John Penton, one of motorcycling’s most influential and renowned figures, passed away peacefully at age 100 after recently celebrating his centennial birthday.
Born on August 19, 1925, Penton and his brothers learned to ride after reviving an old 1914 Harley-Davidson they found in their barn. But when World War II began, Penton shifted his focus and served during the war as a Merchant Marine and in the Navy.
After the war, he bought a used Harley-Davidson Knucklehead and headed to Lansing, Michigan, to ride the grueling 1948 Jack Pine 500-Mile Enduro with his brother, Bill. It was here that Penton realized the days of larger bikes like Harleys and Indians were likely numbered as he saw a lighter, nimbler BSA beating the more powerful bikes. Penton returned to the Jack Pine the next year on a B-33 BSA and finished second, marking the beginning of his mission to find a smaller, lighter and better-performing enduro motorcycle.
Penton went on to open a motorcycle dealership with his brothers while continuing to race, winning the Ohio State Enduro Championship and many other enduros throughout the Midwest. In 1960 he won the AMA’s Most Popular Rider Award.
Later becoming a Husqvarna distributor after winning the Jack Pine aboard a Husky in 1966, Penton toured the Husqvarna factory in Europe in 1967 and tried to convince the manufacturer to begin building lightweight off-road machines, which Penton saw as the future of off-road riding and racing. His idea was met with a lukewarm reception, so he went to visit the KTM factory in Austria, where his idea of a lightweight off-road bike was greeted with more enthusiasm. He offered to put up $6000 of his own money if KTM would build a handful of prototypes to his specifications, and KTM agreed.
In early 1968, Penton took delivery of six Penton 100cc prototypes, promptly entering them in races with other top riders on his bikes. From the start, there was a big demand for the Pentons, which were lightweight and inexpensive, and in the first year, over 400 were sold. More than a decade later, over 25,000 highly competitive Penton motorcycles had been sold in America.
Penton’s innovations also included improving boots for off-road riders by working with Alpinestars of Italy to produce legendary Hi-Point boots. For his innovation and contributions to the industry with Husqvarna, Penton, Hi-Point and many other endeavors, Penton was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. CN
Click here for all the latest motorcycle Industry News on Cycle News.
