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" What would John do? "
 I was talking with a long time POG member earlier today and he was telling me about a little project that he was doing and how when he came to the point of needing to make a decision, he asked himself, "What would John do?'

I really laughed when he told me the story, as I have often done the same thing, and surely some of you may have also asked yourself at times, "What would John do?"

When I visit with John, I try to let him know that even though he isn't out and about these days, his lessons of life that so many of us have learned from his actions and words over the years are still such a guiding light for many of us, and hearing my friend's story today reaffirmed those thoughts.
The photo is from the 2004 Davenport AMCA event.

"Crazy" Jake and Ginny Fischer could use your prayers. 86-year-old Jake Fischer was delivering an appliance from their appliance store when the dolly kicked back and severely cut his leg, to the extent that a tourniquet was needed to stop the bleeding. Jake is in the hospital at this time and when asked on a scale of 1 to 10 what the level of pain was, he replied 2,000. The Iron Man of Moto-Cross, Rolf Tibblin, once told me that Jake Fischer was the toughest guy he knew, so you know what it would take for Jake say he was hurting to that extent.
Jake's wife Ginny broke her hip and she is in the same hospital but down one floor.
You will never meet two nicer or more hardworking folks than Jake and Ginny. Please keep these fine folks in your thoughts and prayers.

It is almost time to gas up the truck and get ready to head to the July Penton Owners Group meeting. The meeting will take place on Thursday July 3rd and will be held in the Jackpiner Room of the KTM office building, just west of beautiful downtown Amherst, Ohio. The rubber band start to the meeting will occur at 7 pm with official POG meeting starter Rick Bennett handling the duty.


It is interesting to think back to how some of the races were actually started "back in the day". The old hand on the helmet was quite popular at many events.  At the Grove City MC Club in Grove City, PA they ran some 4 hour hare-scrambles that were buddy races. They used a Lemans start with one of the riders holding the bike while the other rider was lined up maybe 50 feet away in front of the bike. The bike holder was helmetless. The club had this little cannon that they would fire off to start the whole crazy event. BOOM, and the guys with the helmets would run and get the bike which by now was usually fired up by the guy holding it.....off we would go across an open field for maybe 200 yards and then there was a tight left turn into a single track tight woods section...talk about two stroke smoke in the woods. Those were the days.


I hope President Rick doesn't decide to have one of those Lemans starts for the POG meeting........might be 7:15 or so till we make it to the other side of the room !

Below are more details of the Penton Owners Group's attempt to gather 100 Pentons together at Mid-Ohio in honor of John Penton's 100th birthday.
Beginning at 9am we will start accepting machines for the display at the pavilion display area in the infield, NOT at the POG booth in the swap meet area.

At 1 pm the "official count" of all the displayed machines will take place. After the "official count" is announced, a program will commence. Any Penton or Hi-Point dealers from back in the day will be recognized, heck, even old Husky dealers who dealt with John will also be recognized. Any Penton employees on hand will be recognized, as will any Team Penton riders that will be on hand, and we expect a fair number of all of these groups to be there. Penton Family members on hand will also be recognized. All of these folks will be asked to tell of their Penton experiences and will surely be open for any questions that you may have.

The POG has use of this gigantic pavilion only for Saturday, NO machines can be left at the pavilion overnight.

In the photo from an POG event from "days gone by", Danny Young and Dane Leimbach are pictured. I remember that moment as Dane was listening intently to a Penton employee telling of that glorious time, and Dane was most certainly reflecting on their story. If you have an interest in the history of the Penton era, this event / display at Mid-Ohio is a do not miss event. The building behind Danny and Dane is the Penton Imports building on West Erie Avenue. The POG is pulling out all the stops to make this a very, very special event for all involved, and with your help, we will have a day like no other and most certainly John Penton will be honored quite properly, as he should !

