good and leave it original. She has been kept in a garage all her life so she really isn't too bad looking. The only things not original are the tank strap and the kick start lever and one petcock. What you and Tony said talking about her being original made me think about my wife..When I met her she had another boyfriend, but I stole her away and we have been married 50 years next july..The Piner actually was bought by a friend of mine..I couldn't afford a new Penton in those days. When he brought it home I drooled over it..and wished I had it. Kind of like when I first saw my future wife...Well, when my friend and I would ride in the woods (he never rode in an enduro, he just puttered around in the woods..I mean he rode slooow!)I rode my yamaha and coveted his Piner..One day we were on a gas pipe-line, somehow he got it at just the right rpm and throttle, it came on it's pipe and jumped forward real fast..and off he went. When I got to him, he said "I'll never get on that thing again, it's too much bike for me..You interested in buying it" I stole it from him, just like I did my wife from that other guy..Paid him $500..and we have been "married" for almost 34 years..Through my stupidity, we almost got a divorce but Paul helped us thru that..So, I will really take care of her now...and thanks for all you guys helping us..
Jim Palmer
Jim,
I am happy you are going to leave it original. Did you get my email?? Got to go finish loading for the Reunion Ride.
Ron Carbaugh
Kerrville, Texas