Anyone else have Lectron Carb or Marzocchi shocks?

[mint400rider]

Hello, I have just bought a 1974 Penton 250 and have a lot of questions.  The guy put a Lectron carburetor on it, it also came with a Bing.  The lectron carburetor has a clear float bowl, and a flat-style slide (I might be selling this soon and putting the stock one on there).  It also has resorvoir shocks on it.  They say Marzocchi on them.  The forks are perfect condition on the outside (no dings or anything), but they are almost froze, they only move a half inch when i slam it down.  Does anyone know a thing about freeing these?

And, I am in dire need of a shifter for it, does anyone have one they would like to part with?

I'm pretty excited about this bike, it has a tag on the right side cover that says Haspen 100 ARP '75.  I assume this means it was raced at Haspen Acres in 1975.  Does anyone have any info on this race?  It was raced by a pretty reputable rider around here in Indiana, maybe he won it.

Thanks

1976 Penton Mint 400

1979 John Deere Trailfire 440

Honda Odyssey with cbr 600 engine (150 mph)

[john durrill]

Mint,
 Check with Al Buehner. He is in the suppliers list on the home page. He can probly come up with a shifter for you. Have you worked on Bikes before?
 I have 2 Lectrons on bikes. Al has some parts for the Lectron. Here is Lectrons home page with answers to lots of questions. http://www.lectronfuelsystems.com/
If the float bowl is clear and not frosty color  then you would need a new float bowl. One that can handel modern fuel with addatives that sofen the old clear bowl's.
 If you put the Bing back on make sure you can still get new slides for it. For some of the Bing models , slides are no longer available. The slides wear and need replaceing once in a while. So do the needle jets. Here is Bings home page. they are nice helpfull folks.
http://bingcarburetor.com/

 You could put the bike on a milk crate and take the caps off each fork leg, drain the old oil out , remove the springs and see how the sliders move up and down . That will give you an idea of what is not working right.
 Let us know how its going , lots of the members will help you with advise and other things.
John D.

[Mike OReilly]

Amazing the things you learn.
I'm about to start in on a GS6 tomorrow, with the Lectron. My first experience with these carbs. I had no idea that these were still currently available, let alone a web-site etc. I just kind of assumed that they had gone the way of Preston Petty plastic, Girling shocks, Motoplat etc.
FYI to the original writer: the word seems to be that the Lectron is/was superior to the Bings - thats why Pentons put them on as OEM late in the run ('77), and sold them through Hi-Point as an accessory.
I would think twice before getting rid of it. As for the forks: no magic solutions, sounds like you will need to work away at them and use lots of penetrating type solvent.
Mike

[sachsmx]

Concerning your forks: I had a pair at one time that looked nearly perfect but would not budge. After draining and rinsing out several pints of sludge from them, they still would not move. So I used a little heat from a propane torch around the tops of the sliders (outer tubes) were the bushings are. Once the tubes got hot to the touch I was able to pull the inner tubes out. It seems that years of sitting had caused the oil/grease/dirt mixture to harden like an adhesive and cause the inner tubes to bind in the bushings. All it took from that point on was a thorough cleaning to remove the sludge and buildup on the bushings and tubes. Carburetor cleaner did a good job.

[tomale]

Mint, I am not sure if the Marzocchi's came stock on the bike or not, they could have. they did show up on later models. I have seen pictures of 74 and 75 with them on there. You may opt to use a different shock but what ever you do, do not just give them away, They are a bit hard to find. I have a set on the 78 and I wish that I had a set for the 76. I was silly and threw them away a long time ago. I never thought that I would keep the bike as long as I have and would want to restore it.
ON the forks I have never had a set of forks frozen but plenty of other things, and the use of heat will some time work were pentration oil will not, Be carful though, you only want it hot enought to liquify the grease/oil  The seal may take a bit of a beating. You probably should replace them anyway. If they have set for a long time then they are hard and they could begin to leak after you have used them for awhile. AL has them too and replacing them is not hard at all. Talk to Al too about getting yourself a manual. It will save you alot of grief.

Thom Green,I own and ride a 76 250 MC5 MX which I bought new.

[mint400rider]

Thanks everybody for the info.  I talked to Al, the Penton Supplier, and he said i ought to be alright on the plastic Lectron Bowl as long as i don't live near any big cities where they add alcohol to the gas.  I am in need of a shifter, clutch cable, front brake lever perch, a chain, and maybe a kickstarter.

My kickstarter is a 2 piece design, but when i kick it, the end piece will come off, where it swivels and folds up.  Is there any way to fix this?  

Does anyone have paint codes for the frame, side covers, fenders, airbox, etc.?  

Also, there is an aluminum side cover on the left side of the bike, near the swingarm.  The guy i bought it from threw in a new one, and i have no idea of how to install it.  It is in perfect condition, i think it was new old stock.

I am trying to do all this on a budget, i might have to sell the Marzocchi shocks and get stock ones just to fund this.  Does anyone know the worth of these?  They are in good condition.  And also, does anyone know the worth of the lectron carb?  I think i might put the Bing back on.  I'm not parting it out, just trying to fund my project.

1976 Penton Mint 400

1979 John Deere Trailfire 440

Honda Odyssey with cbr 600 engine (150 mph)

[mint400rider]

Oops, i meant to say that the aluminum side cover is on the right side of the bike, as you are sitting on it.  It goes right above the swingarm, and also this not the orange and yellow one, it is just aluminum.

Thanks

1976 Penton Mint 400

1979 John Deere Trailfire 440

Honda Odyssey with cbr 600 engine (150 mph)

[dirtbike]

Another thing quite common on ø32 - ø35mm forks is that they are bent.
They might look perfect but will never work again unless straighetened. I have talked to a whole lot of people with experience from the mc5 and later GS models with 35mm forks. And I have comed to learn that they where easily bent and that one should go for a 38mm replacement. They are said to hold up.

I cannot say if that applies on your bike but check it out anyway!

[farmer58za]

Hi Mint
The bike will run well on the Bing but watch out, they wear and the low-mid range will be affected. Try the Lectron first like the guys say.
I've seen Marzochhi shocks put on a '75. If you are working on a tight budget - leave them on for now.
The forks may have rust on the inside of the sliders, this may hang up on the the springs causing them to bind. If you take off the fork caps you can see if the springs/sliders are rusty. If they are it's better to strip the forks and clean them of gunk and loose rust.
The kickstart top section is held in place with a 4mm rolled pin (available from a hardware store). On old bikes this wears through. You will find the pin on the section of the kickstarter that bolts to the shaft. There is also a detent ball bearing and spring that keeps the kickstart arm in the inner or outer position. If that's missing, Al should have it. Alternatively, use a rubber band to hold the kickstarter in if it flops out.

Good luck
David in SA


Regards

David ('75 KTM GS400)