Building an AHRMA Cross Country Penton Six Day

[johnbowman]

tooclose,

Will the 35mm Ceriani front ends from other Pentons bolt on to a 72 Six day without modification? I have a 35mm front end from a 75 hare scrambler. Would that work?

John  

quote:Originally posted by tooclose racing

Just to follow up on the suspension discussion, I used the 35mm Cerianis from the 73 thru 75 Pentons on my 1972-based build (the 72's used a 32 mm Ceriani). But they can be hard to find (Larry P - I thought you were trying to sell a set of these for awhile). I've used WER suspension (Drew Smith, former ISDE racer) to source fork springs if/when needed on my other bikes, but my stock springs were in good condition.

If you can find a used set of "newer generation" works performance (13.5 inches) shocks, they are the way to go.  Rebuildable (again, I've used WER) and my understanding is that there are parts available, even though "Worx" (their new renamed company) is not making shocks anymore last I heard.  I don't have experience with Ikon or Hagon, but Hagon's high-end build shock is still pretty affordable vs. Ohlin, Noleen, or Race Tech.  Maybe someone here at POG has ordered a set of those.  

I'll confess my first set of shocks on my Six Day were the Red Wings, not sure if they are still available. They were rebuildable too.  Finally, some folks use Progressives, but my understanding is that they are not rebuildable.

HAH - just saw your "wanted" shocks post over in the For Sale board.  You're way ahead of me.  ; - )

[tooclose racing]

John - I had someone else "build" my '72 CMF bike with the later 35s and triples, and I didn't think there were any issues, but maybe Gary Ellis can offer his two cents on this one.  I'll text him if he doesn't reply.

[johnbowman]

Bob,

I got with Larry Perkins. He had a later 35mm front end that he is selling me. He thinks that it should be a bolt on process. I would love to hear what Gary has to say. He's been a great wealth of knowledge. I really appreciate having people help me to not make dumb mistakes or try to reinvent the wheel. I'm good at both of those.

Buying the front end from Larry allows me to not cannibalize the Hare Scrambler. I just got off the phone with a friend that has wanted to build a Penton HS for years. He wants to do the HS project for me. I'm betting he'll end up in the group in no time.

John

quote:Originally posted by tooclose racing

John - I had someone else "build" my '72 CMF bike with the later 35s and triples, and I didn't think there were any issues, but maybe Gary Ellis can offer his two cents on this one.  I'll text him if he doesn't reply.

[tooclose racing]

I pinged Gary, haven't heard back, but Larry has been hanging around Pentons for a long time - great to hear he still had his 35's. If they need to be rebuilt, Al has the seals.

[G Ellis]

Yes the 35mm will bolt right up...

[johnbowman]

Build Update - 1/6/20

Engine - I dropped my 6A engine off to get it completely rebuilt. All bearings and seals in the engine and transmission. New piston, rings, and rod kit. HPI ignition. Case protector. It should be finished this week.

Frame - I completely stripped the frame and used Rust-Oleum rusty metal primer and Metallic Matte Nickel 7277830. The paint is very easy to use. It dries very quickly. I like the color. I decided to go with paint over powder coating because I know that I'll be doing some touch-up work after getting some trail love.

Swingarm bushings - Unfortunately, the rubber was cracked and brittle. I tried everything to get them out. We heated the swingarm with a torch a few times. They were completely rusted in place. In the end, I used the trick listed here years ago. I used a torch to burn out the rubber bushings and remove the inner metal sleeve. Then I used a hacksaw to cut a line through the outer sleeve. It is very easy to go through the steel sleeve and into the CMF! You have to be careful. After the sleeves were cut, I used a chisel to lift them away from the swingarm. I used a 3/4 inch socket and extension to push the sleeves out once they were loosened up. The new bushings went in easily with a little grease and pressure from a vise.

Tires - I ordered tires and heavy duty tubes last night. I'm going to run the Pirelli MT16 80/100-21 front and Duro HF335 4.10-18 rear. I can't tell you how many hours I spent reading the tire threads (friendly discussions). In the end, I figure that I can try this set-up and change if I need to later.

Wheels - My rims are so badly beaten up. They have severe flat spots. Imagine more square than round. I am going get rims and spokes from Buchanans. I have a friend that is a really good wheelsmith. I just hope that I can get them done before the first event. Luckily, I have another "almost round" rusty set of wheels just in case.

Suspension - I have my Worx (new Works Performance) shocks in. They look really good. I'm waiting on the later 35mm front end that I bought from Larry. I can't wait to get the frame back together.

So, after driving to North Carolina to get the bike, ordering a small fortune of parts from Al, Gary, and Larry, and discovering time after time what I don't know about Pentons, I'm getting really close to having a running, race ready bike.

Thanks for all of the advice and help. It takes a village to save a Penton!

[tooclose racing]

Penton race bikes = $$  [8D]

I'll mention controls, which I've maintained the same across 4 racing Pentons.  I've always used Renthal Mini-High bars, modern (but cheap!) clutch/brake/throttle perches, and the Ascerbis Rally (full plastic) guards.  I've had my Ascerbis for almost a decade, may finally need to replace one pair due to cracking/tree love sessions.

[johnbowman]

Just a quick update. I actually have some time now that the coronavirus has shut down the whole world.

I finished my 1972 Penton Six Day 125 in time for the first AHRMA cross country race of the year. Thanks to all of the help from this group. There is no way that it would have happened without several of you.

There were about 10 Pentons present at the White Lightning XC Race in Buffalo, SC! I know at least six of them raced. Clint (holeshothawk3) and James (skiracer) were there and represented Penton very well.

I held my own with the rookies. On Saturday, I came in first of 11 novices. On Sunday, I came in first of 10 novices. After riding a Honda XR200R last year in my first couple of rookie outings, I have a special appreciation for how well the Penton performed. I take a certain amount of pride in beating the newer and larger bikes (Hondas, Huskies, Yamahas, and Suzukis) with the nearly 50 year old little Penton.

Everything worked pretty well. The pegs from Gary Ellis were awesome! I had some problems starting the second day. I think that my clutch plates were hanging on the basket. The kickstart wouldn't catch. If I worked the clutch a little and rocked the bike back and forth a little, it would work fine. The rear suspension from Worx was excellent. The 35mm ribbed Cerianis need a little help up front. I ordered gold valves and springs from Racetech. I'm having a friend rebuild the (not-so-round-anymore original) wheels. I'm trying to take advantage of the postponed races to get the bike in shape for the next race.

I want to thank a few people in particular for their help: Al Buehner (parts/advice), Gary Ellis (parts/advice), Larry Perkins (parts/advice), Mike Winter (transportation/advice), Eddie Wilbanks (welding), and Fletcher Lambert (engine build). Of course, there are a lot more great people that helped. Especially, the POG forum. There is no way that I could have gotten this bike going without all the wisdom written down on these pages. It saved me a lot of time and avoided reinventing the wheel.

I hope to see all of you at a race some day. I'll be happy if I can learn to ride the bike to half of its potential. While at the race, one of the riders made a comment that really resonated with me. He said that this race was now in the history books. I have to admit that I'm proud to have my name listed in history as having raced a Penton (even in such a small way at a small race).

Best wishes to everyone!

John

[holeshothawk3]

It was nice meeting you there John! I have a few things to sort on mine as well and hopefully I can put the little Six Day in the top 5 overall when we finally get back to racing. I was glad to see a few more Pentons out and about.