73 250 (GS) Front Plate Color?

[KJDonovan]

I am getting ready to paint the tins and air box for 73 250 and have a question regarding the correct color for the badge/number plate that attaches to the top of the big ZKW headlamp, my question is green or yellow?
 
I have seen tons of pictures of MX style 73 250's with a green front plate but have only seen one photo of a 73 250 in GS dress (link below) with the plate attached to the top of the ZKW lamp and this one is yellow, but I am not sure if its right.  

I have been through the entire photo gallery and I have only found 2 photos of these, the one below and another that only showed the back of the plate.  What's the consensus here?  Do I go with green to match the side tin badges or yellow?

http://www.pentonusa.org/GalleryServerPro/default.aspx?moid=4619&hr=1  

Thanks,

Kevin

[SouthRider]

Kevin - not sure of details, but the FIM at one point in the 70's mandated green number plates for 250cc bikes in motocross. Huskies during that era had green plates on the 250's.

Not sure if yellow was for other classes, or what if any requirements were for Enduro or ISDT.

So number plate colors could have easily changed, and AMA rules may have been different also.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we are now qualified to do almost anything, with nothing."

1972 Penton Berkshire 100
1983 Husqvarna 250 XC
2011 Jayco 31.5 RLDS
2009 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax

[KJDonovan]

Clarke,

Yup, I see lots of Huskies with the green badges.  Just a little confused as to what it should be on a Penton.  I figured I would ask here in hopes that someone may have purchased an enduro kit for a 250 and would remember what color the front plate was.  Thanks for the feedback.

Kevin

[454MRW]

If you go to production years and production guide from the main menu, is states that 73 Hare Scramblers had green number plates. It mentions in the 74 guide that MX bikes had green number plates and Enduros had yellow number plates. My early 74 red tank 250 Hare Scrambler may have been ordered as MX but dealer upgraded to an Enduro as it had green number plates, an MX pipe and tank, but a metal headlight with a tool bag rack. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Penton
1976 MC5 400
1978 KTM 78 GS6 250
L78-79 MX6 175-250 KTM's
1976-78 125-400 RM's
2007 CR125R Honda
1977 MC250 Maico
2017 KTM Freeride 250R

[Cal Alexander]

Seems like the early MX 250's were green. Yellow just doesn't seem right.

[Daniel P. McEntee]

Yellow would have been for a GS or enduro model. I think that is ISDT oriented, so to make the rider number easier to read on the fly.I put a yellow one on my 73 and 74.5 250's

[Paul Danik]

Hi Kevin,

   I am not sure if this will help you or not, but the link below will (hopefully) take you to the videos from the 1973 ISDT event in which Jack and Carl's machines are shown numerous times.

   Best of luck to you with your project and please let us know what you decide is "correct" for you and your project, sounds interesting.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St0iOOaNNdM

Paul

[KJDonovan]

Mike / Cal / Dan / Paul,

Thanks so much for weighing in on this.  I realize this entire thread probably sounds like an insignificant detail, but I hate it when I finish something only to have someone point out that I painted something the wrong color.[B)]  Based on the differing opinions here, you can see why I was not sure.
 
The 73 Dalton videos were very helpful, it appears all badges (sides and front) were yellow, probably an FIM rule as Dan and Clarke state.  I am not trying to reproduce an exact ISDT look, so I won't be going that way.  I am shooting for what a 73 250 in GS dress would hypothetically look like on the showroom floor in 73.

So, here's what I decided; I will be going with yellow side covers with green badges and yellow front plate.  I also plan on digging through the crap I have around here to see if I can find a 2nd front plate and I will shoot that green.  Then, next month when I am done, I will post some pictures here with both colors to see what everyone thinks looks best.  Between now and the time I am done, I will continue to look through old pictures to see what I can find.
 
Thanks so much for the feedback, extremely helpful!

Kevin

[Mike OReilly]

The bike in the photo is my '73 250. I built it as a replica of the bike that Jack Penton rode in '73. The picture was taken at the Reunion in 2003. Therefore the yellow plate.

I have an original number plate from a '75 250. It is green plastic. FIM rule for MX was the green plates for 250's. So if the look you want is what would have been on the showroom floor on a 250, green it is.

Mike

[454MRW]

I guess it all boils down to what the number plate color for the bikes outfitted with headlights raced cross country as an Enduro?, Not MX. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Penton
1976 MC5 400
1978 KTM 78 GS6 250
L78-79 MX6 175-250 KTM's
1976-78 125-400 RM's
2007 CR125R Honda
1977 MC250 Maico
2017 KTM Freeride 250R

[Rain Man]

Now I'll throw another option in here, I have 2 74 250 Pentons that were used in Netra and they both had white number plates above the head light!
2c


Raymond
 Down East Pentons