Anyone Know what this is?

[Paul Danik]

Gary,

   I think I am catching on.  It might be best to show the actual item to those who may remember it, sometimes a picture isn't enough.  You let me know how you wish to do this and we will work it out.

Thanks
Paul

[kevin1971]

There were many homemade tailights made by riders and dealers.  I used a sheet of 3/16" rubber and 2 small marker lights. One for tailight and one for brake.  Why is this topic so interesting? Kevin

[454MRW]

I may have dreamt this, but I vaguely remember one story that was told about a racer during an early event having to procure a lost tailight from someones old truck or farm machinery in the middle of a race to avoid being penalized, so anything is possible. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S

[rd400pi]

It might just be me but, I am reminded of the old man behind the curtain from the Wizard of Oz.  The "old man down the road" won't let you peek behind the curtain at his barn full of Pentons.  Here kid, what's this?  Why the mystery?  
Cuh Cuh Cuh Courage! [}:)]

  Mike H.

[roost_racer_27]

Why this is such a mystrey and y its so interesting is because it seams like only a hand full of people even have a remote idea what this is, and who actually made the thing. This tail light might just be the only one left.

[sixdazed]

What?

ric emmal

[roost_racer_27]

well the old man finaly told me that this tail light was made by Mr. Penton himself. it did come off of one of the first 10. which didnt come with tail lights so Mr. Penton made them himself. so ive been told.

When in Doubt WFO!

[TGTech]

roost,
I think you'd better talk to Al Born, the owner of #3, and ask him if it originally had a tail light on it. His memory is like a DVD: he remembers everything.
Dane

[DKWRACER]

Roost Racer 27,
You have a task @ hand
You are up against "baby boomers" some 30/40/50/60/70 and 80 years both young and old a-like.
In our youth, we had nothing like the Internet.
Television brought us nothing, but visuable images of body parts from Kent State and Vietnam. 4 dead in OHIO, not our proudest moment in history.
We persevere, only to discover, that our Nation, needs some help.
Part of America today, is the youth...
You must understand, that our Fathers, died for our Country, and to give you the Right to speak
A keyboard can be an asset
I remember my youth, I never had such tools, than I have today......

Tom Brosius

[Gary Roach]

These are 2 pictures of Al Born on his V003 Steel Tanker, and it looks like his bike has the black taillight assembly that has a round lens and a license plate bracket.

The believe the first picture is from Daytona, and the second is from Stone Mountain, GA.

Gary

[thrownchain]

touche'

[454MRW]

I guess the question would be...Did John and the people associated with uncrating and assembling the first 10 bikes have to come up with the lights, since they may have not have been included, or did they come with them already installed or included in the shipments. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S

[TGTech]

Gary,

Thanks for posting those shots of Al and his bike. I was thinking of that second shot, but didn't know if I had one or not.

454,

Yes, those would have come from Austria on the first 10 machines.

roost,

Now do you understand what originally came on the first 10 machines? That having been proved, I can say that those were not the best parts for serious enduro riding. Wayyy to easy to damage. Soooooo, it could easily have been decided that somebody in the Company, came up with the tail light that you're showing in your picture. Did KTM ever build a light exactly like that one? No, but they did make one with a rubber flap and a light that was about 1/2 the width of that light. The light had a metal cover with a small red lense on the face and a clear lense on the side.

Dane

[roost_racer_27]

The old man told me that he used to be a Penton Dealer back in the day. He was telling me that back then you really didnt know what you were going to find when opening up a Penton crate.Bike colors, accessories, frames, etc. were different. And that rarely that two were excatly alike. And as far as the light, reliable sources say that it is authenic and built by John Penton himself.

When in Doubt WFO!

[thrownchain]

Well somebody show it to John and see what he says. Simple enough.