I was racing mx at age 13 when these came out. I was riding a bultaco. My dad looked at it and told me ( he fought in ww2 and was in Japan several times in his career including just after the war ended) that the Japanese were experts at copying a product and improving on it over time. He said that sadly the euro bikes would be gone soon. At age 13, I didn't appreciate his insight ( teens know it all right? ) within a couple of race seasons, all the euro bikes were disappearing...soon came suzuki and Kawasaki and the smaller Spanish companies never stood a chance. I'm just glad I was able to ride the euro bikes. Wish I still had mine.
I was in school at the time too. Was racing a Yammie MX 125 at the time. Me and several buds were like a team kind of, we shared parts, transportation and a couple of the dads did pit and mechanic work for us. Anyway, the year these elsinores came out , girl in our area got one of the first to hit the local shop. It was super fast, but they had issues with loading up. Let the Rs get too low in a corner or such and you’d have to turn off the gas while it sat and bogged and choked til it cleared. Then a rocket again. Tje next year I had to buy a YZ to stay with the Honda’s.. I miss all the great bikes back then. The Pentons, Ossas, bultacos, maicos…even HD had MX bikes. And of course the Hodakas!! Haven’t been on a dirt bike in probably close to 40yrs. That new stuff would kill me at my age lol.
@@megastick9324 Same. I've come close to buying an old bultaco just for fun, except spare parts hold you hostage. I also have a tw200 yamaha, not fast, but low seat height, super reliable and a blast.
A friend of mine owned one of these in the mid 70s, and even today the memories of him riding it leave a wonderful impression. His Elsinore was blazing fast and when he up shifted it from one gear to the next it sounded like he was backing off the throttle and hitting the throttle once again. It certainly was a high revving machine when going through the gears. Very impressive indeed.
In 1982 I was running in Houston after school for Cross Country practice. I passed by an apartment complex and there was garbage piled at the curb, I spotted an old CR 125 and though I couldn't stop and get it I sent my buddy to go retrieve it. It was a 1974. We cleaned out the tank (Rusted) went to cycle salvage and got an old chain and back sprocket for $10 and it started! It was so fast and so loud with a vicious power band. I was such an idiot for selling it when I went to college but back then had no idea what it would be worth. Boy I miss those days!
I had one just like that. Went from an XR75 to the Elsinore and it scared me so bad when I test rode it that I knew I had to have it. Sold it in CA. Maybe that's it!
Marty Smith and the Honda 125 Elsinore are synonymous with each other. In 1974 he won the first AMA 125 National Championship for Team Honda; 1975 he decimated the 125 National Championship competition on the RC125 Factory bike. By 1975, The competition in the form of the production Suzuki RM 125 and the YZ 125 monoshock stepped up and surpassed the production Honda with their long travel suspension versus the still short travel Elsinore. But as Mr. White alluded to, the aftermarket shops were all over the Honda. I remember the FMF package racer kits. The Honda Elsinore 125 lit my fires for motocross. The 1970s was a great period of time for the motocross and off road enthusiast.
@@C.A.MARSUPIAL-ys6tlWhere I grew up, you only saw RMs and YZs. Myself, I started with a TM125 that I had to build from scraps, literally, then got a ‘77 RM100. Later on I bought a ‘78 CR250. A beautiful bike with that red engine, and it had Fox air shocks. But I loved the RMs, especially the 125s, and I missed my RM100. A friend had a ‘78 RM125 and it screamed. They were super easy to work on. Honda put the kickstarter on the left side, (oh I hated that!). It wasn’t until the very late ‘70s and early ‘80s until I saw people buying CRs and KXs. I remember when Kawasaki came out with their Uni-Shock, and even though Yamaha’s monoshock had been out for years, the uni-shock changed everything for rear suspension. Those were the days. Every year saw a complete redesign from the Big 4 and progress was rapid. Travel went from 6” to 12” in a few short years. Miss those days.
