Hello...in there..

[tooclose racing]

I'm in!  Greetings, earthlings...I am the proud, new owner of a Tony Friedel-restored 72 Six Day (hmmmm...now what did he say about my warranty?).  I was watching various bikes come and go on eBay when I realized that some wonderful restoration examples are available right here at the POG web site.  

I've been reading your POG threads since I got "the fever" earlier this year, so let me tell you all right now that...I am not worthy of much of this company. [:I]  I hope to make it to "the village" in the future at Mid-Ohio and hopefully I won't get all misty-eyed and stupid sounding if I meet Dane or Dwight or "the brothers".

Let me tell you why....You guys came by me at very high rates of speed in either the Hungry Creek or a southern national enduro back in 73 or 74 - I lived in Nashville during my wonder years.  I was 14, astride a 72 Yam DT100 w/preston pettys, a hooker header, and a dream.  I was so fortunate to have an older guy named Ron Farst (about 25, mind you) riding Ossa's take me under his wing and introduce me to enduros and hare scrambles.  Dirt Bike magazines were under my pillow.  I will never forget the tink, tink, tink...SCREAM...tink, tink, tink of the red, green, and blue toaster-tanked bikes as Team Penton members moved thru the woods at one of these events.  I could afford the "look", just not the bike. Found myself a pair of the wrap-around glasses, tied a scarf around my neck, and bought a used enduro jacket.  I think I actually considered painting my open face blue and slapping on the stripes after the 1973 ISDT.....

Fast-forward thru my motocross days (a 74 YZ), some wonderful early eighties Ohio hare scrambles (again, a Yamaha - but I did move to the 175 white-lightning Husky!) - only this time its Mark, Mike, and Terry going past me like I'm standing still.  In the mid-nineties, I went to a roadrace at Loudon and I was like the guy in the Nissan Pathfinder/toy store commercial, looking at it and going "oooooohhhh".  A very fun, but expensive six years of roadracing followed, with a LW Supersport championship in eastern Canada representing a small time period where I had trouble putting my helmet on.  THEN my first marriage (at 44!), along with certain civil and civic responsibilities calling in my community (Oswego, NY.).

Which brings us to today.  The dust seems to have settled after not being on a bike for five years, and I want to own, ride, and inevitably race...a Penton.  Heck, I'm already shopping for my 18 yr old step-son, and I haven't even attended a (dirt bike) vintage event yet!  My wife is just shaking her head and thinking "here we go again...".

It's a pleasure, gentlemen.  I look sooo forward to making your acquaintances.

[Ernie Phillips]

Tooclose,  Welcome to the POG. The expertise and resources offered here make owning, restoring, repairing, riding and most of all ... racing the Penton Sportcycle a wonderful experience.  I recall earlier this year, when I joined this group and ask my first question, none other than one Doug Wilford offered a solution.  How cool it that!  Then & now.  It is all here.  Mid-O is great.  And good luck on finding your son a ride.  I enjoy riding my Pentons and love riding with my son.  Warning:  It is addicting.

Ernie P.
Chattanooga, TN

[deek]

Welcome tooclose. You couldn't have picked a forum where all members are freindly and helpful. If your looking for another 6 Day, drop me line.

Dale
72 6 Day
72 DKW

[Paul Danik]

Tooclose,
 
   May I join the others in welcoming you aboard. We used to ride a national enduro in the Nashville area, I believe it was called the Little Harpeth, did you ever get a chance to ride that event?  

Paul

[Mick Milakovic]

Hi Tooclose, and welcome!

I've had a lot of fun racing through the years (that's technically AND literally speaking!), and have enjoyed every race restoration, but the one that meant the most to me was the last one, that my daughter and I did together.  It's the people that make our re-kindled love for this sport so meaningful.  Good luck and have fun, and let the good times roll!

Mick

[tooclose racing]

It's an honor, Mr. Danik!

Yes, that was the national outside of Nashville.  My recollection is that the event was really early in the year - January?  There was frost on the bikes.  I also did some events up near Paducah, maybe they were regional enduro events. Also ran a local regional known as the Strawberry Enduro, but I don't recall the town.  Just the rain that never stopped.....

And of course, there was the Hungry Creek event.  Someone had a thread on the Penton Racing board about this wonderful southeast spectacle.  Again - I was 14.  It was just bigger than Life to me.  My attempt at waterproofing the DT - call it a duct tape air box - failed on the second lap.  But that just meant I had more time to watch The Big Boys go by.

[Paul Danik]

Tooclose,

   You had me stumped for a second when you mentioned January for the Little Harpeth, but then I remembered how we rode the enduro on Sunday, and Penton dealer school started the following day in Lorain.  Dealer school was pretty much always in early Feb. so your memory is pretty much spot on.

   I have a quick story about that event.  I had gone to the Little Harpeth with a buddy of mine from Mars, PA which is just north of Pittsburgh. We were riding on the same minute, he was on a Berkshire and I was on a Six-Day 125. We came to a long power line section and we stopped for a second and looked ahead at how neat it was to see riders way in the distance negotiating the powerline trail down through the valley and up the other side.

  He said for me to "go ahead", with that I took off down the trail, there were several water crossings, some rocky areas and all the "usual" enduro fun stuff to negotiate. At the end of the powerline section you rode up onto a nice flat area before heading back into the woods, as I rode up onto that flat area there sat my buddy on his Berkshire. I looked at him in amazement and asked him how he got here ahead of me, to which he replied, " I just rode down the gravel road that is off to the right of the powerline", and with that comment we both burst out laughing.

   After the scores were posted and the awards were handed out, we drove through the night to make it to Lorain for dealer school. It must have been 1972, as I have a picture that was taken of me shaking hands with John Penton along with the local dealer whom I rode for at the time. We are standing behind a brand new shiny CMF 125 with alloy fenders and the sidestand pivot is near the front of the swingarm. I do believe this was the formal introduction of the CMF machines to the dealers.

     In the picture I am a little grubby looking for having ridden the event and then traveling all night in the hope of not missing a minute of dealer school, but I do have a big smile while shaking the hand of the Man whom I admired so much, and still admire today.
   
    Thanks TC for bringing back those great memories for me with the mention of Nashville, sorry to ramble.

Take care,
Paul

[tooclose racing]

You are forgiven - now and into the immediate future - for any such ramblings that comes forth on this message board. This is one of the reasons Why We Are Here. Thanks, great story.