June 8-10, 2009 - 50th Anniversary Of JP's Ride

[Admin]

June 8-10, 2009 marks the 50th Anniversary of John Penton's coast-to-coast motorcycle record of 52 hours (2 days and 4 hours), 11 minutes, 1 second. John is shown here with magazine publisher Floyd Clymer the day after the ride on his BMW R-69. John started in New York City at 5:59am on June 8, 1959 and finished in Los Angeles at 8:10am on June 10, 1959. To commemorate this occasion, we are displaying a countdown clock as John traveled across the United States 50 years ago to the second.

Click here to see the countdown clock:
http://www.pentonusa.org/archive/homepage/2009/default_061909.htm

Bill & Karen

[Admin]

For those interested, this is the article on John Penton's coast-to-coast ride that appeared in Cycle Magazine, August 1959.

http://www.pentonusa.org/forum_images/2009/cycle_august1959.pdf

[rob w]

Mr P. is now five minutes from the finish. Probably sitting at a stop light somewhere.
Congratulations on this incredible accomplishment, and record Mr. Penton.
Thought about this ride alot these past few days. Did it myself once.
Thanks Bill and Karen - the countdown clock was very cool.
Bob



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//www.littledges.com

[Admin]

Be sure to watch the YouTube video of John Penton receiving the Iron Butt Award:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNWwABO_csA

[Ernie Phillips]

Congratulations Mr. Penton!

Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN

[tooclose racing]

Hear, hear, Ernie!!  That video made my day.  I've read the John Penton story, I've looked at every photo in every album on this site, and...I dunno...it really is...was..will always be..an amazing feat by an amazing guy...who also had time to raise...three amazing sons.  What IS particularly striking or extreme or whatever...is that there were NO interstates, and probably not a lot of divided highways. I have several Beemer friends that I am going to forward these links to.  I expect all of them to bow in the direction of the state of Ohio and simply say "I am not worthy...".

And to think that eight years (or so)later...this same guy cornered a scooter manufacturer in Austria and said "Hey - I've got this idea for a lightweight dirtbike that I could sell in the USA..wanna hear it?"