Kenny Roberts Flat Tracker

[tmc3c]

Hey Guys ,With me being a old flat tracker and just finishing a resto job, give me a shout if ya'll happen to come across another that needs a good home !! I didn't even know they existed till meet BAJA RON.

Thomas Carmichael

[ktmkirk]

I have one that I am still putting together and have not started it yet. I'll get the frame number and engine number for your post. It's nice to know that there are several experts out there on the Penton/KR, I know very little about the flattracker models and may have questions on whether I am assembling it together correctly or not...Kirk Sessions (Ohio)

quote:Originally posted by firstturn

From time to time I have requested information from members on certain models of Pentons with hopes of using this information for future projects. In tracking these different bikes I hope to present suggestions to the Officers and Trustees of the Penton Owners Group for our shows and/or requests for models at shows by groups or promotors.
  I am looking for all the Kenny Roberts Penton Short Trackers out there, any promotional material, magazine articles or any other related information.  I would like copies or I will buy information on related items.  Here is the information I would like initially.
1.  The owner(s) and frame number of any KRP short trackers.***I own one and it is original with the correct seat, tank and engine.  The serial number is #09.***
2.  Any history on your bike or any others that are accounted for on this site.***My bike came from Ron Munson who purchased it in 2000 from Al Buehner.***
3.  Any articles or supporting material.***I have some information on when Penton was closing out the bikes with a bulletin to the dealers.***
4.  Please any questions or stories are invited.

Thanks to everyone for their time.

Ron Carbaugh

[tmc3c]

I was wondering did Jack,Jeff,or Tom ever take one of these baby's out to a flat track race to race ? I wouldn't be able to stand it seeing a Kenny Roberts/KTM Flat Tracker just sitting there,I would at least take it out back for some fun!! Is there anybody out there that can tell us what it felt like to race it? PLEASEEEEE I am going into DT'S[]

Thomas Carmichael

[rob w]

I've begun to follow some of my leads, to collect more information on these bikes.
The frames were made by Jerry Griffth, in Oakdale, CA. The shop where he fabricated them was in a wooden barn on his property.

Side note: I knew Jerry Griffth around this era because early in '75 I raced rough scrambles and short track at the track Jerry had behind his house, it was called "Pioneer Arena". It was a popular track that drew local professionals and future champions. On any given race day, which typically was a amateur sportsman event, you would see Doug Chandler and Chris Carr battling it out on their mini-bikes. Another regular that would frequent the track was Alex Jorgensen.
 A few years later I remember going over to Jerry's house with a friend to get something welded on his race bike. Jerry showed us the new bikes he was building for Honda. They were the first Honda RS750's (Proto-type V-twin race bike to challenge the dominance of the Harley XR750's) later to be ridden by the likes of Bubba Shobert and Hank Scott, Mike Kidd, and Ricky Graham.
 I also remember the goats he had tied up around the outside of his shop to act as guard dogs. I would'nt mess with them, they would charge if you got near them. I never knew until then I was affraid of goats. Anyway.......

It was'nt a big operation, KR Racing frames were made by hand by Jerry Griffth, with not alot of help by others. It was'nt like he had four guys sitting around welding frames up all day. Buster Roberts (Kenny's father) would come in and help out from time to time with things like ordering steel and such. What Kenny Roberts roll was at that time, I'm not exactly sure. My next goal is to reach Jerry by phone myself to ask him more questions. He's since moved up into the mountains, but I have another friend (I used to work at his father's motorcycle shop) up there close to where he is now, so I'm sure I can make that happen.


Bob


Oh what fun it is to ride on a 37 horse open sleigh.

[firstturn]

Rob W,
  Great follow-up.  I hope that we can find out more.  I still keep in touch with some of the old Race Team Guys (Honda) and may be able to feel in some of the blank spots.  This just incredible information.  I will have to say Jerry Griffth was handed inpossible tasks to help start the Honda Flat Track Race Team and had to work with nothing until Honda developed the RS 750 engines.  Just a little trivia:  What engine did Jerry initially use to just get thing going on the Flat Track Team?  Believe it or not a CX500 Honda street bike engine turned sidways and coverted from a shaft drive to a chain drive.  Talk about crude, but Jerry did it.  What a great and driven guy.

