Favorite Penton?

[Mike Lenz]

What was your favorite Penton and why? Mine was my brand new 1973 Jackpiner in mx trim. That was the most trick motorcycle I ever laid eyes on! It came with the high seat, the small "new" mx tank, the white shiny plastic fenders, The tank had that yellow fiber inlay glued on the indents of the tank. It looked like a shiny blue, yellow and black stallion, and it ran and handled like one too! I traded Kip an NOS tank with that inlay on it. I sure hope I can see a Jackpiner set up that way some day again!!

[firstturn]

Mike,
  Mine was a Brand New 1973 Berkshire.  Small tank, white fenders and it handles like it was on rails................I am still looking for that bike.  Someone who has what is left of it could have a nice Christmas if I found it.[8D]  Oh yes the custom painted number plates had 8c on them.  Who knows someone might tune in and have it setting in their garage.


Ron Carbaugh

[Dwight Rudder]

I fell in love with the 1972-73Penton Jackpiner 175. Most beautiful bike I ever saw.  I loved all the Pentons. I thought the 1970 Steel Tankers were neat. The sound of the CMF Sachs bikes of 1972-73 were distinctive.  Sort of a trade marque Buzzzz.
Cher'o,
Dwight

Dwight Rudder
7 time ISDT / E medalist
8 time National Enduro Class Champion.

[tmc3c]

Mine would have to been my 1976 Penton 125 and before that my 1971 125 steel tanker. I don't know but that tank just does something to you !! The Green and white was a great color combo.
And I really like my 1976 250 that I own now and my 1970 125 steel tanker even though it is in rough shape now but won't be for long !
Thomas Carmichael

[Larry Perkins]

My favorite would have to be the 1977 250 MC5.  There are several reasons first of which is that it was the last and best MX bike that carried the Penton name.  Realistically it was mostly a child of KTM but what a MXer.  That bike was ahead of its time in 77.  It was a great handler, with mucho power, and was bullet proof.  It was the weapon of choice for many privateer pros in the MX wars.  Another reason it is one of MY favorites is that it was the last bike I raced before real life caught up with me.  I was racing one in late 77 and was just about to get a new 78 KTM when my girlfriend came to me and said, "I'm pregnant".  Life as I knew it and motorcycling were over for a time.  The 77 MC5 is special to me for a couple of other reasons.  When I came to AHRMA and in 2001 raced the National series I won the Historic 250 Championship on a MC5.  The last reason the MC5 is special to me is it is the mount I was on when my all time favorite race picture was taken, "The Sky Shot" which was in Cycle News and is now in Randy Kirkbride's Penton calender.  Yes, for me the 77 MC5 is it!

[Mike Lenz]

Larry, Ditto on the mc-5's. I was racing the Florida winter pro series(Icant remember what they called it)in early 76 on a 75 400. About the second race in the series my Dad shows up with a new bike in the crate. So I tear into it, right in the pits at the track, and its a mc-5, frame number 000013. Well it blew my mind. I nor hardly anyone else had even seen pictures of them yet. Penton had heard I was down there, the only Penton running the series, and wanted to help. They sold the bike to my Dad at their cost from KTM and told him to "get it down there". Pretty cool people huh. The step up from the 75 for mx was HUGE. As you can imagine it drew quite a crowd! Unfortunately with it being a preproduction or very early production model the bugs were not out of it yet. I broke the frame and cracked the engine in the first two races. It still had the older style left engine strut mount. DONT run those engines in mc-5's or you may run into the same problem. Penton was great though and sped me a new engine to a local dealer down there in a matter of days. We had the cases reinforced locally and beafed up the frame where it cracked and although I still had a run of the worst luck ever in my racing life (like TWO flat tires at practly the same time, in the same moto!)I didnt have any more big problems with the bike except for finding rear shocks that would stand up to the extreme leverage raito that rear end had. Remember in very early 1976 there were not alot of shock options out there. The small shaft Marzooks that came on it lasted about two races! Works werent even out yet. I settled on Fox air shocks. But you had to run about 170 lbs in the high side of those shocks on that bike, down there. We had the shocks but not a nitro tank. We had many a night searching for a gas station with 170 lbs of air!! Looking back on it now though it was a very special time, and when later in the year when I saw other mc-5's that had the new strut mount and the frame reinforced where mine broke, it made me feel like that trouble was worth it. I dont know if they had already had the same problems in europe at the time but I do know any problems I was having were getting called into KTM right away and when the majority of mc-5's were released those problems were fixed. Dont get me wrong, Penton was not the only one having problems down there. I saw RM's, Buls and even a Husky broken in half down there that year. Thats why they call it the EVOLUTION class! It was fun to be involved in the development of that bike(now), and it was really cool racing the trickest, one of a kind bike down there that winter. I wish I could find that bike again! Check your frame numbers!!

[Kip Kern]

Mike

One day soon you will see that 175 Jackpiner that you remember.  It will be the same bike that was posted on the back of one of the "Still Keeping Track...."  Doug Wilford is pictured with the machine.  I am currently restoring 12-16 bikes and that one should pop up towards the end of the year!;)

[robbersroost1]

Best looking, not the greatest in the sections, worthless when new, not one even halfway decent comment from magazines, had so many left overs they had to repackage to sell, or give away. This venture must of cost Penton. To this day there has not been a bike like this anywhere. It is the biggest turn around in Penton History one of the most sought after and valuable bikes you will see on this site. The Penton Trials Bike

Terry Laible

[Kip Kern]

Terry,  That is why I call it a "58" Edsel.  They were junk when made but now you can't touch them.  The pinnacle of any Penton collection!;)

[bildough]

The Mettco Penton by far. Nothing compares to its white powdercoated frame. small red MX tank and red side covers. White fenders and that black engine and exhaust. Nothing is that dramatic.

Bill Cappel

[cubfan1968]

I spent the summer of 1971 with my cousins in California. One day they took me out to the desert for my 1st motorcycle experience. My cousin on his 250 Yamaha and me on a mini bike. It was great. I thought his bike was great and it couldn't get no better than this. The next afternoon he informed me he was selling his 250 in order to purchase his friends 125 Penton. My 1st question was "Whats a Penton?". He took me to his friends house to see the bike. I was blown away after watching it perform. I told myself I'm getting one of those someday. Someday came for me Labor Day weekend 2004. So my favorite Pentons would have to be my cousins 1969 and my 1972 6 Day.

Rod Whitman

[Mike Lenz]

Wow, it took awhile to get one! But congrats!!

[Mick Milakovic]

My favorite Penton?  The 1975 hare scrambler I have now!  It's the only one I've ever had.  My brother bought it one year old from Buck Whalsworth in Valparaiso, Indiana.  His son Rick raced it one year in motocross and then my brother raced it two years in enduroes and parked it in our mother's basement for 26 years.  Hopefully I'll have it ready for Gainesville in two weeks (yikes!)

[Mike Lenz]

I wonder if it was Rick Walsworth's bike he raced the year before. If so you have a bike with some history and pro mx races under its belt...and a bike Rick may pay a decient amount to have back.

[Chakka]

75' Jackpiner in full enduro trim followed closely by my 76' 125 GS, then the 73' Berkshire or Six day with the small headlight. What a great looking bike!

Chris