My Old Penton/Sachs 125 6 Days
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 7:19 pm
I had 3 of them in the 70s (2 of which I bought 2nd hand and then wore out (cracked frames, and swing arms, etc., etc.) and the 3rd - a 1975 model bought new - I had modified extensively with later model longer travel Marzzochi forks and a reinforced swing arm with forward mounted Curnutt shocks and an add on reed valve, etc. I finally moved on to something else and sold it for $200 to a buddy for his kid to ride before I left Huntsville AL in 1979. About 5 years later he called and told me the bike was now TOTALLY trashed but he hated to just junk it and I could have it if I'd meet him in the middle and buy him dinner. So I did - just for nostalgia sake.
The bike was REALLY trashed - holes in the tank cracked swing arm, bent pegs, dented rims, etc., etc. and it just sat out in the rain in my yard ever since. A couple of years ago a guy knocked on my door and said he'd been driving by and seen the bike in the yard and was a Vintage Racer guy and was curious. So I told him the story and we had a nice visit and he left.
A few weeks ago the same guy knocked on my door and reminded me of his prior visit. He said he was in the area picking up some restored vintage bikes from the widow of his friend that lived near me to take them to the York PA MC Swap Meet to sell them for her. He asked if I still had the Penton and I told him it was even MORE trashed but he could have it if he wanted it! He said he didn't want it but he had a Penton nut buddy that could make use of some of the parts, etc. The rear wheel was frozen - so he grabbed the left hand grip and lifted the back off of the ground with his right hand and sort of trotted all the way out to his trailer that way without even a rest AND he wasn't even out of breath!
So a few days ago the same guy knocks on my door again and hands me a wad of $$$ and said this is yours! His Penton buddy didn't need any of the parts from the bike so he told him to see if he could sell it at York. So he put a sign on it saying "Rougher than a 3-Day Weekend in a Tijuana Whore House" and put it in front of his booth! He said it had 3 times as much traffic at his booth as usual due to the Penton!!! and that some guy offered him $180 for it at the end so he took it and brought it to me. I told him it was his $ but he insisted.
Next time I have a few minutes I'll tell you the story of my old OSSA MAR!
The bike was REALLY trashed - holes in the tank cracked swing arm, bent pegs, dented rims, etc., etc. and it just sat out in the rain in my yard ever since. A couple of years ago a guy knocked on my door and said he'd been driving by and seen the bike in the yard and was a Vintage Racer guy and was curious. So I told him the story and we had a nice visit and he left.
A few weeks ago the same guy knocked on my door and reminded me of his prior visit. He said he was in the area picking up some restored vintage bikes from the widow of his friend that lived near me to take them to the York PA MC Swap Meet to sell them for her. He asked if I still had the Penton and I told him it was even MORE trashed but he could have it if he wanted it! He said he didn't want it but he had a Penton nut buddy that could make use of some of the parts, etc. The rear wheel was frozen - so he grabbed the left hand grip and lifted the back off of the ground with his right hand and sort of trotted all the way out to his trailer that way without even a rest AND he wasn't even out of breath!
So a few days ago the same guy knocks on my door again and hands me a wad of $$$ and said this is yours! His Penton buddy didn't need any of the parts from the bike so he told him to see if he could sell it at York. So he put a sign on it saying "Rougher than a 3-Day Weekend in a Tijuana Whore House" and put it in front of his booth! He said it had 3 times as much traffic at his booth as usual due to the Penton!!! and that some guy offered him $180 for it at the end so he took it and brought it to me. I told him it was his $ but he insisted.
Next time I have a few minutes I'll tell you the story of my old OSSA MAR!
