74 Desert Phantom
I call this my pallet bike! Check out the photo. That’s how it came to me. I’m a sucker for a challenge. If I see a fuel tank, I see a complete motorcycle missing the forks. Snoop said they were no problem! (Maybe a “cash” problem, but not availability – how does he always have just what I need?)
Struggled with the color match. Thank the Phantom gods for the color match camera – almost as important as the Internet for restorers!
The Desert Phantom provided riders with a bike that was somewhere between an Enduro and a motocrosser. By 1974, the Pentons had come on strong in the 250 cc class, requiring competitive riders to look for more performance. The Desert provided the needed power as a detuned Phantom. It did have a down pipe with a unique “V” shaped skid pan.
It was the OSSA of choice to compete in the 1974 International Six Days Trials.
Mike
