Non Penton/KTM question

[Mike Hufnagel]

My brother in law is looking at a 1981 Suzuki RS175 w/a PE 175 motor & a 1984 IT 200 Yam.    Both are in great shape but he nor I know next to anything about them. Although I have noticed quite a few IT's and hardly any PE's or RS's at vintage races.   Any info would help.

74 Yamaha TY 250
75 Jackpiner w/ 250 eng.
80 Ktm Mc 400
82 KTM GS250II (import)
82 KTM 495
2) 84 Yam RZ350
98 KTM 300mxc
00 KTM Duke 2
06 KTM 950 Adv.
08 Suzuki DR70Z

[slvrbrdfxr]

Mike,
Our family owns several IT200s and my brother and I have been riding them the last couple years at the ISDT RR and at the VMD CC. I have a couple friends that have started riding them too after taking my bike for a test ride. These bikes have plenty of power and handle well in the woods. The suspension is pretty decent and Yamaha has some of the best drum brakes you'll find on a bike of that era. One of the nicest thing about an IT200 is you can still walk into any Yamaha dealer and buy new parts with the exception of cosmetic items like fenders and number plates. There always seems to be a good supply of used parts available for them too. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Pentons and will continue to ride them. It's just nice to have a little extra suspension under you at some events to keep the body somewhat young. Hope this helps.
Dave McCullough

P.S. POG member Paul Busick has been riding a the Suzuki PE175's for many years and I'm sure the will chime in with some info about them. There is also a Suzuki PE group on Yahoo which is very informative so you might want to look them up too.

[derek martin]

The 84 IT200 has the rear suspension lay-out similar to the 83 IT250 and 490 which is pretty well the typical rising-rate linkage single shock suspension seen today. I've got an 83 IT175 which has Yamaha's transition between the original Mono-shock and the more modern version as seen on the 84 IT200. My 83 has the long remote reservoir shock carried high in the frame backbone which is linked to the swingarm by a crank that gives a rising rate. This big shock located up high makes for a high center of gravity which affects handling. My 83 IT175 to this day is my favorite bike however for laying out courses due to its light weight and great IT wide ratio transmission. I believe the KDX175s of the day had a little more motor than the IT175 but I think this may have been corrected with the 200. I have an 84 IT490 that is my PV bike with Race Tech emulators and springs up front and their springs and valving in the rear with Eric Gorr jug and head work and it is the bike I would sell off second to the last (my 74.5 Penton 250 being the last) if I had to ever part with any of them. I've never ridden an 84 IT200 or a Suzuki PE or RS but with the IT's rear suspension lay-out similar or possibly identical to my 490 I would say the IT would be the way to go. Also if the IT200 has the double leading shoe front brake set-up like the 490s do this would also be a plus in my opinion. I remember from back then that the 86 IT200 which was the last Yamaha IT and had a disc front brake was regarded as a really good bike and I believe it's pretty well identical to the 84 except for the front disc. One thing to watch out for on all aged Yamahas is the condition of the intake manifold as Yamaha rubber from that era doesn't hold up at all and a lot of the intake manifolds are hard to find depending on what model of bike.

[derek martin]

One other Yamaha IT item - I always wondered if Yamaha was inspired by the Jackpiner for the Sky Blue color they used on the ITs?

[Gordon Brennan]

Here's a beautiful PE 175 for you.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330580908389&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT

[jeff greenberg]

Gordon, Nice looking bike on Ebay. Basically in my backyard!
Jeff
Scottsdale, Az.

[paul a. busick]

Mike,

I was lucky enough to have purchased a 1978 Suzuki PE 175 previously owed by Tom Penton. Tom rode for Suzuki in the ISDT.  The bike had been stored in a loft at the KTM complex here in Amherst.  I had been trying to buy the bike from John Penton for a few years-but he would never give me an answer.  The last time I asked, I got the same results-no reply.  Dane happened to be standing near by and heard my request  He told me that the PE was not Johns to sell.  The bike was in fact Tom Penton's.  A long story short, I bought the little yellow PE from Tom and rode it in quite a few events and brought home the bacon from many of them.  The twin shockers are a very simple machine to work on and will take you wherever you want to go. They are a real tractor and extremely dependable! Rick Sieman (Dirt Bike Mag.)called them a snail chaser. They must have some super quick snails in California. I have put the 78 175 PE aside for a 83 175 PE.  The 83 has a Full Floater swing arm and a 6 speed gear box.  The 6 speed is a little better then the 78 5 speed and the full floater is much, much better then the twin shocker. The RS is not the the same as a PE-even though there are many parts that will interchange. Many OEM parts are readily available for your local Suzuki shop or on line, as well as other after market stuff.  A good rider can be bought starting around $400. Ebay, etc., are a good sorce of manuals and other bits and pieces.  The PE on ebay is a beautifl machine.  It would be a shame to abuse it in the mud.
 
I hope that this info will be of help to you.

 See you down Old Dusty.[8D]
 Amherst Paul

[Mike Hufnagel]

Wound up getting an 94 IT 200. Being delivered to MidOhio.

74 Yamaha TY 250
75 Jackpiner w/ 250 eng.
80 Ktm Mc 400
82 KTM GS250II (import)
82 KTM 495
2) 84 Yam RZ350
98 KTM 300mxc
00 KTM Duke 2
06 KTM 950 Adv.
08 Suzuki DR70Z