V213

[seanguthrie]

My dad just brought her home to Indiana from Tampa Bay, FL.  The salty air has done a number on her, but now she is in a nice heated shop for the winter.  Need some help figuring out what I have.  I originally thought it was a 68, but now I'm second guessing myself.  That is unless a lot of newer parts just found their way on to it over the years.  Was the butch head on anything past 68?    It was originally a green and white tank before the previous owner painted it blue.  I think he thought it would increase the value.  It is way down on my list of projects but need to start gathering info.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!  Lots of pictures....

















74 250 Hare scramble
2 68 Six Day (projects)

[brian kirby]

Cool! I've seen a lot worse bikes get restored.

Brian

[Paul Danik]

V 216 is for sure a 1968.

Some items have been changed out over the years, but that would pretty much fit the usual pattern.

I find it interesting that the frame looks to NOT have cracked near the swing-arm pivot bolt / gusset area on the chain side. That area was prone to breakage.

I can't say for sure, but the pipe could possibly be the original pipe that some one put the wire mesh heat shied on and added a pickle silencer as well. But like I said, I can tell for sure.

The little black chain block looks interesting, when you get a chance to really clean it and look closely, possibly with a magnifying glass, it just may say PENTON on it, it looks to be an original early one.

Does your mag cover still have the engine serial number on it, if so I would curious to know what it is. Frame number V 0200 had motor number 5389184.

Please consider filling out a Steel Tank Penton survey, it will help with the research and you will get to realy know your Penton as you answer the questions.

http://www.pentonusa.org/steeltank/steeltank1.asp

Anyone else see this machine differently or have other info to add, feel free to comment.

Your machine has many stories to tell....
Thanks for sharing.

Paul

[OUCWBOY]

I would say that this is a 68 without even knowing the frame number, as there doesn't appear to have the high breather frame. However, didn't the 68 have a 4 bolt rear hub?? Shocks are from a newer model as well. Paul, I agree with you on the pipe.

Donny Smith
Paragould, AR

[Paul Danik]

Donny,

   The early Pentons did have the four bolt hub, but the sprocket carriers were the weak link in that drive system.  There was not a lot of metal in the sprocket carrier to carry the load, and if the horseshoe shaped drive rubbers got worn eventually the metal in the sprocket carrier would shear. I don't know if excellent maintenance would have allowed that system to take the abuse of off road riding or racing, I also do not know if the matching metal on the wheel hub ever sheared, maybe someone had that happen and can inform us about it...  

  I do know that I was racing at the Sunset Riders scrambles located in Butler, Pa when my 4 bolt sprocket carrier on my first Penton let go. They had one jump in their extremely long scrambles track, when I landed off the jump all I had was a screaming engine, I thought that maybe the chain had jumped, till I looked back and saw the sprocket turning wildly, even though I was slowing down.

When those units went south the common practice was to replace it with the newer rear hub and sprocket carrier, the one with the round drive rubbers. That is why not many usable 4 bolt drive units are still on these machines.

V 216 also would have had one of the air boxes on it, not sure if it would have been the long one or the shorter one, possibly the results of the Steel Tank Penton surveys will tell us. I would bet a cup of coffee that V 216 still has the front air box mounting rubber attached to the bracket just behind the coil...no Starbucks, just a cheap cup, that is unless I am right

Paul

[Paul Danik]

When I first saw the color of the gas tank on V 216, I instantly remembered that the father of a friend of mine in high school had a body shop, and that my friend painted my Penton tank with a metal flake color that looked like that tank, after the original paint got to looking pretty rough.

I also know that the first Penton I ever saw was V 200 and that my first Penton came from the same shop that sold V 200, as I have mentioned in this thread.

http://www.pentonusa.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14045

When my first Penton needed some serious tranny repairs, the local shop was not equipped to do the work and Penton asked that we bring the bike to Amherst and John personally repaired the bike, that is another story  But, when the repairs were done John provided me with a 152 kit to put on the bike...I would be curious to know if V 216 is a 152...

One other note, I eventually took the airbox off of my first Penton and put a filtron sock type of air filter on it, I hung that airbox on a nail in my shop where it hung for close to 30 years. When Norm Miller was working on V - 001 he said that John Penton had supplied him with an engine for it, but he had no airbox.  I shipped Norm my airbox and it is still on V - 001, it is incorrect as it is the shorter one, but at least it is an airbox....

I do apologize to Sean Guthrie for rambling on in his thread, but all of this stuff is near and dear...

Thanks,
Paul

[seanguthrie]

Paul by all means continue to ramble on!  I love the stories and history of Penton's and you guys that rode, raced, and lived the Penton brand when they were the new kid on the block.  I like just looking at my old bikes sometimes and just wondering where they have been.  I know this one some how ended up on the gulf coast only to return to the midwest where i'm sure a many Pentons have logged plenty of hours in the thick wooded areas!

You are correct on it being a non-breather frame.  Hopefully soon I can get into it and check out the airbox tabs and clean up that chain guard.  The right side mag case is loose and could be a replacement.  When I get it cleaned up I'll check for a number and post it up.  I just love these old bikes and the tales that go along with them.  
I've got my steeltanker form filled out just got to mail it off.

74 250 Hare scramble
2 68 Six Day (projects)

[tofriedel]

In reviewing the photos, I just noticed that the tank does not have the mounting holes for a tool bag like the later years of the steel tankers.

Tony

[OUCWBOY]

Tony,
None of the 68 or 69 models ever had the mounting holes. Those came in the later 70 and 71 models. Good point!

Donny Smith
Paragould, AR

[Paul Danik]

Sometime if you have several Steel Tanker gas tanks off the bikes and setting together, compare the amount of extra metal that is on the front flange, above the front bolt holes.

I was washing and waxing some tanks a few years back and had the tanks sitting on the carpet before putting them back on the shelf, when sitting together the difference in them was quite evident.

The older tanks have more metal on them then the later ones, I got to thinking about this and figured that reducing the amount of metal on that flange made it easier / possible to remove the tank without taking the seat off, just my theroy, but somethng that the early Penton racers might have figured out and told KTM.  

Just my observation, not to be confused with a confirmed fact:D

Paul

[OUCWBOY]

Paul,
My new 1969 Six Day (1st one sold by Mike Lewis) tank was a bit difficult to remove w/o removing the seat 1st.  So, I believe that you are 100% correct in that assumption that changes were made from rider feedback.

Donny Smith
Paragould, AR