Motorcycle porn - 1973 Honda Elsinore CR250M

[AZjeff]

Spied this bike in a garage in the neighborhood while walking the dogs. The owner bought it from Kaplan Cycles in Connecticut and had it shipped to Arizona. He wanted one when they came out and couldn't afford it, now he can but it was a lot more expensive than in 1973. If you were into MX back then you know this bike was a game changer when Honda introduced it. Every other maker was playing catch-up. It's not showroom perfect but it's very nice. He won't ride it in the dirt, it's a garage queen investment.

 

[dnewton3]

Those were the days! Drum brakes; pencil thin forks; flexi-frames; twin shocks with moderate-at-best travel and horrible damping at both ends. And yet, it was the creme-de-la-creme of bikes in the day; everybody wanted one.

Today's Youth: Hey - what's that tall, angled, silver thing'y on the side of the engine?
Yesterday's Men: Kick-start.
Today's Youth: ..... Ummmm .... what?
Yesterday's Men: (sigh)

 

[Astro14]

Love it!

I love those early motorcycles. Things were changing so rapidly that each model year was substantially better than the one before, and everything was in flux: design, horsepower, suspension travel, brakes, all of it.

I was an avid reader of “dirt bike“ magazine back, then. I used to drool over all the tests, read all the ads.

I would really love to find a clean, unmolested RM-125B (1977). A motorcycle I owned and rode the snot out of.

It was among the first to have long travel (for the time) suspension.

If it had a D&G head and pipe, like mine once did, that would be even better.

The -B had the steel swingarm and aluminum tank. The -C the next year had the aluminum swingarm and a much better plastic tank. Like I said, each model year brought big changes

 

[UncleDave]

Love it!

I love those early motorcycles. Things were changing so rapidly that each model year was substantially better than the one before, and everything was in flux: design, horsepower, suspension travel, brakes, all of it.

I was an avid reader of “dirt bike“ magazine back, then. I used to drool over all the tests, read all the ads.

I would really love to find a clean, unmolested RM-125B (1977). A motorcycle I owned and rode the snot out of.

It was among the first to have long travel (for the time) suspension.

If it had a D&G head and pipe, like mine once did, that would be even better.

The -B had the steel swingarm and aluminum tank. The -C the next year had the aluminum swingarm and a much better plastic tank. Like I said, each model year brought big changes

Super hunky is still one of my all time favorite writers.

Magazines cant live the way early dirt bike did with the in your face hard truths. Now everyones a winner like camp.

The DG pipe and head made it to my 80 CR125. bought me a bike length to turn 1 at Sparland Ill over a stock bike.

 

[AZjeff]

These bikes were wicked fast in a straight line but needed a berm to turn. Most had an FMF sticker on it, I think this was the bike that got Flying Machine Factory it's start.

Super Hunky... Rick Siemen, did you guys remember his name? There was a guy who raced desert with his dog on the gas tank, dog's name was Cookie maybe? Living in NW Pa we hated all things California.

Kookie the desert racing dog!

 

[Astro14]

Super hunky is still one of my all time favorite writers.

Magazines cant live the way early dirt bike did with the in your face hard truths. Now everyones a winner like camp.

The DG pipe and head made it to my 80 CR125. bought me a bike length to turn 1 at Sparland Ill over a stock bike.

Who could resist that gold colored, radial finned beauty? It made the bike look fast, that’s for sure, and with the CAM2 racing gas, I think it was a bit faster…

Shown here before the DG upgrade. Notice the high tech riding gear, consisting of Levi’s and a t-shirt.

 

[UncleDave]

Who could resist that gold colored, radial finned beauty? It made the bike look fast, that’s for sure, and with the CAM2 racing gas, I think it was a bit faster…

Shown here before the DG upgrade. Notice the high tech riding gear, consisting of Levi’s and a t-shirt.

View attachment 165346

Fantastic.

Late 70's early 80's staple - Canadian tuxedo and a street bike helmet.

At least you had boots. I wore lace up work boots.

 

[gman2304]

I love the old 2 stroke dirt bikes, especially the 250 MXers! My son still owns my old 1974 Yamaha YZ 250 A model, the first year of the YZ, though it’s in pieces in his barn. I’ll get some pics and post them in the next few days. Bob “Hurricane” Hannah was my dirt bike hero in the 70’s, and dominated the MX 250cc class in the late 70’s on a factory works YZ 250.

 

[UncleDave]

Cant quite see the DG head here but Im on the right. Id been roosting my buddy on a YZ 80 all day.
Sadly this was our last ride together but neither of us knew it at the time.

