Battery Manufacturer Motorcycle

Consumed by a passion to build better motorcycles and a deep, patriotic desire to lead America to victory at the International Six Days Trial, John Penton has spent his life redefining off-road motorcycling. Along the way he helped change the face of American motorcycle competition, the politics of racing, and what Americans expect from their off-road motorcycles. One of the most visionary, driven, complex, dynamic, and influential personalities in motorcycling, John Penton stands out in what may have been the most exciting and revolutionary quarter-century in the history of the American motorcycle sport. Author Ed Youngblood draws upon his 30-year personal acquaintance with John Penton, an exhaustive review of the literature of the period, and more than 50 interviews with Penton, his family, friends, employees, dealers, customers, business associates, and competitors to tell this captivating tale of the creation of the high-performance, light-weight, purpose-built off-road motorcycle. Yet John Penton and the Off-Road Motorcycle Revolution goes beyond the story of a man and his machine, it ties motorcycling in America into a larger cultural movement, explaining how major political and economic events affected the creation of the off-road motorcycle in the 1960s, the precipitous decline of the market during the 1970s, and the rebound that found KTM motorcycles--successor to the Penton--competing successfully against the powerful Japanese manufacturers in the 1990s. Several reviewers who read the pre-publication manuscript of John Penton and the Off-Road Motorcycle Revolution said they simply could not put it down, reading from beginning to end in one sitting. Within this authoritative and fascinating history are: --how personal tragedy reshaped and strengthened the Penton family.

As the costs associated with buying and owning collectible American and European motorcycles continue to rise, enthusiasts are turning in greater numbers to motorcycles produced by Japanese manufacturers from the 1960s to the early 1980s. The prolific production of Japanese motorcycles during this period today translates to consumer-friendly market values for collectors. This buyer's guide divides the world of classic Japanese motorcycles by the four major manufacturers -- Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Suzuki -- while emphasizing such landmark models as the Kawasaki Z-1 and Honda CB750, and featuring a chapter of less common models from secondary marques like Bridgestone. Photographs of the motorcycles are accompanied by complete descriptions of specification, components, paint codes, and serial numbers. A five-star rating system grades the bikes on collectibility, parts availability, two-up touring, reliability, and power, while the author highlights common repair and restoration needs, and suggests sources for collectible models.