Penton dealerships and bike shops.

[holeshothawk3]

Does anyone have any info on Penton Dealerships in Tennessee? I'm from East TN and know there was one in Knoxville. Just curious if anyone remembers any others or that one. Interesting side note my local KTM dealer has been in business since 1985. He bought parts inventory from the guy who was the Penton/KTM dealer at the time and with was a huge lot of early Penton parts. He sold the bulk to a vintage parts dealer in Ohio in the mid 80's. He did keep a few things as souvenirs like a couple of NOS VDO's which he still has. We also don't live far from Tellico Plains where they had ISDE qualifiers.  I'd love to know a bit more info on Pentons in my area. Thanks!

[Richard]

Pate's Harley Davidson Yamaha and Penton. Located outside of Chattanooga in Hixson Tennessee on highway 153. Pate's was a long time Harley Davidson dealer in Chattanooga before moving into a larger building in Hixson. In the time I knew of the shop, Mrs. Pate ran the front, son's Drew and Joe worked the sales and the shop. I purchased two Pentons there. The first was a '73 125, used, It was returned to the shop after the first owner broke his leg riding it. I  started racing hare scrambles with it, then motocross. I rode the wheels of that bike. The next Penton was one of the first MC5s, a 250. It had sat on the show room for quite some time and Drew made me a good deal. Ha. I still have both bikes, the 125 has had almost everything replaced at one time or anther. The only thing I'm certain hasn't been replaced are the center cases, crankshaft and connecting rod. It's still ready to race! The MC5? Not so ready. It needs restoring,

Pate's was an interesting place in the 70s. Drew was a former national flat tracker and it was not unusual to find grand national racers stopping in. Gary and Hank Scott were regulars.  Some kid who was campaigning a Triumph lived in the warehouse for a time. I remember Joe locking the building up and setting the alarm at closing time. The kid had to stay in the warehouse or the alarm would go off. The only problem was the bathroom wasn't in the warehouse!

[Toolsurfer]

Hub Yamaha & Penton Cookeville ,TN Owner Richard Winningham  was Enduro rider  original out of Chattanooga ,TN I lived near by .

quote:Originally posted by holeshothawk3

Does anyone have any info on Penton Dealerships in Tennessee? I'm from East TN and know there was one in Knoxville. Just curious if anyone remembers any others or that one. Interesting side note my local KTM dealer has been in business since 1985. He bought parts inventory from the guy who was the Penton/KTM dealer at the time and with was a huge lot of early Penton parts. He sold the bulk to a vintage parts dealer in Ohio in the mid 80's. He did keep a few things as souvenirs like a couple of NOS VDO's which he still has. We also don't live far from Tellico Plains where they had ISDE qualifiers.  I'd love to know a bit more info on Pentons in my area. Thanks!

[Toolsurfer]

Interested in that 250 got some pictures, would you part with it?

quote:Originally posted by Richard

Pate's Harley Davidson Yamaha and Penton. Located outside of Chattanooga in Hixson Tennessee on highway 153. Pate's was a long time Harley Davidson dealer in Chattanooga before moving into a larger building in Hixson. In the time I knew of the shop, Mrs. Pate ran the front, son's Drew and Joe worked the sales and the shop. I purchased two Pentons there. The first was a '73 125, used, It was returned to the shop after the first owner broke his leg riding it. I  started racing hare scrambles with it, then motocross. I rode the wheels of that bike. The next Penton was one of the first MC5s, a 250. It had sat on the show room for quite some time and Drew made me a good deal. Ha. I still have both bikes, the 125 has had almost everything replaced at one time or anther. The only thing I'm certain hasn't been replaced are the center cases, crankshaft and connecting rod. It's still ready to race! The MC5? Not so ready. It needs restoring,

Pate's was an interesting place in the 70s. Drew was a former national flat tracker and it was not unusual to find grand national racers stopping in. Gary and Hank Scott were regulars.  Some kid who was campaigning a Triumph lived in the warehouse for a time. I remember Joe locking the building up and setting the alarm at closing time. The kid had to stay in the warehouse or the alarm would go off. The only problem was the bathroom wasn't in the warehouse!