....and the best picture I've ever had taken of me riding was seconds before I flipped.
This was around the summer of 80 or 81 If I recall.
My stash looked like lint glued to my lip. I dont recall the photographer that day so I was surprised when I saw the picture a few years after.

I was riding my friend Toby Schutts cammed TT 500 up old ugly in Sparland Il. Glorious denim all around complete with street bike helmet.

I laughed at him for not making it any further than I could on my 125 despite having way more HP and torque and his reply was - "you try it with my bike."

 

[NormanBuntz]

Reminds me a bit of the 1967 Honda 305 Scrambler I bought freshman year in college. My mother was worried that I'd kill or cripple myself, so my parents lent me the dough for a new Fiat 124 Spider.

 

[Ursatdx]

Had a 73 Husqvarna 175. My buds had the newest YZ's/RM's and Elsinores.
Mine would eat flywheel keys. Needed a crank(?). No internet and no $ = no parts.
I kept that thing running with anything I could get my hands on.
The smell of Klotz made my wranglers tight.

 

[SC Maintenance]

He wanted one when they came out and couldn't afford it, now he can but it was a lot more expensive than in 1973

I like the bike, and I am not even that into bikes. Something about it looks clean and functional.

Per the price, I had this conversation with my wife. I saw a Galaxy 500XL. I told my wife "when I was a kid those were old then, but you could still find them around for a few grand - no one wanted one. But I didn't have a few grand, so I couldn't get one"

She said - how much are they now?

I said - likely $30-40K?

She said "you have that now, so its cheaper now - go buy one".

Different perspective but true. I bet your neighbor has a smart wife

 

[UncleDave]

some more blasts from the past

Jump shot is pre DG as well....

 

[UncleDave]

Who could resist that gold colored, radial finned beauty? It made the bike look fast, that’s for sure, and with the CAM2 racing gas, I think it was a bit faster…

Shown here before the DG upgrade. Notice the high tech riding gear, consisting of Levi’s and a t-shirt.

View attachment 165346

I forgot -did you do Boyesen reeds?

 

[Astro14]

I forgot -did you do Boyesen reeds?

Yes I did! The two stage fiberglass (they were fiberglass, right?) reeds seemed to improve low end response a bit. I had a set of Works Performance shocks made for it, with dual springs. And of course, Bel-Ray oil in the forks…. Amazing what you could do with a paper catalogue and money orders…

 

[UncleDave]

Yes I did! The two stage fiberglass (they were fiberglass, right?) reeds seemed to improve low end response a bit. I had a set of Works Performance shocks made for it, with dual springs. And of course, Bel-Ray oil in the forks…. Amazing what you could do with a paper catalogue and money orders…

Correct they were layered - they bought a tiny bit of low end.
(for those who've never ridden 2 stroke race 125 you can use whatever low end you can get)

My arch enemy Eric Eschmeyer had that same RM 125 you are riding and it had more top end but less mid range than my 80 elsinore.

works perf.....ooooh! - you had money. I had lawn and snow shoveling money only.

I lusted after fox air shocks but only ever tweaked oil levels and air pressure in the forks.

Im rocking the street helmet here....

 

[Astro14]

Made my money mowing lawns as well. At $5/hr. those shocks represented well over 50 hours of work. I was about 16, still at home, so, I didn't need a car, and I didn't have a girlfriend. No real expenses.

 

[UncleDave]

Made my money mowing lawns as well. At $5/hr. those shocks represented well over 50 hours of work. I was about 16, still at home, so, I didn't need a car, and I didn't have a girlfriend. No real expenses.

Lots of respect for growing up that way - nothing connects you to the end result like a low round number paid for physical work.
I was stuck at 5 a job in my hometown.
Most of the town worked for caterpillar and they were in a strike, then recovering from it and the whole town was decimated and it was tough to get lawn deals for more than a 5er because the poor guys just didnt have it.


Erics bike looks a bit diff than yours - I think it's a 78?

 

[Astro14]

Lots of respect for growing up that way - nothing connects you to the end result like a low round number paid for physical work.
I was stuck at 5 a job in my hometown.
Most of the town worked for caterpillar and they were in a strike, then recovering from it and the whole town was decimated and it was tough to get lawn deals for more than a 5er because the poor guys just didnt have it.


Erics bike looks a bit diff than yours - I think it's a 78?

View attachment 165427

Yep, that’s a ‘78. An RM-125C. Aluminum swingarm. Plastic tank. Sweet bike!

 

[UncleDave]

Yep, that’s a ‘78. An RM-125C. Aluminum swingarm. Plastic tank.

Then I have no idea how yours ran. The CR engines varied wildly year to year and not always for the better - I dont know how the suzukis evolved.

I think yours had the cool squarish fenders? I recall it being very efficient at discharging rocks into the face of lesser machines.