What dealer did your Penton come from?

[rob w]

Hi Rod, all:
 
One of the tracking methods I know of that can tell you the history of a particular machine's travel's. Including the times, dates, and location of where is was, and when. Also all the names of the people it sort of came in contact with, from the general manager at KTM, to the clerk at Penton Imports, to the dealer that helped you load it into your truck. That's all found in the -



MANUFACTURER'S
STATEMENT OF ORIGIN
TO A MOTOR VEHICLE

These pretty much track the transfer of ownership as each bike makes it's way out of the factory, across the ocean, and into the showroom.
Check out the dates, and times on this one.

 It transfered from the property of "said Corporation" (KTM) to the property of Penton Imports, Co. on May 14th, 1973.
It's interesting to know that the frame number on the bike was 305 65788. (May 73 also)
 It then transfered property, "First Assignment" from Penton Imports to Lake Cycle (my local Penton dealer) on July 25th, 1973.
From 5-14 to 7-25 is 72 days, I'll guess most of that is it's cruise over.
 Then on July 30th it transfer ownership from Lake Cycle to me. "Second Assignment"
That's 5 days at the dealer, for a total of 77 days from Mattighofen to my garage.
Anyway that's fun stuff.

BobW

[Kevin Grimes]

I Bought a 1970 Husqvarna Sportsman that has the MSO stating the transfer to Penton Imports 1900 Elyria Avenue, Lorain Ohio 44052, dated 24 Feb 1970. The clerk at Penton Imports who transfered the bike out to a Honda dealer in Little Rock Arkansas was Kathie Towne.
 I wonder if anybody in Pentonville knew her?

[Paul Danik]

Kevin,  
   
     Kathy Towne was one of the early employes at the Penton Brothers Motorcycle Agency , she was single when she was hired, her future husband Elmer also worked for Penton Brothers. Later Kathy worked for Penton Imports and then she moved on to work for KTM when they took over distribution of the machines, she has only recently retired.  
   
     Her husband Elmer moved into the position of parts manager for Penton Imports, everyone just called him "Towney".  I can still picture Towney keeping the parts pickers busy, they were mostly women and they would gather up and pack the parts orders for the dealers.  Doug Wilford's dad worked with that gang after he retired, I remember Wally working at the shrink wrap machine packaging Hi-Point accessories.  Man, what I wouldn't do for just one more trip through the parts room. I can remember seeing a whole row of NOS exhaust pipes for the "outdated" steel tankers hanging on a rack and Towney saying he would love to get rid of some of those pipes as he could use the room.

   Sorry to ramble Kevin, but you stirred some good memories, maybe Dane or Doug could give some more info on this subject.
Paul

[TGTech]

Kevin & Paul,

I believe that Kathie was THE first employee of Penton Imports.

Dane

[Chakka]

I started thinking about the time line here, I seem to remember buying Hi-Point gear long after KTM took over in 77' When did the Hi-Point product line end? It must have been in the mid to late 1980's?

Paul, hearing your story about the Penton Parts Warehouse made me think I need to design a time machine. Funny how we overlook these things as common place until they are gone.

Chris

[John Ehrhart]

Perhaps Dane can step here to add some light to something I heard about the KTM factory.
When I got my '81 250 out of the crate, we also found an added bonus--a very nice German heavy duty screwdriver, and and unfortunately empty bottle of Austrian beer!
Dane, do they really have beer vending machines in the factories over there as I have heard?

John

[TGTech]

The end of the Penton Imports Hi Point era was in 1987, when we sold the Hi Point company and all it's rights to Malcolm Smith. Eventually, Malcolm sold the Hi Point brand along with his MSR brand, to Parts Unlimited, who last sold a Hi Point product in the form of the boots.

Regarding the adult beverage issue, yes, I've seen vending machines with various brands in them. I don't remember seeing them at KTM, because they have their own cafeteria and they served beer. I don't know if they still do today, but I would think that they probably do.

There were lots of "surprises" found in the motorcycle containers over the years, but most of them were engineered by JP to save freight costs if the items were shipped independantly. The most significant, would have to be the OM brand electric fork lift that came from Italy, actually in a boot container. We still have the machine today and it's our lift here at Penton Racing Products.

Dane

[Doug Wilford]

My first visit to the factory was 1970 and one of the first things I remember seeing was, instead of POP Machines they were BIER Machines.  This got my curiosity working.  A simmple explantion was like many parts of Europe the war had distroyed or cause much contamination of the fresh water.   So like when we go to Mexico it is a good idea not to drink the water.   This Bier took the place of drinking water and it was so common that people did not over endulge.   Most every town in Austria has its' own brewery, I think Mattighofens was called Mattighoffner.   The really good stuff that came in many fruit flavors was the "Schnaps" from the local Schnaps Brennerei,which was also a guest house.   Now that stuff was POTENT! I think that is where John and Leroy always stayed when visiting KTM.

[dennis brown]

my huskies and my 3 pentons came from chuck bolher in jamestown,ny. a good man and rider and friend

dennis l.brown

[PJM]

Rob,  

If one did not obtain a Manufacturers Statement of Origin when they purchased their bike, can one be located now?  If so, what is the process?

Pat

[Rocket]

Dane
I may be wrong, but I think Malcolm sold his rights to Tucker-Rocky.
Rocket

[rob w]

Hi Pat,

 You would have normally received the MSO with the bill of sale, when you purchased the bike new.
 It's sort of like a title, but not exactly. It has a place to sign off ownership for resale purposes. Some kind of legal document to help you get it licensed, I 'spose (?).
Yet one was not necessarily issued with every bike.
I've heard of someone that bought out an old Penton dealers invertory, and the old dealer gave him a stack of old MSO's.
 I'd have to say you'd be pretty darn lucky if you could locate the one for your bike after all this time. The first places to look would have to be the original dealer, or one of the previous owners.

Bob

[TGTech]

Rocket,

   You're correct. I just can't keep those conglomerates straight these days.

Dane