Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1524446
Roach Resurrection Roach Resurrection 1969 Penton 125 Six Day 1969 Penton 125 Six Day "Steel Tanker" "Steel Tanker" By Kurt Flachbart By Kurt Flachbart 34 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com It's no secret we're big fans of the Penton marque here at Trail Rider so you can imagine the excite- ment when we stumbled onto what's considered the Holy Grail of Pentons, a 1969 125 Six Day "Steel Tanker". What makes the Steel Tanker so special you ask? Well, I'll do my best to explain. The story begins with John Penton, a farmer from Ohio, who was extremely talented when it came to riding motorcycles. Whether it be off-road or se ng a cross-country speed record aboard a BMW, Mr. Penton gave nothing less than 100% in his efforts. As John Penton expanded his horizons, he began compe ng against the world's best riders, racing the world-renowned Interna onal Six Day Trail. Considered the "Olympics of Mo- torcycling", racing ISDT events all over the world became John Penton's focus. Now back in the 60's, the majority of off-road motorcycles were converted street bikes or large displacement, heavy four-stroke models. Yes, the Swedish brand Husqvarna unveiled their 250cc two-stroke in 1966, but John Penton had a vision of a much lighter, small displacement two-stroke motorcy- cle specifically designed for off-road racing. Basically, a light flickable bike. Now, I'm greatly simplifying the story here but in searching for a manufacturer that would be willing to produce a prototype designed by John Penton, a mee ng with Eric Trunkenpolz, the "T" in KTM, was arranged and the two men hashed out an arrangement that literally transformed the sport of off-road motorcycling we know today. Now at the me, KTM, an Austrian company, was similar to so many small European motorcycle manufacturers with their main focus being bicycles, mopeds, and small-displacement street bikes. Designed from a clean sheet of paper in 1967, John Penton set out to choose the best components for the job at hand. With quality components as the main objec ve and cost secondary, the best of the best were chosen for Penton's new motorcycle. The engine was sourced from Sachs, a well-known German en- gine, transmission, and driveline company. Carbure-