Rob, the Penton Owners Group's attempt to gather 100 Pentons together at Mid-Ohio to honor John Penton and his 100th birthday is a one day event. The POG has use of the display area for all day Saturday. The pavilion is under roof, has a cement floor and is located in the infield area of Mid-Ohio, a real hub of activity at VMD in recent years and a much better location than where the POG booth is located for numerous reasons. The level cement floor will allow for machines to be placed on their center stands or side stands with no fear of them tipping over, versus the uneven grass at the POG booth. We will either have hot sun or a rainstorm on Saturday, if tradition holds true, the roof will either keep us cooler or dry, or maybe both !
That being said, NO machines will be left there overnight so NO security is needed. We look to start setting up bikes about 9 am Saturday morning with the "official count" taking place at 1 pm. After the "official count" is completed and the results announced, a program of sorts will commence. Penton dealers on hand will be recognized, Penton employees on hand will be recognized, Team Penton riders on hand will be recognized, and so on. These folks have personal experience of the Penton era and will be encouraged to tell of their memories and will be available to take questions as well.
As for help with getting your Pentons to the display area, I can't promise anything, but we will try to help you as much as possible. I will have two grandsons with me and they love to help, let's keep in touch on this issue. As for sale signs, not a problem. I hope my info helps and I look forward to seeing you at VMD, AND, THANK YOU for helping the POG honor John Penton.

Kevin, looking forward to seeing you, I will try to not ask you too many restoration questions............

Attempting to gather a century of Pentons to honor centenarian John Penton at Vintage Motorcycle Days is most certainly a tall order. Just to clarify, Webster's dictionary defines century as a group of 100 like things, along with its other meanings. So, will the POG be able to gather a century of Pentons at its display on Saturday July 26th, time will tell, but hopefully if you are reading this you are getting your Pentons ready for the display.

Keep in mind, if you have a bare frame, a racer, a project in mid completion, an original survivor or a beautifully restored Penton, all are welcome as each helps to tell the Penton story. Those Wassells, short trackers and other special machines are welcomed as well. We are also looking to have an area set aside for memorabilia.

In a few days a scouting expedition to Mid-Ohio is planned to check out the facility that we have been provided. If you have been to Mid-Ohio, the location is easy to access. Just cross over the bridge to the infield and make a quick right and the large open air covered pavilion will be just ahead of you.

More information about the day's activities will be forthcoming. With your help, this display of Pentons and Penton related items along with former Penton employees, dealers and riders will most certainly be a day to remember.

May 3rd 1999, 26 years ago today, was a day of such significance in the world of John Penton, Ed Youngblood, the Penton Sportcycles and most assuredly the Penton Owners Group, that it deserves to be celebrated in some way. You see, it was on that date that Ed Younblood addressed the Penton Owners Group at its monthly meeting and proposed to write a book about John Penton. In attendance at that meeting were Jack Penton, Alan Buehner, Paul Danik, James Borer, Al Born, John Penton, John Borer, Dale Barris, Brett Watson, Barry Higgins, Ed Youngblood, Ollie Martin and Matt Weisman.

We have Davie Coombs to thank for providing the spark that lit this fire. As it was while Ed was sitting in Davie's office that Davie mentioned to Ed that he was going to rename his one GNCC event The John Penton GNCC, and he needed a story about John to publish in Racer X to tell the readers about John. "Hell, I can give you that, I have known John for many, many years" was Ed's response, according to Ed when he told me of his encounter with Davie. As the story goes, Ed met with John at his home for an afternoon and when he left he realized that much more than an article was needed to tell John's story, a book was needed ! Ed did write the story for Davie titled A LIFE LESS ORDINARY and it can be read in the Fall of 1999, Issue # 4 of the POG newsletter Still....Keeping Track. https://media.pentonusa.org/2023/03/04085516/SKT4.pdf

The story of how the John Penton book came into being and the details of the writing of the book could almost fill a book in itself, but I must say it was an incredibly exciting time for the Penton Owners Group. And in due time, when Todd Huffman read the John Penton book he decided to create the John Penton movie.  https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=John+Penton+movie+trailer&mid=F9F41F5CABB2F60C3010F9F41F5CABB2F60C3010&FORM=VIRE

As for celebrating this very significant day, I have a suggestion. On the Saturday of this year's Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio the Penton Onwers Group is going to attempt to bring 100 Penton Sportcycles together in a display to honor the upcoming 100th birthday of John Penton, and your help is needed. Please consider helping the POG by bringing any Penton Sportcycles that you might have to Mid-Ohio on that day. Barn fresh, total restorations, rollers, racers, trailer queens, whatever, if it is a Penton or was sold by Penton such as the Wassells and short trackers, load it up and haul it to Mid-Ohio. Consider making today the day you commit to helping us honor John Penton at Mid-Ohio.
The AMA has provided the use of the Grand Pavilion in the infield for our Saturday display. Yes, this is the exact same location where the POG had its display 25 years ago when Penton was the Featured Marque and John Penton was the Grand Marshall.


