Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125864
00 ...... lHEI: It's for you , trailb lazer. We're an elite group of off the street bike enthusiasts offering you a chance to join others across the nation in an organization that makes sense . Trail Blazers. Provid ing something to interest every bike riderexpert, junior and novice . . And charter membership enrollment is now underway. Here are some of your benefits as a Trail Blazer: are two-piece, and a problem has arisen with the sp o t welds frac t uri ng . When th is happens, th e upper peg surface breaks off le aving onl y a slippery st ub . The best bet is to weld the p egs full leng th before the bike is dropped. But th is is not a bike yo u want to drop, either. All that red fiberglass will crack o r, at best, scratch easily . The alloy Magura leve rs d on 'I bend, the result being a broken lever base (I know because it happened, even with the lever mounted closely on the handlebars). T he h an d leb ar s themselves do n o t be nd because they pivot forwar d in a fall n o matter how tigh t the clamps are. T he ,)o nly way to return the m to position is by lo osen ing the clamps, sin ce you're unlikely to m at ch the force of a fall just by 't uggin g on them. The new rubber-m ounted Because of the large tank and thi ck seat this model is better suited to deser t racing than the motocross m odel. In fact, the end uro model is a much more vers atile, all-around fun bike. It even comes with MX·modei handlebars. With an awareness of the enduro rider 's needs obv ious in most of the changes on the '74 model , we can ' t unders tand th e co nspicu ous absenc e of the tool bag and rack whi ch used to co me in Penton's enduro kit . They are n't included with the new enduro model Penton . A tool kit is included : fair ly co mplete and of good q uality, b ut fa ll s short by not incl udi ng an a xle-n u t-size w rench. You can't even adjust the chain without ad d it io na l tools and now you have no place to carry them. enduro Other features, some new. in cl ud e a pipe now includes a spark arresto r, enabling the bike to be ridden in forest areas. Th e spark arrestor is co ntained in a removable rev ersed-cone chrome tai lpiece. Inside the outer pipe is an expansion ch am be r co mp le te with stinger. The dead sp ace around the perforated st in ger is pa cked with fiberglass and t he resultant sound is not much , A side benefit o f the well-silen ced pip e is the report th at th e enduro model Pen t on is actuall y quicker off the line than th e motocross model, due to a sm oother, wider power spread down low . Getting power to the ground is the name of the game. In an effort to provide the ultimate enduro c om pe t ition bike, Penton has added a new 2. 8 gall on tank. a six -days replica plastic rear fender, and a seat with additional padding. The tank, holding enough gas to co m p le t e a fifty-mile loop, is held on by the r fam iliar leather strap. Removal takes abo ut a mi n ut e. T he new fender has a m o ld ed in tail ligh t mou n t and flat license plate area. T he extra padding in the seat is a good idea, but unfo rtunatc:ly it is to o soft. The result is a sore rump after a day's riding from bouncing on the sea t base. Addition ally , the ·fend er hump forces th e rider to th e fro n t o f th e seat. If you try to slide back, and you 're wearing shorts, t he co nstan t sliding fo rw ar d aga in will soon hav e them feeling lik e a pair of stranglers. It does tend to hind er y our co ncen tratio n so m ew hat. Firm er p adding is the o nly answer. redesigned sp eed a mount which is strong and well positioned o n th e handlebar cro ss brace; a p aper air cleaner th at clogs wi th damp d irt and cuts engine power no t iceab ly (b ut keeps mud and wet sand out o f th e c ar bure t o r): a 4.5 0 Metz eler rear knobb y th at ge ts super tra cti on an d wears am az ingl y we ll; paint on the mag sid e cases th a t flakes off aro und th e shifter and brake lever; and a convenie nt sid est and wh ich sta ys up an d o u t of th e wa y whe n no t in use. As with all bikes, some good and so me bad . After 250 mil es of com p et it ive riding on the Penton I can say there is no other motorcy cle availab le to the publi c at any price as fast and versatil e as the Penton Hare Scr ambler Enduro. I ca n also safel y say . yo u won't p ay more for an end uro bike th an th e S 1664.5 0 it will cost you to ro ll th e 250 Penton out th e d oor. If you want to license it for events requirin g highway legality, th e price c r e e p s ove r $1700 a psychologica lly terrifying proposition for a dirt bike that Everym an will want. If it hel ps t o ease the tr auma an y , add up the c os t of a winning motocross mount. desert sled and enduro bike. and the total will be significantly higher than th e pr ice of o ne 250 Penton. Then there 's the low er co st o f maint ain ing. registering. and in suring onl y one bike. T he ra tio nalizati on co uld go o n and on. But ir 's ne ce ssary. because o nc e you see and ride th e Hare Scrambler y o u 'll have to have one. It isn 't wi thout fau lt , but it's head and shou lde rs above every thi ng e~ . • TRAIL BLAZERS PUBLICATION. Issued only to Trail Blazers members and packed with provocative interviews, manufacturers ' answers to techn ical questions, trail humor , and other useful information. TRAIL BLAZERS CONSUMER ACTION PROTECTION. Consum er aid for members that gets answers , cuts red tape and stands up for your rights . MEMBER'S TRAVEL SERVICE. Providing names of other Trail Blazers in areas where you plan to visit or live. $250 BIKE THEFT REWARD. To anyone providi ng information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thief or thieves stealing a mem ber's bike. YOU'LL ALSO RECEIVE: • A charter membership card • Jacket patch insignia for your rid ing gear • Decal prom inently displaying Trail Blazers affiliation Just like our name implies , we'll blaze trails in the off-street bike world . Joi~ us now during the charter enrollment per iod . ------------------TRAIL BLAZERS, INC. P.O. Box 22094, Greensboro, N. C. 27420 Please enroll me as a charter member of Trail Blazers. My membership benefits will start immediately. Name Address City _ _ State Zip _ $10 annual dues enclosed Bill my Master Charge __ BankAmer icard __ Accoun t number _ _ I ~pires Signature _, 25