Is this the first Steel Tank Penton mag writeup ?

[Paul Danik]

Greetings,

   First off, I have no interest in this item selling, just using the sale to ask a question.

   I do have this December 1968 issue of Modern Cycle magazine, and have never seen an earlier write up on the Steel Tank Penton in a magazine. The bike in this test has the screw on gas cap, covered shocks, early long air box, 4 bolt drive, ect, ect...., so it is early.

  Question is, is this the first magazine write up on the Steel Tanker?  The only item that I question on this bike in the write up is the OD of the stinger, just looks a bit fat. If you know of an earlier write up please bestow your knowledge on the masses

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DECEMBER-1968-MODERN-CYCLE-MAGAZINE-KAWASAKI-DRAGSTER-SEARS-SR-250-SACHS-PENTON-/261633433451?pt=Magazines&hash=item3cea915f6b

Paul

[Dale Fisher]

Paul,
One thing to consider is that back in the old days (remember carbon paper and typewriters anyone?) the article would have been assembled much earlier.  Since the printing was the December 1968 issue photos are most likely from mid year to early fall.



Dale Fisher
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'70 Six-Day 125 - V2017
'71 Six-Day 125 (Dave Fisher's) - V5553
'72 Mudlark - W257
'73 Jackpiner - 175 21159727
'74 Berkshire 100 - 40171056
And some silly other bikes...

[rob w]

Paul,
 Two of the earliest magazines I've been able to find are Dec '68 Modern Cycle, and Dec '68 Cycle World.
They must have sent 2 steel tankers out west at that time for magazine reviews, because the #15 bike that is in all the Modern Cycle photos,
is also in the back ground of this picture. From the Cycle World test.
The stinger on the Cycle World test bike, appears smaller to me than the stinger on the Modern Cycle test bike.
Check out what they say in the last paragraph here. 40 bikes sold in 24 hrs. ?

[Dale Sonnenschein]

Wow, sold 40 bikes in 24 hours!!!! Thats a nice write up about the little pentons. Even beating up on the bigger bores.

73 Jackpiner
73 Husky 360 WR/RT
76 Husky WR360
78 husky cr250
10 ktm 250xc
02 bmw r1150r

[Paul Danik]

Rob,

   Correct me if I am wrong, the #15 has the early long airbox and the other machine has the shorter one. I am sure there are the "usual" other differences as well, flip up gas cap, ect. Pretty neat timing that they had one of each model for that test session.

   I agree on the stinger size...the smaller one is what I remember from my first Steel tanker.

 There are close ups of the # 15 in the Dec. 1968 Modern Cycle article and I am looking at the air box in your posted article. I need to get the Cycle World from Dec. 1968. I see in the article that you posted the Steel tanker suspension has "long travel and effective damping"...

   Speaking of suspension....At Penton Dealer School, the year I do not remember, John Penton stood on the raised stage and told the assemble group of loyal followers that the engines in the motorcycles had been developed to the point that they produced more power than could be used in many situations, and that the next big development in the motorcycles would be in the suspension, he then pointed to his briefcase, the one with JAP in gold letters on it that Jack Penton still has, and stated that inside were drawings of what was going to be the future in suspension. I sat there and wondered, two shocks on the back and a set of forks on the front, what could be coming [:I]

  Penton Dealer School, what fond memories I have of those wonderful winter days in February. That is actually how the POG Penton Day at the AMA event during the winter at the Hall of Fame Museum got started, just trying to keep the winter Dealer School concept alive.

  On another note, as shown in the articles the changes in the Steel Tankers came fast and furious. I distinctly remember Tom Penton writing an article "back in the day" in one of the Penton Imports newsletters stating that it would be good if a class was developed for machines that had become "obsolete". I have searched and searched for that article and have yet to find it. Tom realized that the machines with outdated technology were still really good machines but in most cases were not competitive with the newer models. Guess Tom had the AHRMA concept way back when....possibly he wrote it when the CMF machines came out, gotta find that article.

Paul