The 1st red Hare Scrambler

[rob w]

Auctioning on ebay - ends in 7 hours.

I went to look at this bike in person. It was'nt far away....the seller did'nt show the frame & engine numbers on the sale - and from the pictures, some of the parts on the bike just did'nt add up.

I thought this could be one of those missing links, that may tell a story in the evolution of the Penton/KTM motorcycle, that I enjoy exploring so much. It's also known that this bike has not been altered, and is made up from it's original, stock parts.

Well I believe it is, and worth noting in the archeives of Penton's evolutionary facts.

The Hare Scrambler's frame number is 310 68803, and the engine number is 1600.
The bike has a black engine w/boxy side cases, and a 73 style exhaust pipe.
It also has a red watermelon tank, red side side panels, and red airbox.

This would be the time that the 250 Hare Scrambler's were changing from yellow to red - engine's from black to silver (* note) - and the change of the exhaust's design.

* the engine's center and side cases are painted black, the head is painted black, BUT the cylinder is silver.  (all original, although the side cases were redone)
That says to me that the factory ran out of black cylinders, and apx. that time became the change-over to the newer style silver engine.

They also changed over to red body work on the Hare Scramblers, before they began using the newer exhaust pipe design.

Thus I conclude my findings to be ->
There were apx. 1600 black 250 engines made.
There were apx. 1600 yellow Hare Scramblers made.
The '74 style updates on the Hare Scrambler began at 310 68803.

Not bidding.
Bawb

[marsattacks]

Reads like a Hardy Boys mystery! Consider:

1. Does the tank have white or black lettering (if any) above the Penton stripes? My 12/73 HS has tiny black lettering above the stripe: "Harescrambler 250cc" and I've heard the black lettering was a holdover from gold tanks and the lettering later changed to white.

2. The Ebay bike has the small bullet light (mine has larger one, which to my eye works better w/ 35mm forks). Can't tell from ebay if it has the round CEV tailight.  

3. The side panels have white ovals, whereas I think the red tankers were "supposed" to be yellow (enduro) or green (mx).

4. Some day it would be interesting to compare your findings to the KTM cousin bikes, which likewise changed from gold to red.

[Rocket]

I just checked my 73 Hare Scrambler with yellow tank;
Frame serial # 54 309 68248
Engine # 3-54 01174
Not too many numbers away from a red tanker, glad it's still Yellow!:)
Rocket

[tomale]

So where does the green tank 250's fit it... I have seen a few, were they a transition bike so the MC 5's or are they something that someone dreamed up.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)

[Dwight Rudder]

There were no Green tank 250s made.  Someone just put 125 bodywork on a 250.
Dwight

[marsattacks]

That ebay HS has the black tank lettering too.

[rob w]

quote:Originally posted by marsattacks

Reads like a Hardy Boys mystery! Consider:

1. Does the tank have white or black lettering (if any) above the Penton stripes? My 12/73 HS has tiny black lettering above the stripe: "Harescrambler 250cc" and I've heard the black lettering was a holdover from gold tanks and the lettering later changed to white.

2. The Ebay bike has the small bullet light (mine has larger one, which to my eye works better w/ 35mm forks). Can't tell from ebay if it has the round CEV tailight.  

3. The side panels have white ovals, whereas I think the red tankers were "supposed" to be yellow (enduro) or green (mx).

4. Some day it would be interesting to compare your findings to the KTM cousin bikes, which likewise changed from gold to red.

It did have a round CEV tailight.
Can't say about the headlight, but it is unusual unless it was swapped at the dealer, or sometime down the road.
The white backgrounds on the side panels - they were red and yellow, but then repainted.
The whole bike looked recently, prematurely, & poorly repainted. I think they had some materials left over after painting the barn.

[rob w]

quote:Originally posted by tomale

So where does the green tank 250's fit it... I have seen a few, were they a transition bike so the MC 5's or are they something that someone dreamed up.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)

 
I think green was a common color to find in Hi-Point Aluminum Enduro tanks.
Thom, You could have dreamed it up. Then again...every tank you own, is a "Green tank" ? [B)]

[tomale]

very funny,,:D My wife says she likes green so much, she married it... Al this talk of going green, heck I have been green all my life.... It seems to me, that I had seen a picture of a green HS as part of that collection of bikes owned by that guy in Reno...
You will have to forgive me, I live up here in the pacific northwest and there are very few Pentons, I feel like it is my duty to own a few just so that no one forgets what great bikes they are... Every chance I get I tell the Penton story and to my amazement, most have no idea... I have even had people tell me that KTM's did not start importing bikes until the early 90's [:0]

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)