1976 penton 250 flatracker

[wildman]

I bought the John Penton book from Ed Youngblood at Daytona and after reading it was surprised to find the existence of Penton flatrackers. Does anyone have one or know where pictures are at? A whole new page in the Penton story, Neat! Thanks, wildman

1975 250GS in Mich.

[Paul Danik]

Wildman,
   Click on photo gallery on the POG homepage, then click on 2004 3rd Annual Day at AMA, on the 3rd page of photos the bike with # 45 on the side of it is a Penton Kenny Roberts flat tracker. I believe it belongs to Kirk Sessions and it looks even better in person!!!
Paul

[OhioTed]

Wildman,  I recall seeing some magazine articles on the Penton/KTM flattrackers.  If you are interested, send me you name & address in an e-mail & I'll dig through my archives, copy the photos and text and mail 'em to you.

[Gavin Housh]

Wildman, Our own Alan Buehner has a 250cc flat tracker that he brings to vintage weekends and such. I'm sure he would have it at Mid Ohio if you can make it to that AMA event. Gavin.

[wildman]

Thanks for the reply's. It is a very good picture in the archives, I would love to see any reprints on this bike, and I plan on hitting Mid-Ohio this summer.If Al B. could bring his bike that would be awesome. Of course, a bike like that should be ridden (I volunteer!) at the vintage races. Thanks again, wildman

1975 250GS in Mich.

[OhioTed]

I'll get those articles out to you, buddy.  VMD is cool for so many reasons.  For example, while standing in line to ride the new Triumphs at last years event, two prime Astros go riding by.  I had never even SEEN an Astro before.  So cool.

[firstturn]

Ted,
  I own a Kenny Roberts Penton Flat Tracker and would appreciate a copy of the articles.
[email protected]

Thanks,

Ron Carbaugh

[tomale]

I did not know that there was such a thing as a Kenny Roberts flattracker. I had seen the picture and thought that it was just something that someone had made up. Back in the early 70's that use to happen alot. My brother took a pursang and changed into a flattracker but it was never really fast enough. He bought a new astro and all of a sudden he was in the winner circle. I can see how the Penton would have been a very fast flattracker. The first race bike I ever saw was a Bonniville 650 set up for the TT races at Ascot. As a kid I thought it would be cool to race and we often raced out stingrays on a street or dirt course. We would race for hours at a time. The first race I ever saw was a half mile race at San Jose fair grounds. Boy was that a rush. Too fast for me though.

Thom Green,I own and ride a 76 250 MC5 MX which I bought new.

[LynnCamp]

My husband, Jim's brother (Johnny Camp) was Arizona Flat Track champion.  His old bikes (Triumphs) are sitting under a tree on his ranch in Colorado.  He put them there when his protege was killed on the track.

The good news is that Jim went home after the Penton Annual Meeting and told him about all these cool old bikes and bike collectors and it looks like Johnny is going to bring his bikes into his workshop and look at restoration.  See how all of this good stuff flows uphill!!!!

[OhioTed]

You got it, Ron.  Look for them via e-mail this weekend, as a have to go over to a buddy's who has a scanner.  I am happy to be able to share my "library" with you folks.  It has been a great source of reference material for me over the years.  All started because I am too cheap to ever throw anything away.  

quote:Originally posted by firstturn

Ted,
  I own a Kenny Roberts Penton Flat Tracker and would appreciate a copy of the articles.
[email protected]

Thanks,

Ron Carbaugh

[OhioTed]

Ron,  Speaking of KR flattrackers, I was getting on the freeway in Canton, Ohio one day a couple of years ago and pulled up behind a guy who is riding a Yamaha XS650 streettracker that he has done up to look exactly like the factory bikes that KR SR rode to the AMA titles back in '73 & '74.  Not only that, but he is wearing a custom painted helmet, just like KR's that were black, yellow, and white, with the eagles on the sides.  Finally, he had a leather jacket on, identical to KR's, with #1 on the back, and ROBERTS across the shoulders.  No kidding.  This guy was obviously really into it.  However, although this occured only a couple of blocks from my shop, I have never seen the guy or the bike again since.

[Paul Danik]

Ted,
   John Penton used to ride his bike to an enduro, ride the event,then ride the same bike home.  Maybe Kenny Roberts was on his way to Columbus or Hagerstown!!
Paul

[OhioTed]

Paul,  Cool story about John using the same bike both for transportation to events, as well as for the competition itself.  One of the first times I met CRA veteran Herb "Papa" L., he had traveled to a hare scramble, towing his trailer-mounted KTM 250, with his turbo BMW sidecar rig.  Also, years ago we went to spectate the Nelson Ledges 24 road race and I was surprised to see a pickup and van in the pits, emblazoned with Penton stickers.  However, I was more amazed to see a Penton out on the track, competing.  I brought this up to Jack while at VMD, the year Pentons were the featured marque.  However, I cannot recall now what he told me about who made up the roadracing team.  Do you know?