I sure miss that era, I rode and raced back then, and later worked in the industry. I still follow Motocross and Supercross, but it is not the same anymore. It is a rich persons sport now. I remember when local pro's rode all three classes with no mechanic, on wages from a sawmill. I remember when we bought our boots at JC Penny's, wore a Levi jacket, and bought a metal flake helmet from Bi-Mart, and used a paper pie plate for number plates. I remember when motocross was a cheap sport. I remember my dad randomly showing up after work to bring me used a $50 Yamaha Mini-Enduro, or a used $200 XR-75. People today spend more on goggles. I've seen more than one racer dissemble a dirt bike to fit in a VW Bug, and drive to the race on Sunday morning. I remember the race results stapled to the side of the hot dog stand. I remember zero races ever being cancelled from snow or rain. Well that's enough, now I'm depressed.
I'm jealous. I was born far too late to get to experience any of this. I'm content riding single-track but it must have been something special to live in a time where an average person could live and race on wages earned from a sawmill.
Yep, I'm the same as you. At least we lived through that era. I tell kids today in the early 70's you could see 15-20 different brands of motorcycles on a busy day at the track. They just look at you in disbelief.
Your bringing back memories! Mom was our helmet law! But we couldn't buy helmets rear close, so we got army helmet liner from Army surplus store "Andy & Bax" East side Portland! We went to "Sidewinders" TT race track in Clackamas Oregon, wachugile, WA (sp) & white Salmon, WA to race. Great memories! Can't forget San Jose flat track dirt mile watching Dick Mann, Gary Nixon, etc... Cal Corothers! Then to top it off we went to Ontario Motor Speedway, California's high speed road racing! Oh Baby, that brought goose bumps as well as memories, Thanks! (Ontario an Sidewinders no longer!)
I enjoyed your account of things. Write a short story ( or more) of those days & maybe you'll be less depressed because you share those times with readers
I'll never forget the day I saw this bike on the cover of Dirt Bike magazine with the byline "You beat the nicest people on a Honda". Does anybody remember Dirt Bike? Rick Sieman (Super Hunky), one of the funniest moto journalists ever.
Super Hunky is great! We were subscribed to Dirt Bike Mag in the 70's and both my father and I loved his writings. I actually got an email reply from him back around 2005 after sending him an email. I was thrilled!
I loved Super Hunky! Have a small stack of Dirt Bike's in the library, too small, at one point I went through the huge stack of motorcycle mags and tossed most. *sob*
I had STACKS of Dirt Bike magazine....."Who knows what evil lurks in heart of a two-stroke...PLUG MAN DO!!!" a pic of Super Hunky with a hunting vest on with all of the shell pockets full of spark plugs!! Honda began dumping the '75 version as the new model came out, and a friend of mine bought one....he paid $800 I think. The '75 had an up-pipe. I bought a '76 Kawasaki KX 250 for $1200, and we would trail race all day long (I still have it, and it still runs like a banshee...NEVER ridden without cleaning the air filter and re-oiling....quite a few filters ago!!) I could smoke him going away, but Kaw bought one of the first Elsinores (like all of the other brands..) copied all of the important tech, improved it, and all MX bikes moved forward... If you've never heard a first Gen Elsinore 125 angry, you're missing something really special
It was. Nothing changed motocross more than the 250 and 125 Elsinore's. I bought one new in 74. I was 14. My 1st race, all 30 bikes were 125 Elsinore's. Very good times!
@jefferey johnson my dumbass older brother gave mine away. All it needed was foot pegs. The bolts came out some how and after 20years leaning against the wall the pegs disappeared. All it needed was a new plug maybe marvel mystery oil and it would’ve ran. He and I scrapped at 42 and he was 48 years old. I’m still pissed about it 12 years later.
I remember my brother had exactly the same bike. Could not believe how fast it was back then! I had an 73 Hodaka 125 Combat Wombat. Those were the days of crazy fun!
@@cesarcesar8545 I don’t remember for sure but I think the Elsinore was either a 4 or 5 speed. The old Hodaka was a 5. Would love to have those bikes now!
A friend of mine back in the 70's had a Hodaka 125 Wombat Combat.I had a Honda SL 100 at the time and he let me ride it.That was the first 2 stroke that I ever rode,just wish that he had better trails to ride on so I could have opened it up and rode it alot faster.
