I would love to hear the history behind this one....
Dane L....Doug W....Jack P....Paul D....Ron C....Somebody....Please!
Who was the original owner? Who were past owners? How did the current owner acquire it? Where has it been all these years?
Who does POG know at the KTM Corp Office that could secure this wonderful piece of history?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230083848217&fromMakeTrack=true
Steve Minor
Wilmington, NC
First the X2 Sky Cycle....and now this? I guess I can't have them both......;)
James Jorgensen
Red Bud, Michigan
74 1/2 Mint Enduro
74 1/2 Mint MX
74 Scrambler 250
Steve,
I will just start this, but there is a lot of history with this bike. John Penton originally owned it. Norm Miller found it in about 1994/5 and bought it. The bike has been on display at Dale Barras' Honda/Suzuki/KTM dealership for the last couple of years. So the pictures you see of the bike are taken at Dales's Shop.
Ron Carbaugh
WOW!! The Holy Grail??
Paul (Socal)
This is quite possibly something the POG should own. How often does the first one of anything become available? Imagine an Owners Group that actually owns # 1.
I know there are going to be people that won't agree with me, but you can't deny that it would bring alot of pride to be able to say we own the first one.
Just a thought, feel free to agree or disagree. thx Dan[^]
Who's starting the pool to see what it ends up selling for?I'll guess its got to be worth 10k,anyway.The idea of KTM coporate buying it and having on display at their headquarters sounds good.Or Carbaugh-Ron,don't you think it would look dandy in your new Race Shop!!!???
ric emmal
as a point of reference, there was an unrestored but practically NOS 74 elsie cr 125 that sold for $12750 last week on ebay. and it was legit, i know the guy who sold it. i would think that #1 penton should command more than that. or at least it deserves to. chi jer
This is kind of sad :(...... at $5500. and not met the reserve yet.... I hope it stays on this side of the pond..... BT
Brian Taylor
Brian,
Since I am and will continue to bid on V001 I have to agree I hope it stays in the USA period.
Ron Carbaugh
Ron,
I was just wondering. If the POG members wanted the bike to stay stateside, maybe we could "back" you in your bidding. I'm thinking $100/per member could give a substantial pool to help you aquire this bike and keep it in the family. What do you think? Give me the word and a Money Order is headed to you. Good luck.
Dave Withrow
P.S. Happy Birthday
Ahmen to staying in the USA. It breaks my heart to see the brokers buying truck loads of bikes at Mid-Ohio every year only to ship them all overseas :(
Dennis Jones
I'm in also, just let us know.[^]
Thanks Dave, Dennis and others. There are several discussions going on, but ultimately the real situation is it is on ebay and anyone can bid on it. I too want it to stay in USA, so I am doing what I can, along with others, money wise to make this happen. Certainly will be an interesting weekend. I really appreciate this Group and how we always try and do what is right for the Penton Name.
Ron Carbaugh
Has anyone tried to see if KTM USA wants it. After all it is the actual first real dirtbike that KTM made.
I also have told Barber's Motorcycle museum curator Brian Slark about it. If it went to Barber's it would have a great home there and everyone could visit it.
Dwight
Dwight Rudder
7 time ISDT / E medalist
8 time National Enduro Class Champion.
I am a very new POG member, and have just been fortunate to meet Ron G via phone and email in the last few weeks, that said, I will do my part to keep this bike where it belongs.
Lane Douglas--TN
Ron and all on this side of the pond good luck and I thank you ..Brian
Brian Taylor
RC, whatever ya need, holler.
Lew Mayer
If someone...Ron C, KTM NA, Barbour's, etc...goes to Norm and makes him an offer he can't refuse, he simply yanks it off of eBay and it shows up as "Item no longer available or for sale." I've seen it done a few times on items I was bidding on or just watching. One minute it's up for grabs, the next minute it's gone from eBay.
I think Dwight's idea about Barbour's is good, as is getting KTM NA to snatch it up for display in Amherst. I can't believe KTM AG in Mattinghofen wouldn't want it for history's sake as well.
Jeff DeBell
Ooops, sorry Ron. In my previous post I in no way meant to imply that it wouldn't have a good home with you...I just assumed everybody knew that already! My bad!
Jeff DeBell
I am with Dave or helping Ron, count on my monetary support.
Scot Smith
Sometimes a owner with a rare bike will test the waters to see what his/her motorcycle is realy worth, not wanting to sell at all, they slap on a unreachable reserve and sit back and watch. Has anyone talked to these folks? Is v001 for sale????Hmmmm
Paul(socal)
I see it the same way.I bet the reserve is 100g.I don't think it sells at all.In fact some one will bid a bucket load of cash and still not win.We will see!!!
Good point Paul.If someone could get a hold of the owner and appeal to him not to sell to overseas buyers or better yet sell to POG,We take up a collection and maybe raise yearly dues by 25.00 per member as a onetime deal,purchase V001 as a group and present the bike to Mr. Penton for all that he has done for us and our sport.But time is not on our side if the owner is serious about selling it.It looks like the price is going into the "Outer Limits",and i think most of us have witnessed what happens at the end of these auctions- so maybe i'm dreaming here,but it sure would be neat to get the bike back to its Original Owner.Somehow we've got to at least keep the bike on U.S. soil.I'm sure many of us would pay/donate to go and "visit" V001!And maybe after the bike is secured we could sell signed 8x10 glossy's to help defray cost of the bike.I haven't talked to Ron this morning yet and don't know where his bidding will stop,and for sure he's deserving and he would give it an excellent home and i'd love to see him get it,but if we get together and appeal to the owner of the bike,maybe that would do some good.Let's keep it here!
Ric
ric emmal
that auction is a thriller for me here in Germany.
I put the item into my favourites and wonder how high the price will go tomorrow.......
The Penton will be the most expensive bike with a Sachs motor that I know.
Leo Keller
Any NE Ohio Poggers get a chance to possibly drive over and talk to the seller, or anybody able to contact by phone and see if seller is serious about selling, or just "testing the waters" as it were?
At 6:41 pm today, price up to 18,600$$$, but still hasn't hit the reserve. ??????????
As stated in the About POG section.We are a premiere vintage motorcycle organization dedicated to the preservation of the Penton motorcycle.I think that the POG should be the owner of this bike if it comes down to that.This motorcycle is too important to be anywhere else.If one of our members can't afford this auction I'd like to see my membership money used to keep it "in the family".Just my 2 cents.
I wonder what John Pentons thoughts are on all this ?
Raymond
Down East Pentons
Raymond I am sure John would say " I shouldnt have sold any of them and just kept them for 35+ years and stuck them on E Bay "..BT
Brian Taylor
Leo pls tell our European friends there are are lots of DKW,s Hercules ,KTM,s , Mazzillis and Simpsons to save and leave this one for the Americans ..... BT the Canuck
Brian Taylor
10:41 CST and the price is $22,000 and the reserve has been met. Someone new will own this piece of history...............
Here's how POG could buy and own this bike: $25,000 10-yr term loan at Prime+1% = $3840 per year, which is $12.80 in additional dues per year for 300 members, for the next 10 years (for example).
I underwrite equipment loans for businesses, including non-profits, all the time and this is easily within my credit authority, if the board wants to take the plunge.
Then again, some individual with the desire and wherewithal could buy it with cheaper money yet, and "lease" it to POG under similar terms, with $1 buyout at end or some such. Of course, the current owner could have offered something similar for POG, if they were interested in old bike history and the marque, instead of just a fatter wallet. ;^)
Jon McLean
Lake Grove, OR
What happened to the bike? Auction ended? Anyone?
Well, in any case, three bids over $20,000. This has to be some kind of record. So much for private bidding in a case like this. Wish we could have seen the results and now we wonder who really has the bike? And I was going to stay up to see if the other side of the world was going to get in on the fun!
The owner ended the auction early and either took an "over the top" offer by someone or, like an earlier post said "to test the waters". Either way I would think that the value for every Penton we own just went up. As to whether this is a record? For a Penton it is, but I'm sure that some other motorcycles like certain Black Shadows or Hendersons have gone for more.
Who ever the new owner is I would like to invite them to bring the bike to the Radnor Hunt Concour.
Rumor has it that a last ditch effort with many involved kept V001 in the family!As they say in the newspapaer business it came from a very reliable source.
I suspect that those with all the details will be making a post regarding this soon.
Ric
ric emmal
Congratulations Ron&Group.
Paul(socal)
What happened? Enquiring minds want to know.
Hopefully it will go to someone like Kip, who can put it into as was origanal condition, then shown to the world as the milestone that it truely is.