[Richard]

Thanks for the interest, but I'm not ready to part with it yet. Needless to say, it was wore completely out when I parked it around 1982 or so.

[Tom Penton]

Thomas (Tomoromo): Thanks for the Jamestown memory. As it happens, my wife Julie and I traveled through the Finger Lakes region on two separate occasions in the last 2 years, and as we skirted the west side each time I'd mention the Jamestown Harescrambles that I'd raced  a few times. I imagine she's tired of hearing about it, but it's memorable to me for its beautiful hilly setting and the close racing with Chuck Boehler on his Greeves. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember his name ... so it was just "What's his Name?" Thanks for reminding me.

Tom Penton

[Tomoromo]

Hi Tom!
They found Chucks old Greeves in a barn in the area and restored it. It is now in the Chautauqua Sports Hall of fame room on 3rd St. in Jamestown. I believe he rode a Dalesman (with a Sachs) at the 1971 ISDT. All he ever sold was off road bikes. It was a real treat for me to visit his shop and be around those guys when I was young. If you google his name (spelled Boehler) there are quite a few pictures, and at chautuaquasportshalloffame.org there are some nice write ups. He was a lot like your dad, being pretty humble about it all when he was nominated into the hall.
Tom Anderson

[Jan Henson]

quote:Originally posted by holeshothawk3

Does anyone have any info on Penton Dealerships in Tennessee? I'm from East TN and know there was one in Knoxville. Just curious if anyone remembers any others or that one. Interesting side note my local KTM dealer has been in business since 1985. He bought parts inventory from the guy who was the Penton/KTM dealer at the time and with was a huge lot of early Penton parts. He sold the bulk to a vintage parts dealer in Ohio in the mid 80's. He did keep a few things as souvenirs like a couple of NOS VDO's which he still has. We also don't live far from Tellico Plains where they had ISDE qualifiers.  I'd love to know a bit more info on Pentons in my area. Thanks!

[Jan Henson]

I would think the Knoxville Penton dealer was Dial Brown at Knoxville Harley Davidson.  Dial sold  HD, Huskies,which he rode,   and KTM's which I coveted.  The Jack Pine was what I wanted in "75 and is still what I want today.

quote:Originally posted by holeshothawk3

Does anyone have any info on Penton Dealerships in Tennessee? I'm from East TN and know there was one in Knoxville. Just curious if anyone remembers any others or that one. Interesting side note my local KTM dealer has been in business since 1985. He bought parts inventory from the guy who was the Penton/KTM dealer at the time and with was a huge lot of early Penton parts. He sold the bulk to a vintage parts dealer in Ohio in the mid 80's. He did keep a few things as souvenirs like a couple of NOS VDO's which he still has. We also don't live far from Tellico Plains where they had ISDE qualifiers.  I'd love to know a bit more info on Pentons in my area. Thanks!

[/quote]

[Jan Henson]

Those Qualifiers were put on by the Volunteer Riders, which was based in Knoxville.  I learned of them at Knoxville Harley Davidson when my wife and I moved there in 1975.  Dial Brown was the Penton, Husky dealer at that time.

quote:Originally posted by Jan Henson

quote:Originally posted by holeshothawk3

Does anyone have any info on Penton Dealerships in Tennessee? I'm from East TN and know there was one in Knoxville. Just curious if anyone remembers any others or that one. Interesting side note my local KTM dealer has been in business since 1985. He bought parts inventory from the guy who was the Penton/KTM dealer at the time and with was a huge lot of early Penton parts. He sold the bulk to a vintage parts dealer in Ohio in the mid 80's. He did keep a few things as souvenirs like a couple of NOS VDO's which he still has. We also don't live far from Tellico Plains where they had ISDE qualifiers.  I'd love to know a bit more info on Pentons in my area. Thanks!

[Tom Penton]

I just saw Thomas Anderson's (Tomoromo) comment from January about Chuck Boehler's Greeves. Thanks for posting!


Tom Penton