Front Hub Indentification

[Daniel P. McEntee]

I'm cleaning out some stuff from my shed and garage, and have a front wheel that was in my late little brother's stuff that I need to identify. I initially thought it was a Jackpiner front wheel because it was with the batch of Penton stuff he last bought, and it had a black, magnesium hub. It's a 21" wheel with what looks like a chrome Ridelli rim but says Takasago on it. The inside of the hub has a marking ZKW, with four webs, and is cracked like is sometimes typical of some front Penton front wheels in the early 70's. It has two depressions on the one side for a front wheel speedo drive that looks like it a Penton/VDO drive. The rim has some rust that could be cleaned up but has three pretty bad flat spots right in a row that I think make it un-useable. I'm just thinking of trying to remove the spokes (it looks like they were of the painted variety) and clean up and repair the hub for a spare. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
  Thanks a lot in advance,
 Dan McEntee

[skiracer]

can you post a photo or two for all of us to see?

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1982 Suzuki PE 175
1976 Penton 175 XC
1979 KTM 175 GS

[Daniel P. McEntee]

I am mentally inept to go through the learning curve on posting pictures! Not near enough time in the last 15 years to learn it as I go, but hopefully will get there in the near future. I can take some and email it to you, if that will help. I'll go grab my little camera. If that thing ever breaks, I don't know what I'll do!
  Drop me a line to dpmcenthusiast at aol dot com and I'll send you a pic or two.
  Thanks a lot,
   Dan

[skiracer]

Dan, email sent....

quote:Originally posted by Daniel P. McEntee

I am mentally inept to go through the learning curve on posting pictures! Not near enough time in the last 15 years to learn it as I go, but hopefully will get there in the near future. I can take some and email it to you, if that will help. I'll go grab my little camera. If that thing ever breaks, I don't know what I'll do!
  Drop me a line to dpmcenthusiast at aol dot com and I'll send you a pic or two.
  Thanks a lot,
   Dan

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1982 Suzuki PE 175
1976 Penton 175 XC
1979 KTM 175 GS

[Daniel P. McEntee]

Sent you several picture. We'll see what you see!
  Thanks,
  Dan McEntee

[Dale Fisher]

Posting forwarded photographs for discussion [?]



The front wheel in question.



The logo cast into the inside of the brake hub.



The speedo drive side.



The brake side. Notice the crack. Typical of some early 70's Penton hubs?



Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - President/Memberships
Mudlark Registry
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
'98 HP-14 Hi-Point
And some silly other bikes...

[brian kirby]

Looks like your standard cracked magnesium Penton hub to me.

Brian

[Richard]

Yep, I've got a couple just like it. I'm scared to run them, has anyone ever seen one completely fail?

[BrianTaylor]

Ive got 1 also ... Whats the fix or what do we do to rectify .... other than trying to track down 1 in good condition ?

Brian Taylor

[Daniel P. McEntee]

Thanks for putting up the pictures Dale, and thanks for the other replies. I have seen a few cracked like this, but none worse. They were all off bikes that had been ridden hard and put away wet. Makes me wonder if anyone has experienced a complete failure. The front wheel on my '73 Harescrambler was cracked, and I was able to weld it almost the complete length. On that wheel and the one in the picture, I see no separation of the steel sleeve from the rest of the casting. The wall thickness mayhave been just a tad thin. Later hubs had some extra webs added I think. I think that for a wheel that is going to be "sport" ridden or just for mostly show, it should be no problem. I don't think I have ever seen it mentioned anywhere of anyone having one completely break. There can't be many "donor' bikes out there with hubs that aren't cracked to find, is there? I think welding is a viable option, and to weld completely, just need a low profile TIG torch, and in my estimation, the hardest part is finding welding rod!
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee

[454MRW]

I wonder if that weakness prompted the use of the conical hub beginning in 1979, to lighten the hub without the drawback of the use and cost of Magnesium, as I think it is aluminum. Probably it was moreso to keep up with the technology race. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
1975 Can Am 175 TNT & 77 250 Black Widow
1979 Husqvarna OR390
1976-78 RM & 77-79 PE Suzuki's
1974 CR250M 07 CR125R 79 CR250R

[Daniel P. McEntee]

I forgot to add about the rim. It's a Japanese brand, Takasago, I think it is. I doubt it's of Austrian origin! Sorta looks like a Ridelli. Probably changed out somewhere along it's life. Chrome on it ain't too bad, would probably clean up. Has three dents in it right in a row on the brake plate side that spoil it. The plan is to take it apart carefully for the spokes and to repair the hub for a spare.
  Type at you later,
  Dan McEntee