Number plate

[tmc3c]

Did the 76 250 G.S. come with a round front number plate or square one? yellow or white?

Thomas Carmichael

[Larry Perkins]

The 250 GS  came with a headlight/numberplate in orange and yellow.  It was all one thing similar to todays combo set-ups on enduro bikes.  They are a hard piece to come by.  A later model KTM one will work as will a Preston Petty headlight/numberplate.  I ran one of those on my MC5 250 at the ISDT Reunion last year.  A tree jumped out in front of me and took it off on day one, though.

 

[Larry Perkins]

The 250 GS  came with a headlight/numberplate in orange and yellow.  It was all one thing similar to todays combo set-ups on enduro bikes.  They are a hard piece to come by.  A later model KTM one will work as will a Preston Petty headlight/numberplate.  I ran one of those on my MC5 250 at the ISDT Reunion last year.  A tree jumped out in front of me and took it off on day one, though.

 

[tmc3c]

Larry no just plane number plate came on the 250gs?

Thomas Carmichael

[Larry Perkins]

To the best of my knowledge the GS was the enduro and had lights and the MC5 was the motocrosser and had the plain # plate.  I was all MX at the time so I am open to others opinion though I did work at a shop that sold a few GS.  That is what I remember.  How about it guys and gals?

 

[Steve Minor]

I know for a fact the 77' GS series came with the orange&yellow headlight/numberplate....and get this...it even had an electric horn...I know because I bought mine brand new...a 77 400gs6 for $1995....in Atlanta, GA. Still have it too, but that's a whole other story...



Edited by - steve minor on 07/23/2002  8:43:31 PM

[Jeff Reid]

My '77 175 GS came with a number plate/headlight combo like Larry described earlier.

 

[Rocket]

I believe the 76 GS came with Preston Petty headlight and fender-taillight assembly.  The 77 had the orange and yellow plastic headlight.
Rocket

 

[tmc3c]

Well as they say this add's a different light to the situation! What are the chances of finding a headlight combo? I wasn't too happy with the flimsy rear fender I bought anyway! Are tailights hard to come by? Do the headlights have wire mesh gaurds like the one that comes on the husky's?

Thomas Carmichael

[Larry Perkins]

They did not have the wire mesh like the Husky.  The headlight # plate combo is hard to find because like many of the Falk fenders they were brittle and cracked.  In the three years I have been selling these parts I have had three and they all brought pretty good money even though two of them were starting to crack.  Some dealers sold bikes with the Petty stuff on them because that is what most of the hard core racers wanted.  That stuff is a little easier to find an more durable for a rider.

I have remakes of the original Falk rear fender.  The NOS original tailights(CEV) I have too but they are pricey.  I also have the NOS replaacement lenses if you come across a body and need that to make it complete.  On the one I used at the ISDT Reunion I put on a close to original size round trailer light I got at Pep Boys for about $10.  It does not look exact but plenty close if it is a rider and not a show bike.  If that breaks it is no big loss.  Again if you go Petty this is not a problem, though a white Petty IT rear is a pretty tough find also.  I have a couple of yellow ones NOS.  Hope this helps a bit.

 

[tmc3c]

Larry what would you do if you were not building for show? I am going to race this motorcyle. I have tried to stay as close to original as possible,this is my first Penton restore and I really want it right,but the costs are putting me further out from buzzing the woods.

Thomas Carmichael

[Larry Perkins]

Wow I get to give my opinion after being asked.  Usually I just give it anyway.  Joke-Joke.

Seriously!  For the ISDT Reunion I took my MC5 got a decent yellow Petty headlight #plate and put new yellow background on the # surface area to look better and meet AHRMA specs.  I put on one of our reproduced rear enduro fenders and the round tailight from Pep Boys.  This was the best looking for the dollar deal in my book.  I am assuming you are wanting it to look enduro.  If you are going to race AHRMA MX I would use an MX fender repro and a oval front plate.  Forget the light stuff for MX.  Hope this helps and thanks for asking my opinion.

 

[tmc3c]

Larry Thanks for writing back! I am at a crossroad and I am stumped.I have powdercaoated frame,pipe,SORRY kickstand,replaced all wheel bearings,yoke bearings,Rebuilding piggy backs,new metzelers,fenders are m.x. The reason I told you all of this is because I Love PENTONS and I want this baby to look right but I do plan on racing this bike,mx and hare scrambles and I know I could just run mx stuff but when I go to a vintage race will it stick out? I hate to have people snickering after all of this work!! Also I thought we had to run white number plates for ahrma? I hope not I like the yellow better,Barry Higgins told me the mc5 came with green plates.

Thomas Carmichael

[Larry Perkins]

In vintage AHRMA racing the bikes are required to use white background but in post-vintage which the 76 is they are required to use yellow background.  Most all the MX bikes and harescramble bikes don't run lights.  About the only place I see lights is at the ISDT Reunion and it is required there though they do not have to work.  

I raced my first AHRMA season on a 250 Harescrambler that had the enduro gas tank and the big chrome-end enduro pipe.  I don't think anybody snickered when I holeshoted at Mid-Ohio.  There are all kinds of people and bikes in AHRMA racing but most of the people have fun and don't make fun.  Besides it is a Penton and that is cool.  Not only to us but most of the people out there doing this vintage thing.  Just do it your way and get a blast out of it.  The rest will take care of itself.  Back in "The Day"  there were guys that rode enduro bikes to the motocross race, took the headlight on, raced their motos, put it back on, and rode home.  Now in my book that was cool.  Like Nike says, "Just Do It."

 

[Larry Perkins]

quote:
In vintage AHRMA racing the bikes are required to use white background but in post-vintage which the 76 is they are required to use yellow background.  Most all the MX bikes and harescramble bikes don't run lights.  About the only place I see lights is at the ISDT Reunion and it is required there though they do not have to work.  

I raced my first AHRMA season on a 250 Harescrambler that had the enduro gas tank and the big chrome-end enduro pipe.  I don't think anybody snickered when I holeshoted at Mid-Ohio.  There are all kinds of people and bikes in AHRMA racing but most of the people have fun and don't make fun.  Besides it is a Penton and that is cool.  Not only to us but most of the people out there doing this vintage thing.  Just do it your way and get a blast out of it.  The rest will take care of itself.  Back in "The Day"  there were guys that rode enduro bikes to the motocross race, took the headlight off, raced their motos, put it back off, and rode home.  Now in my book that was cool.  Like Nike says, "Just Do It."