Please give thanks to the late Ed Youngblood in some way today for all that he did for us and the world of motorcycling. See yinz at Mid-Ohio.

Before last night's POG meeting I had a heartwarming visit with John Penton. As always, the news channel was on the TV and John was in his recliner when I arrived.

As I was driving the turnpike on the way to Amherst, I reflected on the fact that I have been making this trip for more than 50 years. In the early days to get a minute or two with John Penton was rather rare as John was always going in multiple directions at once. Being able to sit and chat with John is a priceless experience.

So, we discussed how unreal it is that we can buy bananas for less than 50 cents a pound when you consider what all has gone into getting them to the store shelf. How a local to me sandstone quarry can bring a truck sized stone into their building and program their saw to cut the stone into slabs all night long with no one on hand and how if something goes amiss the forman will get an automated phone call. We discussed how a nursery company has planted the Penton Farm Market property with nursery stock, John was surprised that my families' garden center bought nursery stock from that same company many times over the years. I asked John if only he and his brother Bill competed on motorcycles " back in the day", to which he said yes and further explained that answer with information about his other brothers and their interests. I tell you about these things to allow you to see just how well John Penton is doing at 99 years of age.

Soon there was a knock at John's door and the nurse / aide told John that dinner was about to be served. "Already", John exclaimed as he looked at his watch. John and I shook hands, and he warmly thanked me for stopping by. If you are reading this, you should feel proud that your efforts and interest in the Penton Sportcycles and John Penton are helping to keep John's life's work so very much alive and well.

At 72 years of age, I left that visit with 99 year young John Penton with my internal fire well fueled. If you have considered visiting John I would certainly recommend that you do so. Thank you John Penton.
The photo below was taken at the Davenport, Iowa swap meet in 2004. The gentleman was running the 4 engines with one carb located at the end of the intake tube, if I remember correctly. John was curious as to how he got the air / fuel flow metered to each engine properly. If John saw that same rig today, my money would be on John remembering the answer he was given about the carburation over 20 years ago!

Breaking News! The Penton Motorcycles Facebook page has broken the 5,000 members' mark. Penton enthusiasts from the world over are able to gather online to share their memories and help each other out as needed, thanks to the efforts of Penton Motorcycles FB creator Brian Kirby.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/503295773095421



For those looking to buy and sell Penton related items, Brian has created the Penton Motorcycles-Buy and Sell Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1074668997462080


Keep in mind that the Penton Owners Group has a website that is chalk filled with information, videos and much, much more that in combination with these Facebook pages help to honor the work of John Penton and keep his efforts alive and well.
Keep spreading the word, as surely there are many, many more folks who would love to join in the fun.


https://www.pentonusa.org/

Thanks Carl, that will be great.  If 50 folks bring 2 machines, we will have one Penton for each of John Penton's 100 years ! AND, one heck of a long row of Penton Sportcycles...

As the Pittsburgh Supercross date is getting ever closer, tonight we uncovered a Steel Tanker and brought it into the little shop to give it some attention, mostly just getting the dust off of it and doing some polishing up as needed. The Steel Tanker is a later one with a serial number in the 6200 range, it is a very original machine with hardly any time on it and will represent the Steel Tanker era in the POG display. When I rolled it through the outer shop it had the feel of a new bike, pretty awesome for a Penton that is over 50 years old.

Dominic has been working away at my 1974 ISDT machine as can be seen in the photo. The little shop is most certainly nothing special, but it is where I worked on my Pentons from day 1 and is where I prepared my 1973 ISDT bike. To be working away at some Pentons with my grandson in this shop is something I never envisioned, but it is pretty neat, and Dom keeps saying how much he enjoys it. Dom and his younger brother Luca hauled the rocks into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum for the 1973 ISDT display, and they will both be at the Pittsburgh Supercross helping out wherever needed.

