The first Penton I ever saw

[rob w]

I took this picture in Feb. 1972. The event was a snowmobile race at a track called Whiskey Creek, near Hart, MI. It was rare to have a motorcycle class at the snowmobile races, but this time they did, and a guy showed up riding this Penton. It was the first time I ever saw a Penton motorcycle. I remember getting happy about seeing one in person, because I really liked the looks of them in the magazines  - around six months later, in Sept. of '72, I got my first Penton. Check out this guy's set up, he's taken the springs out of the forks, and bolted on solid struts in the rear, to make it lower. ? ?
Thanks POG
Bob Wardlow
 

[454MRW]

Bawb,
How cool is that! Have you had any luck finding KRP parts for your project? I hope to get to mine later this summer. Mike

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

[MattyQ]

Bob ,
What a classic picture , I hope you have if framed. Looks like a cool race, wounder who has that bike now ?

Matty

Matthew Quinlan

[rpage11]

Bob
Great picture, a real classic, if you ever send out copies, I'd like to get one.  Skip

Skip Page
Tucson, AZ

[MattyQ]

Second me on a copy , please.

Q

Matthew Quinlan

[rob w]

Mike, Skip, Matty. I'm no Jerry West, but thank you for the compliments. I appreciate that. I'll have some prints made, maybe try some different sizes. We'll see how they look, and I'd be happy to send one to you guys.

Mike, It's not hard finding the parts, that's easy - it's hard to find the money, to pay for the parts

I've got another Whiskey Creek story. It involves me with a brand new Six-Day, a CCC trail ride, a police chase, five tickets, jail, and a mad father.
The worst part of the whole deal though - was sitting in the back of the Sheriff car (hand cuffed), and watching a tow truck guy wrap a big steel chain around the center of my new Penton, (without any protection ), pick it up in the air, and drive away with it swinging around, banging into the back of his truck.

But then tomorrow came, and it was another day.

Thanks POG
Bob W

[rpage11]

More, more!!!!  Skip:)[8D]

Skip Page
Tucson, AZ

[MattyQ]

Reminds me of the time we borrowed the after hours bull dozier to make some new trails in an industrial park.  Holy blue lights batman !

Matthew Quinlan

[Paul Danik]

Bob,
   
     Thanks for the neat rememberance and the cool picture.  

     It looks like the guy put a heat shield of some sort on the front down tubes to keep the engine heat for himself, or to maybe redirect the cold air.

     Lowering the front end must have been the thing to do as the guy behind him seems to have done the same thing. If they had studs in their tires the low fender might be to keep them from becoming projectiles if any came loose, maybe that is also the purpose of what I thought was a heat shield.

Paul

[cubfan1968]

Bob, enough about the bike lets get back to your dark criminal past. Let it out the truth will set you free.

Rod Whitman
Omaha, Nebraska
1972 Six Day (Rider)
1972 Six Day (Project)

[rob w]

Thank you Paul, it's my pleasure. I have other pictures of this same day for reference. The heat shield devise in front of the engine appears to be made from sheet metal, painted black. Why...? my only guess is to hold heat in around the engine - maybe he thought it would'nt run as good in the frigid cold. Hard to guess.

I can't make out for certain if they even had screws in their tires, I'm thinking they did'nt. In that era of snowmobile racing, races were held on snow, not usually ice. It was a large track, I'd say apx. 3/4 of a mile. From the pics, looks like the biggest class was sidehackers.

Baja Rod, I ran past my statute of limitations long ago, but still......I don't cop to nothin !

Bob Wardlow
G.R. MI.
P.O.G. Member #533

[Rain Man]

The first Penton I ever saw was at the ISDT in the Berkshires back in 1973?  I think it was John, but we went there to see Malcom Smith and his Husqvarna.
 Either way my current riding buds and I bought Pentons in 74.
  To this day very few people up here in  the far northeast have ever heard of them. I still have my first penton and a few others.
 
   


Raymond
 Down East Pentons

[Tom C]

The first penton I ever saw was on a trail ride in 1971  I was a  senior in high school and was riding with a couple of the teachers. One was on a 69 six days with all of goodies, lights, speedo, tool bag.. Guess what?? I saw him a couple of years ago and he still has the bike!!! I am going to look him up this summer jst to see if he wants to part with it.
Tom C

[PentonRestoration]

I own the first Penton I saw. Back in 1974, a friend of my brother knew I was looking for a dirt bike and he brought a 1972 125 Six Day by the house in his old pickup truck.  It had a flat tire so I couldn't test ride it.  But, it appeared to be in great shape and I liked the rugged looking design, so I bought it for $300.  I rode it for years, then I discovered girls. It sat in an old shed for years and then I gave the bike, lots of spare parts and all the original factory documentation to a friend of the next door neighbor. My father recently sold his property and as I was clearing out the old shed, I discovered he never came and took the bike as I though he had for over 15 years. He took the parts and documentation but I still have the bike.

 I'm currently restoring it.

[lksseven]

What a great pic.

1970, watching Carlton Curtis smoke everyone in NE Oklahoma in moto after moto on his 1970 Penton 125cc Steeltanker.  He sold it to me in 1971, where it was introduced to life in a much slower (and dustier) lane.  The most beautiful motorcycle I ever saw, and the most elegant rider I ever saw in action, until seeing Tom B. last year in east Texas.

lks

quote:Originally posted by rob w



I took this picture in Feb. 1972. The event was a snowmobile race at a track called Whiskey Creek, near Hart, MI. It was rare to have a motorcycle class at the snowmobile races, but this time they did, and a guy showed up riding this Penton. It was the first time I ever saw a Penton motorcycle. I remember getting happy about seeing one in person, because I really liked the looks of them in the magazines  - around six months later, in Sept. of '72, I got my first Penton. Check out this guy's set up, he's taken the springs out of the forks, and bolted on solid struts in the rear, to make it lower. ? ?
Thanks POG
Bob Wardlow
 

Larry Seale
I choose to ride