Moved up from the Suzuki TM125 to the CR250M in 1974. Paid NZ$1250 for it. Only problem was my mate bought the first of the Yamaha YZ250 mono shocks. I think he paid NZ$1850.Motocross was what we did. Working was just a means of paying for it. Great times
This brings back so many good memories. My father had a '76 CR250M Elsinore (the last production year). From the front mudflap, to the tank, the handlebars, the foot pegs, and don't even get me started on the sound, smell, and fury of riding it... Honda's Elsinore is the stuff of legend. I can still remember my father doing wheelies down the street in front of my childhood home the day he bought it, grinning from ear to ear.
Yep, those and the 125 were game changers back in 73 and 74 out west. I remember Hoover high in Glendale Ca had a moto cross event on their football field. Can't believe that the stock silencer is still on that, those disappeared almost immediately
I was there! Went to Hoover High in Glendale, CA, graduated in '75! Glendale Unified Schools MX was held at Indian Dunes that last year, now that was FUN!
I was in elementary school when that bike came out and it stirred my soul ! I was riding a Honda Trail 70 at the time and told myself I would own one someday . Hasn't happened yet .
When I was a kid in the early 70s the Elsinore was THE bike to have and THE bike that all dirt bikers dreamed of. Awesome find. Absolutely LOVE the way it sounds!
These videos make me happy but also a little sad. Like a lot of people, I had the CR 125 and many of the bikes that are now considered classics of that era. And didn't have the sense to keep single one of them
Here in Australia in December 1973, Mum and Dad got me an XR75, the 74' Model, the first XR75 with the Slim Tank. Later in 74' riding out the bush with my mates a bloke who was a few years older than me turned up with The First 250 Elsinor and he let me ride it. I had my first taste of a powerband ..lol..... The Thrill of that memory still stays with me. Looking at your vid ....That Bike Still looks so Smick, Clean and Simple.
Grew up in California, seen allot of cool bikes. Road allot at Indian dunes even went up against Jeff Ward one day on the track. I was eleven years old when I road my first 125 Elsinore. I remember I was so small they had to hold the bike up for me so I could get on it, then off I went. Came into the first turn to way to fast and went right over the berm. They dusted me off jumped back on and off I went. Amazing cool bike! 👍
Fastest dirt bike Honda ever made back in the day. Before the Elsinore came along they couldn't touch a Yamaha. They finally went from 4 stroke to 2 stroke to keep up. I am a Yamaha fan from the start but I did test drive one at our local Honda dealer. Damn fast. They finally came to their senses!!!!!!
This bike was an absolute game changer I vividly remember my first ride on one back in the 70s Couldn’t believe it Almost digital Nothing below the powerband.... Then just exploded
I bought a '74 250 Elsinore in March of '74. After riding CZ's for several years, the Elsinore was like going from A Model "T" to a Ferrari! I took one ride around the dirt go-kart track we had in the side field and then took into my shop for, "Mods". I started by pulling the cylinder and, "Winging" the exhaust ports. Next was to cut the swingarm and weld 2 inch long "Z" plates into it, along with moving the lower shock mounts forward 1 1/2 inches. Then I lowered the upper shock mounts down onto the rear frame supports. These mods , along with a new set of Arnaco, "TUNED SUSPENSION" shocks, stood the rear of the bike up by roughly 4 inches, thereby standing the front forks at a steeper angle to the ground which made carving lines through tight woods much easier and precise as well as increasing my rear wheel travel. Overall handling was greatly improved. Wheelieing control also benefited due to the higher balance point. All these mods took me about a month to complete during which time my buddies were all razzing me about my Honda saying, "What happen did it blow up already"? When I brought it out with the modifications for the first time I promptly whipped ass on the Montessa's Ossa's, Penton's, Husky's, and CZ's they rode. No one could out run or handle my ELSINORE! In '75 after landing from a 60 foot high drop off jump the lower engine cradle broke along with both foot peg mounts so I took the engine out of the frame and took the frame to work with me so I could TIG weld it all back together along with some strengthening plates. I worked 11 PM to 7 AM graveyard shift and so the next morning when I brought the frame home and took it out to my shop I was horrified to discover that one of my "SO CALLED FRIENDS", had broken in and stolen my engine. I knew who it was because he was the only person that knew I had taken it out of the frame the night before yet he never fessed up to doing so. Karma must have paid him back because he died at a very young age? I never saw my engine again and wound up giving the frame away for parts. I would give my left testicle to have that bike today even though I am 69 years old. I love that ELSINORE! And that is the thing about the ELSINORE's If you ever owned one, you loved it. Ronster
The bike of my dreams when this came out...i never had the chance to own one...most powerful and best handling bike when it debuted.. made all other manufacturers raise their game
My buddy had a CR125 I had a YZ125 and another friend had a TM125. We all bought them slightly used for about $300. A kid working on a farm for $2 an hour could buy a one year old motocross bike and gas was 40 cents a gallon. It was the golden age of dirt bikes.
