1973 Penton Restoration

[rob w]

To Mike Horton, David Duarte, Blair Beck, George Vadney, Gavin Housh, (I know I'm forgetting someone) and everyone up in that area of California.

Somewhere, someday, there's a very slim chance that you may run across my old Hiro Penton.
 In 1975 and '76 I lived in Modesto, while I was practicing one day the transmission on this special Penton self-destructed, parts were unobtainable rendering the machine motorless and pretty much worthless to me.
 Considering I worked at the Honda shop then and could afford a new CR, it was a no-brainer to ditch the old for the new. I sold it to motorcycle legend Ray Huff who had a cycle repair shop in Modesto.(Ray passed away last year)
 Sometime around the early 80's, Ray's son Dennis put a Honda 250 single engine in that Hiro/Penton frame. I talked to him after that about riding it, and he said "yeah, it's fun, I like it".
 I called Ray Huff about two years ago to ask him if he knew where it was. He told me that while he was gone on vacation, someone busted into his shop and stole a bunch of bikes. Right now, to make my best guess, I would say it was stolen about four years ago, possibly longer.
It looks just like a 1974/5 Penton Six Day, has the stock frame (possibly yellow), stock suspension (one-off "Lorain Custom" swingarm with vertical mounted shocks) and possibly blue Gas Girlings.
Stock green mx tank, tall GP seat, and alloy rims.
I never kept a record of the frame number.

So if you're ever out "junk'n" in the salvage yards, at a swap meet, or just hear about a Penton w/Honda engine....it's highly unlikely, but would'nt that be something if you ran across it again.

Thanks, Bob Wardlow

[Young Ted]

Tom - Yes it is I. Thank you for the compliments. Not to nit pick, but you left the 'Still' out of Keeping Track.
Young Ted

[Big Mac]

In resonse to Rob W's Hiro story and looking out for a potentially stolen Penton with a Honda engine in it out on the West Coast, please don't make a rash call to the local authorities or start an inquisition with a Penton/Honda owner too quickly...there are a bunch of guys now making "Penda" project bikes to run in the classic 125 class, mating Honda XL motors to Penton Six Day frames, and doing quite well with them too. There are at least 3 guys runnning that bike combo in our little corner of the Northwest right now.

Mac

[olgoose]

Hello Bob, I will keep my eyes open for that Penton/Honda creation.
I am really curious as to how this Penton/ Hiro came into your life,as the the project was a few years before the time you were riding it. Can you remember any of the details about your becoming the owner of it? I can not remember how many Hiro projects were completed at Penton West in Rancho Cordova Ca., but it was very few.I am sure age has something to do with my memory,but i sure do remember Ray Huff. That guy was one of the fastest, and toughest guys i can remember.

David Duarte

[rob w]

Hi Dave,

Yes I'd be happy to mention some of the details about my days racing a Hiro powered Penton.
 In '74 I bought and raced the new Husky Mag. 250, it never quite agreed with me, so in '75 I choose to find a new 125 to ride.
I went to the Penton dealer I normally worked with, that was Ralph Sharphorn, from "Lake Cycle" in Grand Haven, Michigan. He told me about this new bike that Penton was trying out to replace the Sachs powered units, but he said he was'nt planning on getting any of them because they were proto-types and he'd just wait and see how it worked-out.
So I asked him how I could get one, and he told me he thought that Buck Walsworth was going to have a few, and that I should talk to him. So I did and it turned out that I drove the 300 miles or so down to Valparaiso, Indiana and got the brand new Penton at "Buck's Cycle".
That was about early to mid summer of '75 I believe, and it was just over $1500.

[Lew Mayer]

Man,that's cold. Cutting it off like that.It's like waiting for the next episode of the "Phantom" on the wireless.

Lew Mayer

[olgoose]

Hello Bob, I did not think that Hiro came from Penton West, but i cannot wait to hear "The rest of the story". I hope you continue the story.

David Duarte

[rob w]

It's easy to get carried away in thought and ramble on about my time with that bike. That particular Penton was my partner at a time in which my life was at some major cross-roads. That point of time being 18 yrs. old, out of school and free to explore the world outside of the nest.
 I don't think I was non-typical from alot young aspiring motocross racers, in that my dreams revolved around moving to California to race. You could'nt read a magazine without thinking California was the place you had to be if you were going to follow your passion in the sport. We (me and that Hiro Penton) certainly had some adventures together. You know I like sharing stories about the early days, I feed off of it, and it's why we're together in this harmony of the P.O.G.. Someday we'll open that can of worms, hopefully around a campfire. Brob

[Lew Mayer]

Rob! You edited your story. What happened in the race?

Lew Mayer