50 years ago today, September 17, 1967...

[Paul Danik]

50 Years Ago Today


     The 42nd ISDT was held between Sept 17 to 22, 1967 at Zakopane in Southern Poland. John Penton rode the event on a Husqvarna. But the real story for those of us who are looking back at the development of the Penton Sportcycle as we approach its 50th. Anniversary, is the fact that John Penton made his first visit to the KTM factory after the ISDT to start the wheels in motion that resulted in the creation of the Penton.

    Yes, the story is all in the book and in the movie, but just wanted to give proper credit to this significant date.

https://speedtracktales.com/index-of-isdt-events/isdt-1967-poland/

Paul

[jeff greenberg]

An amazing journey by a man that lived an amazing life (and still is)!
Thanks Paul!

[Don Roth]

And who knew his European name is Jim ?
Thanks Paul.

[Chuckwoodard]

Thank you for sharing this history with us.  I for one am faciniated with this.

Raymond Woodard

[Paul Danik]

Greetings,

   As we look back on what was happening 50 years ago that led to the creation of the Penton Sportcycle, October is an important month.

   In October of 1967, John Penton along with Fritz Dingle, traveled to Milan, Italy for the annual motorcycle show. There they met up with Erik Trunkenpolz and his assistant Kalman Czeh to select numerous components for the prototype Penton, which would have a Sachs engine mated to a KTM built frame.

   John Penton's plan was to select the best of each component available in order to build a better motorcycle.

   A few months back when Kalman Cseh was in Amherst and questions were asked of him and John about the early Penton days, you could see the excitement in their eyes and hear it in there voices as they recalled those exciting times, almost fifty years ago.

   It is an amazing story that still lives today no only in the John Penton book and movie, the minds of all of those involved "back in the day", but also in the top quality and innovative products still coming out of Mattighofen, Austria.

Paul

[Dale Fisher]

TBT Throwback Thursday: Penton and KTM by Leo Keller Oct. 16th 2014

https://blog.ktm.com/tbt-throwback-thursday-penton-and-ktm/

Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - President/Memberships
POG Merchandise
Mudlark Registry
Facebook - Penton Owners Group - Administrator
Facebook - Cheney Racing Group - Administrator

[Toolsurfer]

Never new anything about Penton till I meet two locals riding a 1973 Harescrambler & Jackpiner , they were brothers. I had several competive bikes but  marveled at those bikes, they just looked more purposeful and I saw they performed as good as they looked and after that I did my research on the man who's name was upon them and marveled. Always had an ideal of this man almost bigger than life in the off road arena. Good luck and health John Penton

[skiracer]

Thanks for posting. Great read.

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1976 Penton 175 XC
1985 20' Hi Point trailer

[Paul Danik]

The purpose of this thread is to take us through what was going on 50 years ago that led to the creation of the Penton Sportcycle on a more step by step approach. As I stated in my first post, the book and movie tell the whole story, but these milestones in the timeline have such great significance that each deserves to be celebrated on their own merit.

     Just think of John Penton 50 years ago on that October day when he and Fritz Dingle, who was from the Cleveland area, were heading off to Milan, Italy to select the components of his dream motorcycle. What an exciting time that must have been. I imagine the plane was a prop job and not a jet.

     I have no idea what the Milan show was like, but imagine selecting the Magura controls with the pretty much unbreakable levers... I don't know if you folks can remember breaking clutch and brake levers pretty much any time you went to straighten them, but I sure do and those Magura levers sure changed all of that, and to be able to adjust them so easily...

    How about the gas tank with those knee indents, the seat, and the list goes on. The very best of what was available, that was John Penton's goal. I imagine when he got home the was just bursting with stories of that trip that those in the "inner circle"  got to hear.

   Over the years I have surely asked some pretty dumb questions, but possibly this was one of the dumbest, but I just had to ask...

As we were driving through the night on the way home from the west coast VMD in 2000, I asked John if any other names were ever considered for his motorcycle....he was very polite with his answer....I still laugh at that one.

Paul

[Mick Milakovic]

Paul, the name is a perfect fit; it rolls easily off the tongue like other famous brands:   Husqvarna, Maico, Harley-Davidson, CCM, Vincent, Bultaco, Cheney, the list can go forever in the history books.  

I, for one, am grateful for everyone that rode those early row numbers so I could follow a path in this hobby.  JP for his visionary thinking and engineering thought process, and my brother who rode a BSA in the late 60's.  I was a young teen in the late 60's when Tom, my brother was riding a 441 Victor in the Burr Oak enduro and I saw those red and green-tanked bikes zipping through the woods.  I had no idea what a Penton was, but I knew THAT was the bike to ride the woods!

Mick