Your the man Ken. I love the way you love life, love to ride. Love your family, your buisness and this country. I am so glad that I found you guys. You are always inspirational in all you do. Its great to see.
I still have a 1976 Hondaline red , white and blue motocross Jersey ( size small ) hanging next to my two Suzuki Jerseys. I never got a CR but instead traded my Suzuki 185 for a used Yamaha MX 250 . I finally got a 19781/2 RM 250 and started racing motocross. Life was good back then. I bought an RM 125 , then a KX 250 and a KX 125 . We raced in Oklahoma , Texas , Arkansas and Missouri . I worked for a Kawasaki shop in Tulsa OK. and spent all my money on racing....man I miss those days.
I bet you got some great stories brother,god I love riding crosser's. A couple of acres, a gallon of petrol, miles of smiles. Like Kenny says "cure's depression and anxiety" couldn't of put it better myself!👊✊💨💨💨
Those were all the rage until the YZ monoshock showed up in 75. Everyone went from wanting an Elsinore to wanting a YZ. Then in 78 Kawasaki came out with what we at the time, called the uni-shock (or whatever it was they called it) and then everyone wanted a KX. I had a patheticly underpowered 1972 Suzuki 175 Enduro but it was good for trail riding. Those were the days...
I have a friend who bought one in the 70s and I always remember how he was talking about the Honda Elsinore being a motocross rocket bike. Knowing him as a rally car driver, you could tell he loved & enjoyed this bike so much. Thanks for your video and the great 2 strokes sound that gives you thrills. Cheers from France ✊👍
That bike reminds me of the movie Weird Science at the end when the maniacs come crashing through on their 2 strokes ripping up the house. That thing is ridiculously awesome
I bought one brand new in 74, I still have it.Needs work though. The only thing that pissed me off about it was when I crushed the pipe from casing it. Ouch.
This bike brings back great memories! I had a 1975 Honda MT 125 Elsinore for my first bike back in 1977. I loved that bike and never broke down w/it. Extremely reliable as I was only 14 yrs old at that time and beat the snarts out of it. Great bikes!
I had a 73 XR75 and a 73 AT3 125 Yamaha enduro that I mx'd to ride motocross. I was 14 and when the 74CR125M's hit the east coast I sold my two other bikes and got a brand new CR125 for $749. The 125 classes were mostly Elsinore's in 1974. You'd have 30 to 40 riders lining up. The smell of bean oil was Awesome! Next year I had a 75 model. Then I started racing a 250 in 78. Kap please don't go anywhere we need you to help keep our sport alive. If you could build and produce your own line of US made bikes that would be so awesome. Love you bro!
So cool! 58 years old, 6'3 ,275,I hadn't thought about this for awhile, I rode on one of those with my dad, I was young enough and small enough, I sat on front on seat ,on tank,I remember my dad hitting maybe third gear,half throttle or so,that just felt amazing! Thanks again for memories! You guys are awesome! I want a 500cc dirt bike again someday! I had 81 cr 450,83 rm 500,I would like a late model kx 500 probably, like 04,raced kx 250's ,1992-2006
We had high school MX when I attended high school in '72 thru early '75, what a blast! Also did a few CR125 engine installs in Honda XR75 frames, required some welding but made for a little rocketship even sleeved down to 100cc to run in the 105cc mini class! A definite game changer for sure.
Lucky for you.Wish that they had High School MX here in North Carolina back in the 70's I definitely would have gotten into that.I read about it in Motocross Magazines but wasn't it only out in California?
My “Uncle” Tony Wynn got 4th overall at Daytona ‘74 and then was leading two motos at the Astrodome (trans blew) got 10th on a warmed over production 73 model against the best in the Nation. I think he finished 7th overall for that Yamaha Super Series. Look it up.
