By Michael Marino

About 500 Penton motorcycle enthusiasts gathered at KTM North America Inc.’s eastern headquarters in Amherst, Ohio, on March 10 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pioneering Penton Motorcycle brand.

The celebration took place 50 years to the day after company founder and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer John Penton first entered one of his motorcycles into a competition event.

Penton motorcycles were revolutionary when they were introduced in 1968. They were among the first commercially available motorcycles in the United States that were designed specifically for off-road riding and competition.

Penton motorcycles were manufactured with KTM in Austria after John Penton approached the company about a partnership in 1967. The Penton-designed motorcycles dominated many off-road racing events in the late 1960s through the 1970s.

Eventually, economic conditions and improved competition from Japanese brands led to KTM taking over the Penton operation and rebranding the motorcycles with the Austrian marque.

The March celebration was organized by the Penton Owners Group, an AMA-chartered nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the Penton brand.

Paul Danik, president of Penton Owners Group and an International Six Days Trial (now ISDE) gold medalist, was delighted with how the event came together.

“Today, 50 years ago, John Penton entered two of his Penton motorcycles in the Stone Mountain National Enduro outside of Atlanta, Ga.,” Danik said. “The Penton brand is about passion, or as John likes to say, ‘love.’ The fact that so many people from all across the country have gathered here today shows that the passion lives on for the Penton brand.”

John Penton, 92, was on hand to welcome the unexpectedly large crowd and sign autographs.

“When I started working with KTM, they were a small bicycle and scooter manufacturer in a small Austrian village,” Penton said. “Today, they have grown to become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe.”

The event was a who’s who of former Penton employees and racers, as well as many enthusiasts, young and old.

John Born, whose father was a Penton employee and Penton’s first retail customer, brought his father’s motorcycle to display at the event. The Penton 125cc Six-Day is on loan to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio. Born picked it up for the celebration.

While the KTM brand has since replaced Penton, Penton’s legacy lives on.

KTM North America Vice President of Operations Robert Pearce, a member of the AMA Board of Directors, spoke during the event.

“Every time we have a meeting…here at KTM and John is present, I tell everyone that we all owe John our thanks, because without him I doubt any of us would have a job,” Pearce said.

The next major event for the Penton Owners Group will be its annual display at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, July 6-8 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.