Enough about all of that, Vintage Motorcycle Days is right around the corner and here is what we are working on. As we have done for many years, Vintage Motorcycle Days will be the kickoff of John Penton's birthday celebration by the POG, but of course this one is very, very special as John will be 100 years old on August 19th. We are working out the details with the folks from the AMA of doing a display of Penton Motorcycles on the Saturday of the event. The exact location at Mid-Ohio of the Penton display has yet to be finalized, but rest assured we will want any and all Pentons to be there for the line-up with the goal of having 100 Pentons on hand. Will be get 100 machines, time will tell, but no matter how many we have on hand you can rest assured this will be a day we will all remember and the attendees at VMD will surely remember as well. More details will be announced as they are finalized, but for now we would ask that if you plan on being at VMD on the Saturday of the event, load up your Penton hardware and help us put on the biggest lineup of Pentons anyone will probably ever see. Running or not, original machines, race bikes and perfect restorations, all are welcome, even Wassells and short trackers too ! Let's make John proud.

Hi Kip, a supply of hats will be taken to Mid-Ohio. If by chance the color you want is sold out when you ask for it, they will still be available online.

This photo brings back so many memories from days gone by. I can still visualize John Penton on a fork truck where the operator was standing, not sitting as he operated it, zooming around in the Penton R & D building moving crates of Penton Steel Tankers. Like everything John does, he was really moving and getting his job done in record time, John didn't need any mirrors on that fork truck as EVERYONE knew to stay the heck out of the way !

As I think back to that time, and knowing what I know now, quite possibly he was organizing the bikes according to what updates they had from the factory. Can you imagine what it was like having bikes in inventory with the cast iron cylinders and also have some of the new ones with the aluminum top-ends that made the others, shall we say, less desirable!
The Penton R & D building may not have been an extremely large building, but what all went on there and happened there was simply amazing. I remember working on our bikes late into the night getting them ready to load into the Cycleliner in the morning and heading to an event. All sorts of folks would be stopping by when they saw the lights on, Jack and Dane seemed to know them all and they played host to ever changing crowd of curious onlookers.

The Penton Owners Group is proud to announce that it will have a display at the upcoming Pittsburgh, PA Supercross on April 26th. The Legends and Heroes folks have graciously invited the POG to join with them in their display area. THANK YOU very much Legends and Heros folks, your hospitality is greatly appreciated.

The plan is to have several models of the Penton Sportcycles in the display along with the KTM 65cc raffle bike. Surely the Pentons will draw the attention of the more mature folks at the event, and the 65cc KTM raffle bike will hopefully draw the youngsters to our display. The theme of our display is THE PENTON KTM CONNECTION. A number of POG members will be on hand to greet the folks who visit our display and answer any questions that might arise, including Jack Penton.

POG Trustee Samantha Vallish will have two of her Penton race machines on display. Her CMF Penton Berkshire and the CMF Penton Jackpiner that she will be campaigning this year in numerous events. We also hope to have a Penton Steel Tanker on display as well. THANK YOU very much Samantha, all of your efforts are greatly appreciated.

It will be very interesting to watch the modern KTM enthusiasts and the Penton Sportcycle enthusiasts mingling together, just wait till they realize that they are all sort of cousins !

The text and photo below were "borrowed" from Ted Guthrie, Thanks Ted, I owe you one!  If I may add some info, after the 1974 ISDT in Camerino, Italy, Dane traded his USA helmet to an Italian rider for his ISDT helmet. Last fall at the Vintage ISDT event in Camerino, Italy,  Dane's helmet was given to some of the Team USA folks with instructions to see that it made its way back to Dane's family. At the POG meeting on Thursday evening, Dane's cousin Jack Penton completed that mission by handing Dane's 1974 ISDT helmet over to his granddaughter Riley, who happens to also work at KTM. It was most assuredly a very, very special moment !
    Below is Ted's commentary he provided with the photo.
The Penton Owners Group, at last night's monthly meeting, was honored to have present, Riley Bland, who is the granddaughter of the late Dane Leimbach.
Dane, nephew of John Penton, was a key figure in operations of the original Penton Imports company, working in R&D, plus was one of the top Penton team riders. 
While I am a bit short on the exact details, following one of the International Six-Days Trials in which Dane competed, he traded his team helmet with that of an Italian rider.  Many years later, the helmet found its way back to the U.S. and into the hands of Jack Penton. 
Here, Jack has handed over the helmet back to Riley.  A very fitting way for Dane's property to come back to the family.