Wanna drag???

[tlanders]

Hey Chicago Jerry,

My American Penton 175cc MC5 is ready and willing to drag race your French/Foreign CanAm 175!!! How about Saturday evening??? I'll have an hour on the engine, it should be broken in by then!! What say you???

Teddy

PS I don't understand why riders laugh at me when I say I am riding an American bike and they are on foreign bikes??? I know John is an American. TL

[chicagojerry]

hey teddy. your penton would probably win that drag race. i know how well your bikes run. that being said, i'll take you up on the race, but conditionally, we'll do it now and then again after i freshen the motor. it currently has over 20 actual hours on those rings. by the way, i should have the penton 400 at portland too. todd morain will be riding it in the 500 sportsman expert. i need to finish it up tonight.  just so you know, can am stands for "canadian -american" not france ..  the motors are rotax, austrian made, same country where the ktm motors come from. keep this kind of needling up and no more me pushing your broken bike on the trail. [xx(] see you this weekend

[Larry Perkins]

Ted,

I love Pentons but that Can Am Rotary Valve motor in a drag race should do the Penton even with it's "not 77" motor.  My money is on the Rotary Valve.  Thopugh I would root for the Penton and ina handling situation it would prevail.

Larry P

[tlanders]

Oh Boy, the glove has been picked up!!! We will have fun!!! I'm just trying to get you back on a Penton and off that foreign bike (ha,  ha)!!! I thought the CanAm engine was a Bombardier, that's where the French came from. But it's stil foreign - Cannuck!!

Thank you again Jerry for the push in the woods. It was incredible that you stopped for me while you were in the middle of a hot contest with Lew for first place. You are a true friend and a wonderful guy, thank you so much.

Teddy

[chicagojerry]

larry, as much as i love my pentons too, you would be shocked on how well those can-am's turn and handle. my hi-breather 400 penton (which we all know is basically the same frame as the 175 and 250's) the front end is kicked out a little too far. thats why they brought the rake back in on later models. also the same reason that i'm going to follow teddy's lead and build a 400 in an earlier 175 frame. they turn better. but anyway GO PENTON! i love them too. but canam's are good as well   chijer

[Larry Perkins]

Jerry,

An inch longer shock in the back will do the same thing.  Alot less trouble too.  Makes it turn on a dime.  

Larry P

[CharlieT]

Ok , nuthin to do with the drag race, but sounds as though at least two folks from this site will be at Portland. Contemplating running up there in the morning to "observe", since it ain't far from here in Kalamazoo.

Any notable distinctions which may aid me in locating anyone? You know...blue Mohawk haircut, nose rings, wearing a pink carnation in the lapel of your tuxedo.......

I'd probably ride up on my "post-Vintage" '78 GoldWing or my Valkyrie. Could try squeezing into my old Penton Jersey, but the darn thing has really shrunk over the last 30+yrs!:(

[chicagojerry]

look for a orange and black ktm box truck. i'll be set up with the rest of the amherst ohio gang. stop by to say hi and ask for chicago jerry. i'll have a cold one for you if you like. [8D]   who else is coming up there?      chijer

[Dennis Jones]

You Guys are killin me. I really hated to miss Walnut and Portland is out too. We have had big storms her the last 2 weekends with lots and lots of tree damage. The only 2 stroke exhaust I've smelt is from my chainsaw. Lightening  blew apart a nice oak tree less than 30' from me as I pulled up in my drive in my open top jeep. I'm sure I lost a few years from that scare.Just about have it all cut up but more severe weather is forcast for  tonight.
Have fun and throw some dirt for me.

Dennis Jones

[chicagojerry]

    chi jer

[tlanders]

After a day of racing cross country and motocross, I asked Jerry if he was ready for the BIG drag race. He said if we had to, he would put on his helmet again. I was still fully suited up and he was in shorts, tee shirt and sneakers I think, a sneaky weight reduction trick, but I saw through it!!! He immediately started rattling off reasons why I would win:

1. His engine is tired
2. He was tired
3. He weighs a couple more pounds than me.
4. yadda, yadda, yadda

We staked out some territory where we hoped not to crash into anyone and make it long enough to be meaningful. We asked a nearby camper to pretend he had a start flag in his hand and we were off. Just before crashing into the trees, I backed off and Jerry claims to have won it by half a wheel diameter!!! OK, let's do it again. I was having problems with a dragging clutch and poor control at the start and of course I didn't take the time to adjust it and ---- Jerry claims to have beat me again by about a half a wheel diameter. Man, I didn't want to hit those trees and backed off again. So for the third try, I suggested a rolling start to try and solve my clutch problem. I led or we were even until I backed off again and Jerry again claimed to have won!!!! Even Chris his wife didn't back up that claim for the last try!!! Being the nice guy I am, I ignored the fact that I backed off and told Jerry that he probably won the drag race - this time!!!

My excuses for not convincingly beating the CanAM:

1. I still hadn't dialed in my new carb. There was a flat spot in the accelleration at about 50% throttle. After it was over I checked the plug and found it to be lean. I had not touched the Lectron's power jet setting because the previous conversions to Lectron were spot on as I got them from the factory. The power jet comes on at about 50% throttle so I figured it was it that was too lean. Yesterday I finally had time to richen up the PJ by screwing it out about 60 degrees and the flat spot is now gone. I'm ready for another drag race Jerry. Evansville?
2. Jerry weighs a couple more pounds than me so he had better traction.
3. I checked my compression yesterday and found it to be low at 120#/in2. This is a newly rebuilt engine so I don't know yet what is going on here. Hopefully I can figure this one out tonight.

What fun we had. We even allowed Jerry to be included in the Penton Riders picture that we took on Sunday. Rosemary served goodies to the riders who came for the picture and it was a lot of fun. The sad part was we missed our Cross Country only Penton riders who had gone home.

I hope we have a good Penton turn out at the Cross Country races this Saturday in Evansville, IN.

Teddy

[smkt342]

It could be the pistons I sold Jerry that beat you. [}:)]  The devil made me do it.  Look out if he puts a lectron on that rotax.  There's a reason they put the rotax in their own class in flattrack.

Keith

[tlanders]

So AHRMA should be worrying about Rotax engines not "B" or "D" Sachs cylinders huh? He only edged me out by a teeny, weeny bit!!!!

Teddy

[chicagojerry]

teddy, i have been quitely letting you describe how the drag races went. but i have yet to determine if its your eyesight thats failing or your memory.[?] but afterwards i thought that if i could pull your bike as well as i did with a tired motor and outweighing you by 80 lbs. that if i could  A.) lose some weight  B.) freshen the bike up some, then my little 175 could really become a rocket. therefore, i have A.)implemented a weight loss program to try to lose a few pounds (me, not the bike)  B.) put on a NEW cylinder with a NEW piston (thanks keith [}:)]) rejet it it accordingly, and last but not least dropped a tooth on the countershaft. since the weight loss program takes a little longer than the motor work i thought that i should implement the mechanical issues first to get me closer to my objective sooner. so if you would like to get beat again, my bike is now running a little stronger, and if i keep eating these salads i might lose 5 pounds by the weekend. anyway, its always a pleasure to be in your company, win lose or draw. and thanks to all for letting me enjoy this site even tho i'm a only a part time pogger. i really do like my 400 penton tho.    chi jer