Oh, boy, my life just flashed back… I bought a brand new one when i was 17 years old, raced it for 2years , sold it 8 years later, of all the bikes i owned this is truly the one i wish, I would have kept… on a side note the piston skirt was the only weakness on that bike, they broke quite often, and because of that weak piston, I still have one , a consolation price i guess. Thanks for the video and the nice engine music 😎
In 73 I thought my Rickman/zundapp was the shit, 14 years old. Then my best friend got a new Elsinore 125 and his dad even mounted the rear shocks at 45% b4 honda did. That kid roached me everywhere on that bike😂🤣
I had a 73 Rickman zundapp 125 in 74! I was 13 thought I was in love with that bike.it was fairly quick so I thought till my friend came home with a cr125 liquid wow 👌
I remember taking a test ride on a CR125 the first year they came out, think I was 13 back then. To me it was a rocket ship! The CR's ruled at the track, the Suzuki TM's weren't as refined. Ten years later we were buying TM125's and TM400's for play bikes for $200-400 while the Elsinores were twice that, people really loved their CR's and still do. Honda got those just right.
I remember the first time one showed up at the race track!! I had just bought a 5 speed CZ 250 which was also very cool....but the Elsinore was just something else!!
I had a 1974 125 elsinore and used to ride in the woods in Georgia with friends. We would smoke weed and ride our motocross bikes. It was a lot of fun.
Ill forever be a cr fanatic and ive seen some of the most amazing bikes on your cgannel your living the life thanks for keeping the dream alive for us bike guys
When I was a kid and I was around one of those bikes, it would send me to another world and still does to this day. MOST SIGNIFICANT MOTOCROSS BIKE EVER!!!!!!!!
I remember a day back in 1973 Iwas at Rodi cycle sports in Hapeville when the sold their first Elsinore 250 to a 16 year old spoiled brat (grandmother bought it for him) the whole crew tried to tell her it was too much bike for this kid and suggested that he take the 125, but the kid said this is what I want, started it up rode across the parking lot wide open and out of control and basically totaled the bike and the had the nerve to say maybe we need to trade down the the 125 and was shocked to be told that's not gonna happen, the shop helped them lay it in the back of the pickup.That bike was a true BEAST.
I saved my money and bought a 74 250 I was 14 ,it was a rocket, race the hell out of it 4 or 5 motors pop the head and cylinder hone it out lightly, replace the rings good to go took about an hour and less than 20 dollars ,thanks ken for all you do with motocross old and new ,keep those 2 strokes a binging !!!
As a 7 year old kid, our neighbor 2 houses up has one of these. It and my Dads 250 Matador sealed my love affair with motorcycles. Remember watching these race motorcross in the infield at Road Atlanta. My first bike was a ground up restored of a 1971 Honda SL 70. My dad paid like 200 bucks for it and did the work at friends shops, one did the paint, another the motor, etc….over the year preceding Christmas 1977. Best Christmas of my childhood. What memories.
@@KaplanCycles and that's an eighth grader who would probably be a rider for life - with the $10k bikes with $3k rebuilds, most eighth graders will never ride one. We need those air cooled twos!
I remember when our local Honda shop debuted the CR250 in 73. The shop invited everyone down to the local track to see it and if you were lucky enough test drive it. It was absolutely in my 14 yr old mind the most beautiful and powerful dirtbike to date, then they came out with the C125 and every kid in my town got one so glad I grew up in that era a wonderful and magical time for dirtbikes and riders.
In december 1974 i Saw for the first time a CR 125M...that was in Manchay circuit, in Lima, Perú. Today I'm 63 and at least 50 bikes owner during my Life, fron Honda ST 70 to a KZ1000 Z1R in 1981.... But no one make my heart pump the way that a CR 125M does....OMG, It was a dream !!!....l
That's my very first bike ride the heck out of it put me on my ass more than once , also in the back ground another one I had SL350 2 cylinder 4-stroke thanks for sharing and bringing memories back
I had a 76 elsinore 250 when i was a teenager.... it was totally beat, extremely loud, but a blast to ride.... just about broke your ankle to start it..... great memories!
A brand new 74 Elsinore 125 - the first motocross bike I ever set my eyes on in the Honda dealership, and it was the coolest thing I ever saw. I ended up getting a brand new 76 RM125 for $999, and how I wish I still had that bike today.
I was racing my Maico's when the Elsinore hit the scene. I was a teenager in Scal at the right time! Tracks everywhere, and the scene was growing fast. Loved it. Just racing my 22 CRF450 now at 67yrs. Love to get a new 500 2 stroke, build one and I will buy it!
Man that bike sounds explosive!! My old man when i was a you g kid had a 70’s elsinore 250 and an ossa 250. Almost knocked it over on top of me trying to sit on it. Had to be 10 years old. Loved watching him rip them around. Good memories!! Id keep that one!! Lol. U prolly have alot already
Awesome bikes!! I remember back in '73, i had just got a 73 CZ 250 5 speed, red coffin tank and radial head, i was so proud of that bike! , but when the Elsinore's started showing up, i knew the game had changed!!
