70 steeltanker and baby steps

lksseven · February 11, 2007, 09:34:15 PM

Lew Mayer · February 12, 2007, 04:59:58 PM

Like the heading says,"Baby steps". It'll be great when you're finished. Keep up the good work.

Lew Mayer

Bob Gilman · February 13, 2007, 08:22:40 AM

Larry,I have been working on a 125 and a 250 since 1999,I turn 70 this year so its not looking good.Your not doing so bad. Bob

lksseven · February 13, 2007, 12:42:40 PM

Thanks for the encouraging words, Bob!

PS - race you!

Larry Seale
I choose to ride

Paul Danik · February 13, 2007, 04:35:07 PM

Larry,

The Steel Tanker is looking good. What are you going to do with the bike when you are done, obviously it could be a show bike, but are you going to ride it? What was the hardest part to do so far?

I get emails from guys who either hope to find a bike to restore or are thinking of restoring a machine, lots of times it is their Dad's old Penton that they wish to restore. Got any advise for them?

I will never forget going to Penton dealer school and seeing for the very first time, a Steel Tank Penton with that massive, beautiful alloy topend. That to me is the most beautiful Penton ever built, I do also like the Berkshire Red, but that alloy cylinder and head are still as pretty today as way back in the day.

Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Paul

slvrbrdfxr · February 13, 2007, 05:42:55 PM

Hi all,
I stopped and visited with Larry a couple times in the last few weeks and had an opportunity so see his bike. He's doing a great job on the restoration !! He's making steady progress and it's going to look fantastic when it's all done !! Keep up the good work Larry !!
Dave McCullough

lksseven · February 14, 2007, 01:14:42 AM

Thanks, Dave (I'm getting lots of good advice from Dave and Ron ... they're pretty much co-authoring my book, as it were).

Paul,

I'm going to do several things with it when I'm finished - 1) ride it as a pit bike and soak in the oohs and ahhs from people having flashbacks, and 2) park it in my dad's office part of the time, where it can be enjoyed by me and people who walk in our offices and do a double take (I've got a '74 125 parked in my office), and 3) park it some of the time in the entryhall of my house. My wife says that's not gonna happen, but I've already told people that I'm going to do it, so now I have to do it, and the heck with the consequences (I'm sure I'll have to make horrendous concessions to persuade her to accomodate me, but you guys will never know about that! [8D] )

What was the hardest thing to do so far? Well, on the '74 bike it was lacing the hubs to the wheel rims (the spoke thread were sooooo tight from the cadmium coating), but this time that was a breeze because I left the nipples on the spokes when I had them coated, so the threading was easy. Actually, getting the front forks slid all the way into the triple clamps and the top clamp on the top of the steering head. I think the triple clamps were just a fraction out of of perfect alignment, and I sweated bullets and lost fellowship for several hours before finally getting them all the way in (having everything freshly painted makes it so difficult because you have to be so careful[B)]
Without the help of people on POG, though, it would be impossible to make any progress at all. So much knowledge here, and so much desire to share it. POG makes it possible for anyone to bring one of these wonderful bikes back to life.

Advice? Be very patient, and just compartmentalize each little step and focus on just that. My workshop is a room in the back of my warehouse, and some days I can't make it back there, and other days I can only spare 10 or 15 minutes, which makes me feel antzy. But I always do 'something' everytime I go in there (steelwool something for a minute, spray some degreaser on something ...). That way I can feel I'm making progress all the time. But, lordie, every little tihng is difficult. Almost nothing just falls into place without a struggle. But of course, that's what makes it soooo satisfying on the backend when you get things worked out and get a part of it 'just right'.

I couldn't agree more - the Steeltank is the most beautiful motorcycle I've ever seen. It's just so lean and symmetrical and athletic and ... I don't know, Noble, maybe. It looks noble. It reminds me of a boxer dog - beautiful, but so capable too. Speaking of Berkshire Red, here is another pic ... http://www.wordcom.com/penton/70steel/TankOn02132007.jpg

The POG is, truly, the nicest group of people I've ever been around. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the kindness and generosity of Ron Carbaugh and Dave McCullough to help guide me from the start. My recollection over the last 35 years has been that the people with whom my dad and I rode Pentons back in the early '70s were the nicest group of people you could ever know, and you all have confirmed for me that my memory about that is accurate. Thank you all.

Larry Seale
I choose to ride

MattyQ · February 14, 2007, 10:24:33 AM

Quotequote:Originally posted by Bob Gilman

Larry,I have been working on a 125 and a 250 since 1999,I turn 70 this year so its not looking good.Your not doing so bad. Bob

Matthew Quinlan

MattyQ · February 14, 2007, 10:29:42 AM

Bob ,

If your ever considering selling the 125 , please let me know. As a new soon to be POG member (next week) , i am hungry for one bad! I hope you finish it soon for yourself though .

Q

Matthew Quinlan

MattyQ · February 14, 2007, 10:37:36 AM

Larry ,

Slow but fine looking. To get the frame and engine looking like that , is it an expensive or more so a time consuming process ? just starting to look for a restore six day . Also , can anyone help me answer to my wife, why I am looking for a motorcycle restore , when we just got a $7000. 00 qoute for a replace on our downstairs HVAC unit! Has the medical community categorized this vintage restore disease yet ?

Matthew Quinlan

Paul Danik · February 15, 2007, 08:48:18 AM

Larry,

It sounds like you have a good plan, please post more pictures as your project moves along. Thanks also for the tips that you have passed along.

Hopefully we will get to see your Tanker at VMD or else the reunion ride when it is completed.

Paul

lksseven · February 17, 2007, 11:31:30 PM

Paul,

I'm planning on coming to VMD (I plan to be finished with my Steeltanker by then; and subject to 'bright ideas' for summer travel as dreamed up by my wife and daughter. Failing that, I will be at the Reunion ride in the Fall, and would definitely bring it.

MattyQ,

Doug W. rebuilt the engine for me (I had part of it with the roller). It wasn't cheap, but it's beautiful and solid. The frame has not been expensive ($75 for bead blasting, and then I painted it. I did have a spliced in section behind the right footpeg that was horribly welded, and so I had to spend some money to have a 12" piece of the frame cut out and replaced with stainless steel tubing that had been bent to correct angle. It turned out great.

Biggest expenses will be the engine (only because I had to start from scratch with it - on my '74 6day the engine didn't cost me any money, just some time), the PVL ignition, and the wheels (chroming is expensive) ... but really, that's the way it should be - I mean, at a basic level a motorcycle is an engine and two wheels, right?

Larry Seale
I choose to ride

PNWbinder · February 21, 2007, 11:19:00 PM

Very nice job Larry. I just started the tear down of my dad's 73 six day. The quality of your project is what I'm striving for. How did you get the motor to look so nice, steel wool? And what made you plate the spokes in cadmium? Forgive my ignorance but I was just going to replace the spokes (if possible) and re-chrome the wheels. I work at a plating shop so chrome is no problem but we don't do cadmium therefore I don't know anything about it. I could zinc plate the spokes easily enough in a barrel plater but chrome would be a different thing for spokes. Enlighten me please.

Mark Seelbinder
Brush Prairie, Washington

wade195 · February 21, 2007, 11:30:13 PM

Realy nice job Larry. I can only hope my 74 turns out half as nice. Good job

Doug Wade
Lavergne Tn

MattyQ · February 24, 2007, 03:25:39 PM

Larry ,

Thanks for the info on the restore , hope mine turns out like yours!

Q

Matthew Quinlan

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70 steeltanker and baby steps