75 Penton 400 - Resurrected

[KJDonovan]

Just finished up another project and wanted to share a couple before and after photos.  The bike is a 75 Penton Mint 400 and it was an ISDT qualifier bike back in the day.  The original owner sold off the bike at the end of the 76 season and then reacquired it a few years back.  He brought it to me for restoration last winter and I did my best to add some new life to it.   Bike was really beat on over the years things one would think are indestructible were trashed, but I think I turned that around.  Project had more than its share of challenges but in the end result is what you see.  The owner, an ISDT veteran got his first peek at the finished bike this morning and appeared very pleased with the end result.  Looks decent and runs perfect!

I also wanted to mention that completing this project would not have been possible without POG.  I pinged lots of people here for answers to specific questions, locating hard to find parts and help with the build.  Thanks so much for all the help.

Kevin

Left Side Before
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Rightside Before
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Front Before
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Backside Before - I would add this my favorite picture, the funny thing was the tail light was wired in with a cord from a lamp

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Kevin J. Donovan
Foster, Rhode Island
72 Jack Piner (My Ride)
72 Six Day (Wifes Ride)
71 Suzuki TS125
72 Montesa Cota 123
72 Montesa Cota 123T (Another Project)

[firstturn]

Very Nice Kevin.

Ron Carbaugh

[hankthecrank]

Yes, very nice.


Hank Rinehart

[Keith Meatyard]

Kevin,
Absolutely beautiful work.  The attention to detail is superb.  I can really appreciate the amount of time that goes into restorations such as this.

Keith Meatyard

[derek martin]

Artwork there Kevin - nicely done.

[flattracker23]

That looks great. Nice work.

________________________
Spencer Gaydon
Wolfforth, TX

1968 Penton Six-Day 125 Steel Tanker (V 774)
1968 Penton Six-Day 125 Steel Tanker (V 1194)
1972 Penton / Wassell Mudlark Trials Bike (W 397 ST)
1983 KTM 504 MXC (8208 11173)

[Daniel P. McEntee]

You don't see too many complete "white" bikes, and when I do, it grows on me some more each time. I should have an extra tank when I finish the '75 400 I'm working on and will make an alternate tank along with the aluminum Hi-Point tank that was on it. Just don't know yet if the Marzochi forks will clean the glass tank yet. Are those forks Zokes or leading axle Ceriani? They weren't stock on the '75 400 as far as I know, were they? Very nice work here and double cool it is back in the hands of the original rider, Care to say who it is?
   Thanks for sharing the pictures,
    Dan McEntee

[brian kirby]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel P. McEntee

 Are those forks Zokes or leading axle Ceriani? They weren't stock on the '75 400 as far as I know, were they?

They are Ceriani. The Ceriani leading axle forks first came on the '76 MC5s. Even though this bike should have the straight leg forks, these are not out of place in my opinion, especially since the original owner put them on it.

He should ride it at the ISDT Reunion Ride in Tulsa!

Brian

[KJDonovan]

Guys,

Thanks for the compliments on the build, this one took longer than anticipated but I ran into a few more surprises along the way than I usually do.   About the bike;

The owner is Kevin Lavoie, who as turns out also lives in Rhode Island.  Funny thing is we just met last fall when he brought the bike by for me to take a look at.  Really nice guy, the kind I like doing builds for he understands what it takes to bring a bike from having one foot in the grave to something that is nice again.  Best of all during the build he popped in a few times to check progress and would always say the same thing, "I don't care how long this takes, just keep doing what you are doing"  It's really nice when there is no time pressure.

I know all of us hang onto our issues of "Still Keeping Track", but this bike and Kevin where on the cover of the February 1976 "Keeping Track".  Also this bikes "sister" is in May 75 Cycle World article http://www.ebay.com/itm/1975-PENTON-400-ENDURO-Cycle-Road-Test-Article-6-pg-Original-Mint-400-enduro-/191304698736?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2c8aa60b70&vxp=mtr with Carl Cranke riding it.  I used both articles to get a good look at some of the original details so I would get it right.  Carl actually did the original (radical) porting on this bike.

