Penton MX History 101

[Admin]

This month we will have on going questions about the homepage photo and its rider.  Please have some fun and join in if you think you can add any questions pertaining to the subject.  Thanks to Ron Carbaugh for providing the photo and the questions.  

This Penton is unrestored and generally in the condition that it came off the track.  So let's get started!

http://www.pentonusa.org/index.html

1.  What year and size and any added accessories?
2.  Who was the rider of this Penton?
3.  It won some important races.  What races?  (This is a very difficult question.)
4.  What magazine article does this bike appear in? Magazine? Date?

[Larry Perkins]

If this is the bike I think it is it belonged to Steve Wise, was a 125 maybe 1973, had a pipe, was ported to the moon, was once protested to see the ports by Bill Kasson at Lockhart motocross track, was in Texas Motocross Magazine, and won most any race Steve rode it in.  Those are my guesses.

[rob w]

Is it in a magazine article because of it's (their) race results... modifications...or was it a test bike ?

Is there a particular personal significance to the meaning of the "W", such as someones initial, or no ?

Is the cylinder and head black, I can't tell from the picture

Oh! this just came to me, does the "W" stand for Wilford ?

Thanks Ron!

[rob w]

Too late, never mind, sounds like Larry's got it pegged, I did'nt know he went back that far, he does'nt look that old.

[Rocket]

I would say the bike is a 72 by the aluminum fenders and the motor braces.  Can't see the kickstand well enough to see if is on the side of the swingarm or underneath.
Rocket

[firstturn]

I will try to make this fun and hopefully bring back some old memories and names of some riders that gave a lot to the sport of Motorcycle Racing.  
questions:
1.  The Penton is a 125 Six Day 1972 model with the added motor mounts which did not come standard.  These motor mounts were a real frame saver - trust me on this one!  Good job Rocket.

2.  The rider and owner was Steve Wise.  For those of you too young to remember Steve, I will be throwing out some questions and comments so stay tuned.  It's not over YET!  Good job Larry, I hope it was great for you to do see this old warrior in it's original unrestored condition.  This is the protested bike as far as my memory serves me.  Lockhart was a real exciting track that helped develope several national champions including you.

3.  The bike did win many races.  I never saw it beat.  But there are one or two races that stand out.

4.  The bike is in several pictures in Texas MX, but it does show up in a National Magazine (I know Larry the Texas MX is a national publication to you and me).  There will be no doubt of the bike when you see it.  Rob W - It was in a test article.

Rob W - the cylinder just appears black.

 


Ron Carbaugh

[firstturn]

Since the rider has been guessed we will move on to Phase 2.  Remember we are now talking about Steve Wise and how he moved on from Penton to the National Circut.

5.  What was the year and location of his first National win and most importantly who did he stop from making a clean sweep of what class?

Ron Carbaugh

[Larry Perkins]

Ron

Thanks for the test and the pic.  The bike brings back many memories.  By the way the bike looks different seen from the side.  It looked different coming up from behind me and seeing it whiz by while being lapped.  Did Steve also for a while run a blue tank on this bike or was that another one?

[Larry Perkins]

Oh yeah, Rob I will be 50 later this year so I am old enough to have been getting regular whippings on Central Texas MX tracks back then.

[firstturn]

Larry,
  I don't remember the blue tank, but I will ask Steve or his old Mechanic - John - and see if either remember.  Now he did have 250 (blue) Bultacos in his pit at the same time I remember, or may be that was much later.

Ron Carbaugh

[cardojr]

had to root through the stack of oldies for that one!--for a while, I thought it might belong to "WAN"
rob

[tmc3c]

Ron, I am not sure of the location but could it have been Marty Smith on a Honda ?

Thomas Carmichael

[firstturn]

Question #5
Thomas you are correct.  It was Steve Wise that put a stop to the domance of Marty Smith in the 125 class by winning a  125 National July 4, 1976 in Maryland.  This also will go down in history as the first privateer to win a 125 National in the USA at 16 years old.  He landed a contract with Kawasaki in 1976, but the company pulled out of the 125 class during mid season.  In 1977 he raced for the powerful Moto-X Fox team of Pat Richer.  He was top Privateer in the 125 class that year.  In 1978 he moved to every rider dream - Team Honda.
 
Question #6.   What event did Steve Wise win that was Nationally Televised in 1980?  Who was some of the people he had to defeat for this prestigues acomplishment (think big as in world contenders -champions - of all forms of motorcycle racing).

  This was a huge WIN that actually in my opinion, started some of the people in other forms of motorcycle racing to take note of Moto X as a true form of racing and not just something else to do on a bike.  Get out those books.
  Hint: It was televised on ABC.

  Keep an eye out Steve may actually tune in and answer some questions or more importantly correct me on some of my statements.




Ron Carbaugh

[rob w]

Keysers Ridge, MD. July 4, 1976

The bicentennial AMA 125cc National Championship Motocross at Appalachian Highlands Park saw Texan Steve Wise hold off Honda teammate Marty Smith on the last lap of the final moto to snare the overall win with his Jimmy Strait tuned and Flying Machine Factory modified Elsinore.

Moto one: Wise sets the precedent
It was late afternoon when the first National moto knocked down the starting gate, and Steve Wise pulled out his first of two holeshots as Broc Glover, Don Kudalski, Bob Hannah, Ron Turner, Warren Reid, Marty Smith and Billy Grossi gave chase.
 With Hannah out of the way (crankshaft), Smith closed in on Wise to pass the Team Honda supported rider just two laps before the finish.
 Smith, the two-time 125cc National Champion was surprised to win his first moto in this year's series.
 Wise remarked "I wanted to win that moto, but Marty's just too hard to beat"

Moto two: Tied on points
Obviously Steve did'nt take his own words too seriously as he again took the second holeshot and began immediately to pull out a sizeable lead on Ron Tuner, Kudalski, Glover, Hannah, Grossi, Jennings, Smith, LaPorte, Kessler and Dan Turner.
 As the moto neared it's end, Wise got the signal from mechanic Jim Strait that Marty was closing on him, but this time Steve found he had the strength left to keep his lead of about 50 yards.

 Steve Wise's second moto win tied him on points with Honda teammate Marty Smith, but gave Steve the overall win and made a lot of folks happy. Honda finally picked up a 125cc National. Steve's dad owns a Honda shop in McAllen, Texas, which should give them a good reason to hold a corn-o-cross and beer bust. And Donny Elmer of Flying Machine Factory finally picked up some good advertising for all the hard work and expense he's put into the production Elsinores used by the Team Honda riders.

[rob w]

#6

 It all began on Dec. 1, 1979 at Carlsbad Raceway, the brainchild of promoter Gavin Trippe who wanted to bring together the worlds top motorcycle racers for an all-star race to be televised on ABC's "Wide World of Sports".

 Trippe designed a course that had elements of every form of motorcycle racing, motocross, road racing, flat tracking, TT racing, and speedway.

 Kent Howerton won the first "Super Bikers" ....Steve Wise won the next two, followed by Danny Chandler and Eddie Lawson.

 I can't say who Steve Wise beat the years he won, I would guess it to be guys like Wes Cooley, Sprinsteen, Randy Goss, Steve Eklund, Mike Bell, Gary Semics. I don't really know, that was my blacked-out period in motorcycling , but it's fun to try to think of those guys again.

Thanks, Ron