Ron Carbaugh

[tmc3c]

Thank You Guy's for this info!! I am eating this up and I want to hear all that ya'll can dig up on this ! I wish that back in the 70's that I had known that Penton had a ready to race flat tracker ! then I wouldn't have been drooling all over the Bultaco Astros.

Thomas Carmichael

[tmc3c]

Guys am I missing the boat here by wondering if any of the Penton Guys rode the flat tracker? Is this a "Penton" flat tracker or a flat tracker with a KTM engine in it? Did John have anything to do with this bike?

Thomas Carmichael

[firstturn]

Thomas,
  The bikes we are talking about here were built in cooperation with Kenny Roberts and John Penton.  They were offered through the Penton Dealers in 1977.  Dealers could buy them the paint the bike the color combination they desired since they came in white fiberglass.  This is not to be confused with other flat trackers with KTM engines such as Champion Frames.
  As far as any Penton guys riding these bikes I do not know.  They were a weapon of choice by future National Champion Mike Kid and others like him.  I hope this clears it up.

Ron Carbaugh

[tomale]

Wow this is cool stuff. I never did race a flat track bike but I was surrounded by them. It seems that everyone I knew raced flat track. MY brother Paul was quite the local hot shoe. He had turned expert but could not make the grade because his converted pursang was just not fast enough. It was during that time that we found this go kart tuner that did some porting to his bike and that helped. By the by his name was Erv Kanamoto, Ron you probably know him or of him I think he ended up going to work for Honda in the late 70's Anyway Paul bought one of those new Astro's and all of a sudden he was showing up the guys with national numbers.... and then he got married and she put an end to all of that. Ossa was the bike to ride for short track but I had never had seen a Penton short tracker or even a chanpion framed KTM. I saw a few other bikes with champion frames... Triumphs and such but never anything like that. I am sure it must have been faster that greased lightining. By the way there was a Cheny/triumph at the races last week. very cool.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
78' 400 MC5

[tmc3c]

Thank You Ron for bringing me along on this !! I am just eating this up and I am sure you can understand why.Several of the guys I used to race with have brought out there old flat trackers and are racing again..........who knows!!If I drop some weight and find a spool wheel I could be with them again.

Thomas Carmichael

[firstturn]

Thomas,
  I hope that answered some of your questions.  I have appreciated you pictures when you were racing flat track on the 125 Pentons.
Thom,
  What great memories you bring up about Erv Kanomoto.  He helped so many people win world championships including Freddie Spencer...what a guy.  Thom you should name some of the great TT & short track Champions that your brother had to race against.  Tough Guys.


Ron Carbaugh

[tomale]

Ron, I am terrible with names. I remember places really well but for some reason I have a hard time with anything that is not physical. I will ask him and will let you know as soon as I find something out. This subject does bring back memories of people and places I have not thought about in a very long time. Cool stuff.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
78' 400 MC5

[rob w]

Searching around I found a post by PJM on Jan. 9, 02. Titled "1977 250 Penton KR Flat Tracker For Sale", it refer's to a sale on Ebay for good ole #31. Does anyone remember where that went, I don't have any records showing #31.

Kirk, What number do you have? thanks.


Very interesting, I have not seen proof of this until now. I found this in the May '77 issue of MXA in "Tricks from The Trade". Red Line Engineering did offer a complete Champion framed bike with a KTM engine. So pretty, Champions' were always the classiest.

Ron, I'll try to shoot a picture of this over to you in a few days.

Bob

[firstturn]

Rob,  
  Wasn't that the one in Maine and was sold to Kick?

Ron Carbaugh

[clayman]

Thom Green-

Who was your brother? I covered Sidewinders, Castle Rock and pretty much all of the Northwest TT races for Cycle News from the late '70s to the present. I even got a nice photo of you on the KTM at the second Woodland Vintage event this year.

Clay Light
Senior National contributor, Cycle News