Photos - Racing the MC-5 Back in the Day

[tooclose racing]

POG Clan - I found some interesting photos of KTM/Penton MC-5s that are being raced back in - I'm guessing - 1976 and/or 1977. These are located at Clay Setzer's neat vintage MX website that most of you may know about already.  First take a look at this excellent slide slow, but I'm specifically interested in two guys on Penton's about halfway thru the montage:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lvsutton/sets/72157600310205784/show/with/530225941/

It's Sears Point on the West Coast- its a huge crowd, and one of the racers is #255.  Does anybody know these guys - were they factory or local?  Also - is its just the photo's color, or do these MC-5s have red tanks? Because of the tank stripe and frame, I'm assuming these are 1976 bikes, which I thought only came in that "lovely" orange for the 1976 and 1977 years.

The other cool photos at Setzer's website are at:

http://vintageworksbikes.com/PhotosKTM.html

Obviously, we can see Mr. Penton, Moiseev (are those inline forks on his '77 bike???), and Kavinov in the photos.  But how about that MC-5 and the guy riding it in the bottom black and white photo?  Forks look like the Cerianis (early 76) and the swing-arm does not look stock...prototype bike?

[tofriedel]

Bob,

I believe in 75 or 76 west coast bikes were different colors and carried the KTM logo & not the Penton name.  There were some red tank Penton 250's here in the east, not sure of the year.

Tony

[Tahitian_Red]

Those are all pics from Hangtown, Carnegie and Sears Point.  Any Penton/KTM pics at Hangtown would probably be Buck Murphy and one of the riders in the Sears Point pic might be local pro George McNamara.  Just my guesses.


Racing the "FaltaNator" in 2009

[Mike Lenz]

I believe in 76 and 77 the MC-5's on the west coast kept the 75 Penton colors for the different size bikes.  Red for the 250 and White for the 400 anyway. The orange was a Penton exclusive I believe. Hmm, orange for a KTM, might work!

[Mike Lenz]

I forgot.  Ive seen photos of those guys with in line forks up thru 78.  They never liked the longer travel.  Thought it messed up the steering and handling, from what Ive read.