1967 Penton?

[flattracker23]

On the home page it said that Pentons were made from 1967 to 1977 but on the Production Year Guide it starts with 1968. Did they make any 1967 models?


Spencer Gaydon
Lubbock, TX

[Paul Danik]

Spencer,
   I believe that the proto-model Penton arrived in the states sometime in December of 1967,  The first 10 serial production machines were shipped over by air and arrived in the first week of March of 68. The first 10 machines had several distinctive features, here are a couple, the exhaust was chromed and there were no fork stops as they were equipped with steering dampeners that somehow provided that function.
Paul

[wolfmanonapenton]

Paul did any of your early bikes you had like 68-69-70s models were there any little changes you did in appearance,like rear tires,shop class aluminum componets,like # plate side brakets or anything,I bought a few (3) steeltankers about 15yrs ago north of Pittsburg,the guy told me he thought one of the bikes belonged to a fast kidd back then that you rode with im sure from Mckeesport who rode out of Bohns,he said the other was thought to have been riden by another fellow who rode tran ama at Honda Hills in 70,he said both of the bikes were ridden there that year?Wonder who the riders were ?Harry Jefferies at Dirty harrys thought the one looked like Rossos old bike and said other one could have been one of you're old ones?When I showwed them to him 12yrs ago,while buying a new Ktm I was picking up?They both have Barum cz tires on the rear and one has uniqe aircleaner that looks to be made of fiberglass?Do these sound like any bikes you might have had in earlyer days?Bob:)Let me know?

[Paul Danik]

Bob,
    It is funny that you mention shop class aluminum components.  I once took an aluminum stop sign to shop class, at Mars High School:D, and cut out front fenders from it, the teacher just gave me one of his looks and walked the other way!  I did make aluminum guards that mounted to the top engine mount bolt hole behind the cylinder on the top of the cases.  The guards were made from thin aluminum and they went up in front of and slightly around the carb to divert splashing water away from the Husky style aircleaner and the carb. I didn't do anything with fiberglass that I recall.
    Mike Rosso is from McKeesport and he did ride out of Bohns shop so that one machine could certainly be his old ride.
    I rode the Trans AMA at Honds Hills on a Steel Tanker.  They had the International guys and then they had a 125 support class.  I still have all of my stuff from that event, we had 53 riders and a gum band start, Jack Penton won the overall that day and I ended up second.  I still can picture Jack getting the victor's wreath placed around his neck.
   The original Penton dealer in our area was Fran Kupec who had a Triumph dealership in Butler, the Triumph rep was Jack Mercer and he was the one who convinved Fran to get the dealership.  Fran sold it to J & D Engineering in Valencia, then it went to Dirty Harry, then to Larry Hopper north of Butler and now Northgate Honda has it. Melvin Bohn also had a Penton dealership in the south hills of Pittsburgh during most of those years.
Paul

 

[wolfmanonapenton]

Paul did you ever make any front fenders out of aluminum,with a v shape down the middle?Or billet looking pegs with hacksaw blade slit impresions for grip?Put blue plastic caps over you threaded Vdo drive that went into front backing plate?Ran Borrianni Rims on rear and raddeli on the front, rear ridged like akronts and front shoulderless design Radelli? other machine has shoulderless Mz type polished did type but are Mz? Still have six-day metzelers on the fronts?The rear tail sections are strait and unmangeld and intact but someone was also smart and put little polished aluminum bars from rear # plate bolt holes to brace the tailsection hidden behind the # plates?Still have original controls except someone liked Triumph,Yamaha,Italian channeled grips like on a moto beta 125 with black grips and white trim around edges of the grips?Aluminum# instead of steel all three?Fat Magura crome bars with crossbars,theres some kind of aluminum brackets at rear of motor to frame that look to be thin aluminum but thought to have been for holding up back of aircleaner,fiberglass homade factory looking for somthing looks like a honey colored peanut jar on back of 26mm carb,might be Jawa/cz,the guy I got these from friend who rode czs,also got a 400 falta and three sidepipers and a twin piper,and the guy had two chrome tanked 1962-64 Jawa ISDTS with the chrome downpipes and red inlays on chrome tanks for emblems,still had the leather tank boxes toolbags,I got with them.both twins,two strokes? something about a Jacks cycle or Cz Dealer? the older one say there from Chuck Bauer cycle,Got a newwer 250 from same shop and titled,:) somwhere in Jamestown,NY?

[Paul Danik]

Bob    
     I think that machine was someone elses.  I was never much of an innovater, just kept them running and rode all I could.

    That dealer in Jamestown, New York was probably Chuck Boehler. I have a couple of friends in northern PA who used to frequent his shop,they say you usually were fed while you were at the shop by Chuck's wife, try that today! I have a really nice 74 1/2 250 enduro from his shop via my friends in northern PA, not sure if it has a title, need to look.

[wolfmanonapenton]

Paul, Those Vins are(1)v442 or 3,had aglob of grease on it?(2)1122,small seat too!(3)2200something buried could'nt get to it?Buried?in Rubble,shame on me!but it has banana seat says Ktm on back?I have more steeltankers too? I picked them up in Uniontown,Pa at a motorcycle salvage yard years ago?I once picked up a few Monarks down by New Martinsville,Wv,told that they also belonged to a hotshoe from down that way?2 gs challengers with up-pipes and one MXer,but pipe looks to be from a steeltanker,one of those hi-point downpipes?for MX?