Hybrid 175 redux, Eric Jensen moves to Oregon

[Tom Penton]

This post refers back to Paul Danik's Post:  "Tom Penton, I have a question for you."

In that post Paul gave a link to a copy of the #17 Keeping Track newsletter for auction, suggesting to me "you probably remember the section the photo was taken in":  Who do you think I am, Paul ... Al Born, with his photographic memory?


#17 Keeping Track


But anyways, I so had to smile when going to the second page of the newsletter and seeing the full page photo of Eric Jensen, because I had just spent time with him a few days before, at his new residence in Eugene, after his having just retired, selling his long time Pasadena, California Yamaha & KTM shop. Eric was a west coast Penton team member who didn't come to Ohio for a stint like Carl and Billy, so we perhaps aren't so familiar with him.

Eric and I  reminisced and I learned he did a lot of engine tuning, (Sachs & KTM), and prepared for several years small bore's for he and Carl to race the Baja 1000, where he said they often won the class. In the process of discussing tuning, I actually brought up the subject of our Lorain R&D hybrid 175cc project, and specifically the advantage of the smaller crankcase area, and he was all over it as one of his tuning methods. It could very well be Eric from whom the idea came back to Lorain.

Paul, you wondered why the 175 project was happening out west, and I'm beginning to wonder if Eric and Carl did or were planning to build a 175cc Baja machine? It would answer your question about the need for a more powerful Penton.  Well, it'll be an excuse to get together with Eric again to discuss it, although I must warn you we're both in the same boat as to not being up to Al Born's memory!

Some things don't seem to jib, though.  The hybrids we built in Lorain weren't particularly more powerful than the stock KTM, but perhaps a bit more. The real beauty was with the power BAND, coming on low and smooth, East Coast likable, Baja unnecessary. And this was past the steel tanker and Early 175 era that seems to be the Carl project.

Paul, I mentioned riding a 175 at a National Enduro in your neck of the woods, that included strip mine riding. I now recall more about that ride, which was one of my favorites. Not being able to race the hybrid 175, but liking so much it's power and handling, I took one of the latest (mid 70's) engines and put it in a contemporary 125 longer travel frame. This did the job of quickening the steering and giving me a very fine ride. I recall a solid class win and a high (2nd?) overall placing. I remember the pleasure of cresting the many strip mine ridges with their often somewhat off-camber turns at the top and smiling at how well it just swung around and powered down!

I did, as I had mentioned, give Marcia Macdonald one of the hybrids. However, I now recall that she, not having ridden a Sachs engined bike before, had a horrible time with the gearbox, so I traded bikes out with her, and I believe she received that one I rode in the National Enduro.

Dale: I agree, the Jerry Birky photo of the bike in the pick-up truck does indeed look like one of the hybrids. We made two or three.

Re: the Hiro.
Yes, I did ride the Penton Hiro. The powerband was bad for me: came on like my 1971 Isle of Man ISDT factory KTM: like a hair trigger. And I had sworn I'd not ever race another like it! (Oh, by the way, that was one of my BEST ISDT's ...  reference Kenny Robert's Indy Mile win with the YZ500 and HIS vow never ever to ride IT again in the dirt!:D)

Kenny Roberts Indy Mile TZ750

[skiracer]

Thanks Tom!  Awesome information....

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1982 Suzuki PE 175
1976 Penton 175 XC

[Kip Kern]

Burroughs Cycle, remember that shop well, just up the road a bit.  Ira had everything!