Frustrating Conversation in Nebraska

[Paul Danik]

Freddie,

   Neat story, I especially like your bikes "attitude"....

Paul

[fasmith]

Paul - thanks..  

I guess I am one of those people who believe there are mechanical things that have a "soul" so to speak.  To me, all my bikes have different attitudes and all live and breathe. The '81 KTM has a "move it or lose it" attitude and as my neighbor said, 'man, this bike was built with a purpose in mind'.  In contrast, the CR500 is a mean bully whereas the CRE250 is a princess and hates to get dirty.  The 1977 Penton 400 is just damn happy to be out from underneath that tarp after 28 years.  I will see how she adjusts to today's world after having to live in darkness for so long. Whoever the original assembler was, he put a lot of love into her.

[454MRW]

Anything that someone like John Penton has put their heart and soul combined with an incredible amount of hard work into and able to come to light as such an amazing accomplishment must surely emulate that "character" and soul of their creator. Just my 2 cents... Mike

Michael R. Winter
1974 250 Harescrambler
1974 1/2 250 W/175 eng.
1975 250 HS Project
1977 250 MC5 Project
1978 250 MX6  
1979 250 KTM Project
1980 250 MX KTM

[Speedy]

quote:Originally posted by cubfan1968

I'm a salesman, so I run into alot of folks in my travels. When the opportunity presents itself I try to bring the conversation around to dirt bikes. The conversation usually goes along pretty good until I'm aked my ride of choice. When I reply, a Penton, I usually get a blank stare. The reply is usually like they heard me wrong and they say "whats that a Penta?".  Then I need to explain what a Penton is. Now mind you these are 50ish type males who proclaim they were heavy into dirt bikes in the 70's.

Thats why this story does my heart good. The other day my wife, a nurse in one of the local hospitals, was taking care of a 50ish year old patient. Well the guy had a buddy visit and with my wife in the room the conversation came around to dirt bikes. My wife said that I was in to dirt bikes. When they asked what I rode she replied "a Penton". Hallelujah brother, they knew exactly what she was talking about. They wanted to know the year, model how it ran.

Why, may I ask you, does she get folks like that I get the guy who asks "Whats a Penta?"



Rod Whitman
1972 Six Day (Rider)
1972 Six Day (Project)

Whats a Penton???:D:D

Helmut Clasen KTM
162 Hillcrest Ave
L9H 4Y3
Dundas Ontario Canada
Ph.905-627-5349
[email protected]
http://speedy_c.tripod.com
Sachs MC-GS 250-7A reeds
Hercules 350-7A 77
Hercules 250-7A 76
Hercules 250 GS 7A 77
Zuendapp 125 GS
KTM 200 EXC 2003
KTM DUKE 96 Spec.

[tomale]

I understand about the blank stares... Everytime I walk into the local KTM dealer I get the same stare. One guy tried to correct me and said that he was pretty sure that KTM's did not get imported into the US until 1990 I said that you would have a hard time convincing me of that since I bought one brand new in 76' and I still have that bike... again the blank stare... sort of the deer in the headlight look. Three years ago, I bought a bike for my son to ride and with proper equipment on them we headed to a local ORV Park. My Son and I had a good ride and I was really proud of him as we cruised by the two newbies in new KTM's They were sitting on the top of this little hill deciding what to do about the water crossing just 20 feet
 away.. it was only 6 inches deep and was about as much as my son could handle but he did fine... I looked back to see their reaction and all they could do was to look at each other with that same..you quessed it .. blank stare. As we rode back to the truck a guy on a Kawi came over to ask me about my ride, come to find out he was an official kind of guy and he wanted to know if I had my sticker and if the bike was sporting a proper spark arrestor... which it was but he seemed to be real interested in the bike. It was the oldest "KTM" he had ever seen. I asked if he had ever seen a Penton and said that he had seen pictures but never in person, he rode away to catch bad guys but with a smile on his face.
The one I can not figure is the magazines of the day "75-76" calling the Pentons KTM's with John Penton's name on it. something akin to a sears washer.... How could they get it that wrong?
Still I have to say I love the blank stare.. it is so fun to blow their whole view of dirt bike reality.... Of course it is even more fun to put the moves on guys with new bikes. It brings a whole new meaning to blank stare.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)
75' GS400 (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)

[Rain Man]

Speedy, I always thought Hercules was a Trojan or Babylonian myth

Raymond
 Down East Pentons

[dkwkid]

What's a Penton? It's a Hercules with a weaker frame![:0]

[dkwkid]

I have a picture of Gene Cannady(misspelled) during the 6 Days on a Jackpiner-funny, it had a big KTM sticker on the tank! Brand loyalty is strong in Europe.

[rob w]

Where was that one going ?

[Rain Man]

hey Bob, How'd ja due de brown letters ?

[jackpinejim]

hello cubfan1968, fasmith and all Poggers,
 
Paul read your stories at POG meeting thursday evening, it was the highlight of the meeting on a par with some newfound excelent slides of the 1970 Berkshire Trials shown after the meeting.Amazing the things our members find, appropriate, buy and donate from private collections, a most rescourceful group under one banner, PENTON! Thanks to all of you that have contributed in one way or another, be it riding for pleasure or competition, restoring, writing articles for 'Still Keeping Track', participating on this forum,  just sitting back and perusing this website, or maybe anticipating the purchase of your first Penton.
   
    Thanks again to all of you!      Jim