I was given one of these in about 1986. I got it running and rode it, then ended up getting rid of it to someone and can't even remember exactly where it went. But boy , we knew we had something, just didn't have a place to store it and all that as I was only 16 in '86, and didn't have my own place yet. It was fun. Popped a hole in my tennis shoe from the kickback
Marty Smith in the cover of Dirt Bike magazine did it for me. I was 15 in 1975 and dad let me pull the trigger. I sold my CL 70 for 400.00 and financed the CR 125 for 23.58 a month. I went to the big leagues with that purchase. Motocross in it's beginning. Loved it!
Marty was the coolest ever, I’m 62 meet Hanna once in Plymouth California hangtown race he was a Ducsh bag to the kids Marty talked to us for 20 minutes.
Grew up with that bike, my dad owned an Elsinore and I had a RM 125...great 70's memories! My dad still has that bike in pieces, now I'm thinking I need to rebuild it...
Wow those were the days ! I am 63 years old. Raced in good old So. Calif. at Valley Cycle Park and of course Indian Dunes. Start with a Stripped Yamaha 90 , to a Yamaha Mx 100 , and then a Suzuki TM 125 . Than , I got my Cr 125 , wow a what bike kick a__ handling with a little FMF porting , pipe and carb . I was riding a rocket ! When to CH Ind. and he made my Honda Cr motor to fit in a Suzuki RM 125 frame . I could not have been happy. Until one day at Indian Dunes, on the starting line sitting next to Johnny O on a Mugen Honda . All I saw was his back fender and ate some of his dirt. Than I realized what fast was , Johnny O was in a class of his own! I only have the best memories of my MX racing days in the ‘70 !
big respect how you describe bikes.even someone-not me-who is not into motorbikes would buy one from you I am sure.keep up the good work and thanks to your mom for puttin`you on earth.cheers
I was there. Went from the DT 1 to the Honda. First time I cranked the trottle it felt like I had grabber a wildcat by the balls. You better hold on or you were in trouble! Definite game changer. Forced the other Japanese companies to step up their game. Hence the evolution era.
I had the Elsinore cr 125. It was the same colour as that and it came out I'm pretty sure in 73 or ,74. It was a great reliable bike that truly never broke down and there is nothing like a two stroke power band in my opinion. I truly loved my Honda Elsinore 125 cr. That 250 did change the world of Motorcross or as we called it back then here in Australia scrambling.
My father got a 76 model new at reduced price when the 77 came out. He wore out the rear tire and decided the Kickstart to hard on his knees! I didn't complain when he passed it over to me
I have one exactly like this. All original and ready to ride. Had a tune up a couple of years ago and still have some new carb jets as well. It was a great bike and it really put Honda at the forefront of engineering excellence
Sounds amazing!!! Can’t beat the 2 strokes in my opinion. I know they make some wicked 4 strokes, but I always rode the 2 strokes. Loved the quick rpm power and the sound, just like this Elsinore. I was 15 when the Elsinore was released. Awesome bike and great work as always senior!
If they had come out at the same time I'd give the nod to the CR 125 Elsinore as the most significant. More I think about it, I think I'd still give it to the 125. The 250 class already had some awesome (admittedly not equal) bikes with the Maico, CZ, Husqvarna, Montesa, Bultaco and others. But in the 125 class, as fast as Honda could build them they filled every spot on the starting line. At that time the European 125s were basically overweight 250/500 bikes with a smaller engine. And the other Japanese manufacturers couldn't come close to competing. Two years later everything changed again with the RM and the YZ monoshock
I had the street version, I think it was MT250. Yes it was a blast. At the time I owned CB750 with many mods for touring. Loved them both. Hard to tell which to ride everyday!
That's a dream choice nowadays! The MT250 was a GREAT bike, a little bit of porting and shave the head for compression and they became a very useful bike. In MT trim that engine lasted a very long time, "almost reliable" haha!
I've had a couple of Elsinore equipped CRs through the years and I will say this, I miss them. Some of the best air cooled machines I ever owned. I understand that for racing they had to make the move to liquid cooling but for an all around woods bike an air cooled big bore 2T still is desirable. With the machining advancements we have today and the difference in the quality of materials I bet a highly efficient playbike could be built that would rally anything from the early days.
