Jack Penton Replica

[Bill Campbell]

I am going to make a 250 enduro using a 78 MC5 frame and thought I would try and replicate the last Penton that JP rode. My thoughts are it is basically an orange frame and plastics motorcycle. If anybody out there could post some photos or a pen picture I would really appreciate it.
Cheers Bill

[brian kirby]

Its a silver frame '77 250 GS6 and he still owns it. From the '10 Reunion Ride in Combs, Arkansas.



Brian

[Tflores]

The one right next to it is my GS and I have the original orange side panels but take them off when racing to keep them in the exceptional condition they are in. The front lighted number plate is also original and orange.  I picked up a set of orange Preston Petty fenders just like the ones on JP's from Paul Stannard of Strictly Hodaka. Tom

Tom Flores
72 Penton Berkshire
77 Penton GS6 250
07 KTM 300XC

[rob w]

BUT..........there's one thing on Jack's bike, you won't find anywhere in the world. See that cylinder - I asked about it last Oct. at the ISDTRR, and Carl Cranke was standing right there as well. I did'nt get a direct answer to what was so special about it - other than it is a special cylinder.

[brian kirby]

Yes, Jack told me that was a "special" cylinder too that Carl did for him, but did not elaborate on why it was special and I did not ask for further details.

Brian

[Gary Roach]

I helped get this bike back together for Jack so that he could ride it in the '03 Reunion Ride.
 
A few notable things about his bike:

The chain adjusters, and front and rear axle are painted orange, which is something that he did "back in the day" so that they can be seen when they were layed on the ground.
 
The left chain adjuster and wheel spacer are welded together, which helped when the rear wheel had to be pulled.

The pipe has a SuperTrapp spark arrestor.

It has a Lectron carb.

Jack used a band saw to cut the corners of the cylinder and head off on all of his Carl Cranke ported cylinders.

I don't know what shocks that he used back in the day, but the ones on it now are a pair of Fox shocks that I had.




















Gary
 

[rob w]

Thanks Gary, My answer for your trivia question: um, maybe there was a fin or two broken on the cylinder, so to make it look better, it would be easiest just to cut them off.


Jump'n Jack Flash at the '03 Reunion, beating Fredette

[Paul Danik]

At the ISDTRR this past year Jack brought a nice stable of machines along, including the bike being discussed and pictured. On the second day he assigned that machine to me, what a treat it was.  Before I rode the bike I figured I might have my hands full with a machine that would hit hard and possibly be a handful on the dual sport style Legends Backroads Tour...but just the opposite was the case.

That machine starts very easy and is a joy to ride, the power delivery is very smooth which allows it to hook up quite well as it increases it's velocity. Carl's mastery of the power delivery thru numerous areas such as the porting, pipe and compression, plus a few others areas as well, is truly phenomenal.

The only issue I had was the seat height, but I never mentioned that to Carl as he possibly would have wanted to use some sort of medieval contraption on my stubby legs.

Bill, best of luck with your project.

Paul

[brian kirby]

That was something Jack mentioned to me about the power, he said it was the smoothest 250 Penton he had.

Brian

[Bill Campbell]

Thanks for the input and pics guys. Looks like it will be a silver frame. Would be nice to get a hold of the specs for the cylinder. Is there anything in the old posts? The other question is what did Jack ride in 1978?
Cheers Bill

[brian kirby]

You could do a '78, but technically its a KTM not a Penton, which is why Jack says that '77 is the last Penton he raced.

Brian

[Bill Campbell]

I think I have made it more difficult than I first imagined with the look of the bike. Remember here in Oz there were no Pentons as such just KTMs. I thought an orange bike would sort of like what Jack rode would be a slight link between then and now. An orange framed 78 with white guards & tank or a silver framed 78 with orange guards and tank that is the question.

[SouthRider]

Remember - the only difference was the name on the tank & seat, and a few decals on the bikes.

Other than that - the Pentons had minor changes when they arrived in Ohio, as each load of incoming bikes were customized with whatever race mods were working for the team at that point (they truly were sold "as raced" by the Penton team).

If you built a 77 orange bike you could certainly put Penton decals on the tank. But in 78 all the bikes were white KTMs.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

"We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible, for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, that we are now qualified to do almost anything, with nothing."

1972 Penton Berkshire 100
1983 Husqvarna 250 XC
2011 Jayco 31.5 RLDS
2009 Chevy 2500 HD Duramax

[Bill Campbell]

Thanks for the input gents. Will go with a silver frame and orange plastics even though it is a 78 frame. Might even put Penton decals on it!

[Bill Campbell]

I'm up to restoring the forks. Were they painted frame silver or were they polished and have oxidised? Thanks