Penton 80cc

[Mick Milakovic]

Hi Again, my last post made me think about something from the past.....didn't Mr. Penton build an 80cc prototype?  If so, does anybody know how many were made, or what frame size it was?  If I could only get my son on one of those! [] Are there any pictures available?

[firstturn]

Mick,
  Check out the pictures on the home page taken at Davenport Iowa show.  Or click on here;

http://gallery.pentonusa.org/gallery/album02/DSC06870

Ron Carbaugh

[EdY]

I think the little Penton was 50cc, not 80cc.  John once told me that only two were built.  One is in his posession.  He said the other is in Austria.

Ed Youngblood

[Mick Milakovic]

Ron, thanks for the picture, it's a beautiful bike, as I expected.

Ed, thanks for the information, I knew something was out there.

I've begun to think a lot about a project.  I'm looking for a vintage, long-travel 80 for my son, who has grown up through the ranks of minis:  JR50, Husky 50, KTM50, and now an RM65.  I'd like to get him into vintage racing, but he wants to jump (imagine that).  Options include the early 80's Jap bikes, but I want twin shocks and no water cooling.  The compromise is the long travel bike I mentioned in another post, but I've begun to think:  If Mr. Penton would have continued building Pentons into the 80's, and if he would have built an 80cc mini, what would it have looked like?  Did KTM build an 80 for the dirt?  Ho about Sachs?  Come on guys, let's here some of your ideas because this thing just might see completion! []

[Larry Perkins]

Somewhere between 83 and 85 KTM built their first 80 MXer.  Cool little bike but it was a bit small and was down on power to the Japs.  I see them ever now and then on ebay.

Larry P

[OUCWBOY]

Mick and Larry,
I think it was in 1981 when they made the 80cc and I also think it was a liquid cooled engine. I have a couple of photos of one.
Mick, shoot me an email and I will send you the two photos I have.


Donny Smith
Paragould, AR

[Mick Milakovic]

Thanks Donny, you've got mail!

[Gary Roach]

Ed,

I've also heard that there were only two bikes built. The 50cc Penton "Junior Crosser" that John Penton still has was built on a Steel Tanker frame, and the other one was built on a CMF frame. I've seen numerous photos of KTM's with 50cc Sachs motors in them, but I believe that only two bore the Penton name.

Gary

Here's the CMF framed bike:

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/10/197350gsmotocatalogo2ng.jpg

   

[bentrims]

Larry Perkins,
Please shoot me an e-mail - [email protected]
Thank you,
Tom Benolkin

[Mick Milakovic]

Gary or Ed, do you know if there were more than two frames with those dimension?  Were they full-size frames, or were they scaled down?  That would give me a starting point.  I've also got several bare Hodaka frames that could be cut to try and duplicate the dimensions.

[Dwight Rudder]

They were full size bikes. Not Mini bikes.
Dwight

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

[Dwight Rudder]

Your best choice would be a Hodaka 80 Dirt Squirt ( RARE ) or a Honda SL70, XR75, or XR80.  The SL70 is very desirable and can be in the Classic Class. The XR75 is a Sportsman Class bike or a 200 Historic Class. Depending on year model. The XR80 is in the GP class although the same frame as the 1976-77 XR75. I actually rode a XR75 in several enduros when I was between bikes or my bike was under repair. I had put a 18" wheel on front ( stock is 16" ) , 17" wheel would be a good improvement. and longer rear shocks to balance the bike. It would do 60mph. Ask Ron Carbough about seeing me on one in about 1978.
Dwight

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

[TGTech]

I have some pictures of some of the KTM 50/80's. They are all prototypes and were never produced, but they're pretty neat. Here's where you'll find them.

http://s127.photobucket.com/albums/p155/TGTech/

The one I titled Penton 50,  was the CMF version of the 50. It (or at least one that was like this one) was over here for a while, but then went back for some reason.

Dane

[Mick Milakovic]

Dane, thanks for the pictures.  The CMF "maybe a 50" is more like I'm thinking.  The swingarm is the multi-position, which would allow for long travel.  The only problem I see is that the frame is full-size, which would add weight and slow the bike down.  That may be the reason Larry said the '84 model was slower than the Japanese bikes of the day:  it was a full sized frame and just too heavy.  I don't think I could bring myself to cutting a full size Penton frame for this project.  Maybe I could mate this swingarm with one of the Hodaka frames I have, come up with some early 80's Japanese long-travel forks, and find an appropriate 80cc engine. I'm still considering this project, so if anybody has ideas or other information that would relate then please say so!