Dan / Brian, good eye on the forks, they are the 35MM Ceriani leading link longer travel forks.  The owner swapped the originals out in early 76 so we stuck with them for the build.  

The white paint is the correct original color, I used DuPont ChromaBase base coat Maserati Arctic White (FW4, G9055K) and Finish 1 FC710 Urethane Clear Coat.

Thanks,

Kevin

[Daniel P. McEntee]

Thanks for the information Kevin. I was gonna guess Kevin LaVoie. I attended the fourth ISDTRR in Cass Arkansas in 1999 or 2000 and got to meet Kevin then. He was sitting with John Penton under a shade tent, and they were the first to sign my Penton banner. Kevin scared the daylights out of us all at Park Hills, MO the next year when we thought we lost him to a heart attack during the final 5 lap grass track race. I saw him as they were loading him into the ambulance, and he definitely did not look good at that time! Glad to hear he's doing well.
  I thought the forks on my bike were Marzzochi but in looking at your photos, they must be Ceriani. I think my bike was built up from parts around the same time, and had lots of little serious enduro rider details on it. The triple clamps are more straight across, and the previous owner/builder had to angle cut the fork stops to get enough turning angle, and then I guess the fork tubes hit the tank, so they made long dents in the front portion to clear the fork tubes.
  I'll be studying your pics some more as mine comes together. Thanks for the paint codes also. I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to Refrigerator White from the hardware store! Like I said before, the more I look at a nice white bike, the more I like it!
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[brian kirby]

I like the forks Kevin, in hindsight KTM should probably have put them on the 76 Cross Country models in addition to the MC5s. Even if they didnt come with those forks, not every restoration has to be bone stock original, you are preserving the bike as Kevin rode it which is just as important as preserving one in original condition.

Brian

[Daniel P. McEntee]

I agree wholeheartedly Brian! That's why I'm rebuilding mine just as it was found.There really wasn't much stock or original on my bike in the first place.I was just surprised to see another '75 400 with the leading axle forks on it and just wanted to make sure I had my information correct. I just sure have taken a liking to that white tank, though! Maybe once the aluminum tank is polished out, I'll feel as strongly about it also.
  It sure would be neat to see Kevin rippin' up the trail on this beauty!
  Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[slvrbrdfxr]

Brian
I found out a few weeks ago that some of the 76 model cross country bikes probably did come equipped with the leading axle Ceriani forks. Reason I say this is because I went to look at 3 Pentons that a local guy offered to sell to me. One bike was a late 71 CMF six day built in Oct of 1971 and was in rough shape. The other two bikes were both 76 model 175 cross country bikes which were built in June of 1976 and the serial numbers were only 83 apart from one another. Both of the 175's still had Metzler tires on them and they looked to be somewhat original low hour bikes with the following exceptions.  Someone had taken the orange toaster tanks off and put blue Jackpiner MX tanks on both bikes. The original Petty rear fender with tail light had been swapped to a Petty MX fender on one bike and both Petty headlight masks had been removed. The seller had the removed Petty headlights and fender with tail light in a box.  As far as the forks,   one of the bikes had 35mm Marzocchi leading axle forks and the other bike had the leading axle Ceriani's which I have no reason to doubt were original parts on both bikes. In the end, I wasn't able to buy any of the 3 bikes because the seller thought a lot more highly of their value than I was willing to pay. Maybe I'll hear back from the seller once he's had a chance to shop them around to a few other potential buyers.
Dave McCullough

[brian kirby]

Could be Dave, as we all know, KTM did running changes so maybe right at the time those bike were built they had extra leading axle forks? Seems like almost anything is possible with these bikes.

Brian

[Daniel P. McEntee]

I was just interested in the forks because of my own research and working on the bike I have. You just don't get to see too many 74/75 400 Pentons in person or in photographs, but most I had seen had the regular Cerianis. Most people rebuild their bikes "as found" if they are pretty complete, and spare sets of either style forks aren't just laying around everywhere either. I wonder how hard leading axle forks were to obtain back in the day? Someone like Kevin LaVoie that had factory support could probably have gotten them. Your average Joe Rider might not have been able to afford them, or wanted to change them. Just one of those simple things that really gets my curiosity going!
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee