Back in 1968 my good friend and mentor Bob Augustine took me to see one of those "new Pentons" one evening. Tony John was the service manager for the Fran Kupec Cycle Shop in Butler, Pa and he was also an accomplished rider and racer. Tony had taken one of the first bikes that the shop had received home with him to see what this Penton was all about. As Augie and I traveled up Tony's long driveway I could see Tony doing a little wheelie in his front yard on the Penton, that was my first sighting of a Penton.
Fast forward forty years, Tony John is now living in Maryland, he and I keep in touch and once in awhile get to visit. One night I mentioned to Tony that I would really love to know the serial number of the Penton that he was riding that night, to my surprise Tony stated very mater of factly that it was serial number 200, and that he still had the handlebar tag and the Manufactures Statement of Origin, MSO, for it somewhere in his stuff. Shortly there after I received the handlebar tag in the mail, I think I may have made a post about the handlebar tag at that time.
Thursday night after the POG meeting I got home about 1:30 am and stopped and grabbed my mail, I saw that I had received a package from Tony. When I opened the package, in amongst numerous old paperwork from back in the day was the original MSO for Penton V 200, dated July 31, 1968. The representative of Penton Imports who signed it was Kathie Stashick who later married Elmer Townie, Kathie and Elmer were at the recent celebration and were amongst the group of Penton employees who were recognized at the banquet. If you have a MSO from any Penton I would bet that Kathie Townie's name is on it, she later went to work for KTM in pretty much the same capacity and she only retired a few years ago. Elmer was the parts manager for Penton Imports.
My goal now is to try to find Penton V 200 and reunite the handle bar tag and MSO with the motorcycle. If anyone knows of this bike or ever hears of it please let me know, I think these items along with the bike, even if it is just an old worn out and battered frame would make a nice display. I know I would surely enjoy seeing them together and maybe sending Tony a little package of pictures for him to receive in the mail.
Paul
Great story. It is the patience to make these finds and pass them along that makes this Group Great. Thanks Paul.
Ron Carbaugh