$6,600 plus Mudlark is baaack.....

[Dale Fisher]

Once again, the restored Ebay Mudlark is offered.  Note the last time it did not meet reserve at $6,600 [?]


http://www.ebay.com/itm/1973-Other-Makes-/221329841309?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276


Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships
Facebook - Cheney Twinshock Racing Group - Administrator

'70 Six-Day 125 - V2017
'71 Six-Day 125 (Dave Fisher's) - V5553
'72 Mudlark - W257
'73 Jackpiner - 175 21159727
'74 Berkshire 100 - 40171056
And some silly other bikes...

[Gordon Brennan]

I think it needs the proper 5A motor to make the reserve.
Also wouldn't hurt to tell what was done with the motor, in the listing. "Completely gone through" doesn't tell you much. You could completely go through a motor and not change a thing except put it back together.
I had Doug Wilford rebuild my motor and proudly display his decal on the left side cover. It was one of the last motors he did. I hope all goes well for Doug and his family.

 

[gooddirt]

Most of them came stock with the alloy barrel  A or B motor.

[ALB]

All the Wassel trials bikes came into the country with the Sachs 125-6B engines with the alloy barrels. The 6B engines were pulled and swapped out with the 5-A engines that were still coming in on the Penton bikes at the time.

For Trials Riding competition, the 5A engine is a better choice with the larger diameter crank and Bosch ignition - for low rpm riding.

Alan Buehner

[sixdazed]

So,If you were restoring one as a Wassell or a Penton as delivered from the manufacturer the 6b would be correct,and as a Penton it might be one that slipped thru without the engine swap,or of course a non original engine?

[Gordon Brennan]

From what I have read, if you were restoring it as a Wassell, it would have a B motor. If you were restoring it as a Penton, it would have an A motor.

I see in the listing the seller does have a 'buy it now' price, but you have to call the phone number in the listing to get it.

[Dennis Jones]

A true original Penton/Trials would have a 6B engine, not all of them were replaced and the original sales flyer as well as magazine articles  show a 6B. This bike however is anything but original, very nice but a lot of incorrect parts.

At one time I owned a very low hours original with the 6B motor, It still had the webbing between the knobs on the Dunlops.

I am re-restoring the first one I bought now and it came with a 6B

All that said, They could have had an A,B,C,D,E,F,G, or any other engine they decided to put in them in Ohio and still be correct as sold new

Dennis Jones

[gooddirt]

Would a pre B motor  Eur 1972 Wassell  tank labeled bike have a alloy barrel  A motor?

[Dale Fisher]

23 Bids $7,400 and has not met reserve.  It's a restored bike not a pristine original.  I'm apparently missing something [?][?]

Based on the registry started - Serial numbered bikes up to W430 with one exception had alloy cylinders. (Note the registry is still a work in progress)  Next registered bike is W483 with cast iron almost on all after that.  The Ebay bike is one of the exceptions with serial #W624 ST.

Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships
Facebook - Cheney Twinshock Racing Group - Administrator

'70 Six-Day 125 - V2017
'71 Six-Day 125 (Dave Fisher's) - V5553
'72 Mudlark - W257
'73 Jackpiner - 175 21159727
'74 Berkshire 100 - 40171056
And some silly other bikes...

[gooddirt]

I think the  Wassell  badged bike of  Kelly Owen  might have a 6 A motor from the factory.

[Paul Danik]

Just a note to mention that the original engine the Wassell trials was designed to use was the BSA 175cc Bantam engine. BSA would not sell Ted Wassell new engines directly as he had hoped, but Wassell still built about 50 units as rolling chassis, as Bantam engines were plentiful at the time.

Any ads or write-ups on the Wassell trials in original configuration, from England, I have ever seen all show it with the alloy topend Sachs, or the BSA Bantam engine.

In the January 1973 issue of Popular Cycling is a test of the Penton Trials. The article states that the engine is the Sachs "B" series engine. The article refers to another engine as being available, it states that the optional engines is the Sachs "B" engine, but Penton's own info states that the optional engine is the 152cc 5 speed, surely meaning the cast iron version, I think the writer was just a bit confused in the article, the photo in the article shows the alloy topend Sachs engine and refers to it as the "B" series engine.

Anyhow, most of you guys already know all this, just putting a few thoughts out there....   I agree with Dennis that all of the Sachs powered Wassell trails machines had the 6 B when shipped from England as the production run wasn't all that long, the 6 "A" engines were pulled from instock Pentons in Lorain and swapped out for the "B" engines. Who knows, they might have even shipped some "B" engines to complaining dealers to swap out. Just imagine having some of the "A" powered machines sitting on the showroom floor and finding out that the new "B" engine powered machines were cleaning up at the local races..

My guess is that the cast iron engines were in Penton's parts department as leftover inventory from days gone by and just reconfigured to 152cc jobs to get them off the shelf.

All the above is just my opinion mixed with a few tidbits from reading literature and such, please feel free to provide your thoughts as well, as the more info we provide to folks with an interest the better..

The byline in the above referred to article in Popular Cycling states, " Motorcycling's First Family Makes A Top-Notch Trialer"..  Obviously, Mr. Super Hunky in his Dirt Bike article/test got it all wrong [}:)]

I will try to visit with Elmer Townie and discuss this soon, as he was very much a part of all of this, Elmer headed up Penton's parts department and was also employed by John and Ted when they were BSA dealers, before the Penton was even thought of.

Paul

[Dale Fisher]

Of the four bikes listed on the registry the lowest being W257 ST and the highest W483 ST three were reported to have alloy cylinders and B engines.  Two higher numbers were reported to have cast A engines.


Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships
Facebook - Cheney Twinshock Racing Group - Administrator

'70 Six-Day 125 - V2017
'71 Six-Day 125 (Dave Fisher's) - V5553
'72 Mudlark - W257
'73 Jackpiner - 175 21159727
'74 Berkshire 100 - 40171056
And some silly other bikes...

[seanguthrie]

Paul, your extensive knowledge always blows my mind!

74 250 Hare scramble
73 CMF 6day
68 6day V213

[sixdazed]

Correct or not,very nice and some people sure seem to want it.

[Dale Fisher]

A smaller set of photos, less information, but it's back with most likely the same type ($7,400 plus)reserve as not met previously

http://www.ebay.com/itm/221424852245?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships
Facebook - Cheney Twinshock Racing Group - Administrator

'70 Six-Day 125 - V2017
'71 Six-Day 125 (Dave Fisher's) - V5553
'72 Mudlark - W257
'73 Jackpiner - 175 21159727
'74 Berkshire 100 - 40171056
And some silly other bikes...