@@TheSteveSteele I love those red engine one's. I grew up in Melbourne Australia. I'm curious if you didn't have the cr Honda were you grew up where abouts and why weren't they around. Thanks for the reply. PS. My brother got the RM 125 and I got his cr Elsinore 125. I found the RM a bigger taller bike so I prefered riding the cr Honda. 🦘👍
I got my 75 Elsinore Friday night before the Hopetown GP in Simi Valley because my 74 blew a crank seal practicing on Wednesday. Broke it in in the field outside the main gate Saturday morning before my race. Loved those bikes.
Not the bikes fault. With or without mods, the Elsinore was one of the best handling bikes in it's era. Though people did get hurt on them - I know one or two who were killed while racing them back in the day at Sand Hill Ranch MX track in Brentwood, CA. Bad things can happen at break neck speed when you're in a traffic jam striving to win a trophy. The 125 Elsinore was an amazing bike that could inspire someone to be over confident. I struggled to keep the front wheel on the ground the first day I rode one.
I also had a 74. That bike due to it's great handling actually saved my rear end a few times. On more than one occasion it kept me upright when riding over my head in the Mojave desert.
I also had a 74..traded it a few years back for a big red atc... The atc suits my needs better but man I miss ripping on that little beast.......I'm in my 50s and it really got your heart beating. ... Damm I wish I kept it
My friend's brother had a 75. He put a skunk's works 38mm mikuni carb on it and I could smoke on that puppy!!! We had a bermed out track on Fort Ord in the sand.......man was that fun!!!!
My first bike was the 1974 Honda MT125 (street/trail). It was a dog until I put the CR125 top end on it. Just order everything from the crankcases up. MT had a 5-speed gearbox & the CR had a 6-speed gearbox. Life was good at age 14.
Always wondered if that was a bolt on. Good for you. Had many CR's back then. I remember getting on an MT125 and being very.... unimpressed. It had nothing on an XR75!
@@kirbylee57 I did not change the head. I used the cylinder,intake boot, piston & rings, carb, and used an after market ex. pipe. I had to remove the air box and use an after market flip on filter, all so removed the oil tank. One thing to keep in mind is the MT engine was dark brown & the CR engine was black. I have seen a lot of MT parts listed on e-bay as being CR parts. but yes it would run with a CR.
I had one in 1974 new from the local dealer. It was differentiated from the first model by the red stripe on the tank as opposed to the green stripe on the original. All I did was re jet it and go racing. I raced against all sorts of bikes and all capacities and it held its own . What a great bike and the start of a love affair with bikes of all kinds. It rocked !
I bought a 1974 for my little brother. That thing was nuts. At the time I was riding a 360 Husky and the first time I rode the Elsinore, it caught me off guard and scared the crap out of me. A Honda 2-stroke, who ever heard of such a thing?
These bikes are just as good as those look and this red stripe elsinore is exiting to ride and look at so beautifull production and the green striper was fun i had one they were fast beautys
The Honda Elsinore was fantastic when it rolled out I was 14 and in 1975 there were 80% +- Elsinore's on the line, amazing! Then the YZ 's rolled out in late 75', they dominated for 2-3 yr's, Suzuki thereafter and as we, the competitors know, the playing field on technology evened out. By 1980, it was 85-90% rider. Just my opinion based on racing those years. Damn those were some good years!
You left out the 1976 yz125 mono shock as i bought one in 1977 with most of all the bugs worked out .but you had to be quick to get one first soon as they were released to dealers that year as a week later they were all sold out ..but in noname parts of the country the dealers who might still have one were scalping them 500 bucks more and higher so i preordered one and the day it came in before i could get to my yamaha shop the owner that morning had already sold ny brand new still in the crate yz125 to someone for cash deal on the road as they were headed to a national ...so i didnt get one until the following saturday the day before myv1st race for the season opener and was a bit pissed having less than 24 hours to get it ready and on the line...but calmed down a bit with two 1st place finishes my 1st time out in the 125 class on a rainy day of a mud track on wtwo 2 at 6 oclock evening local tv ., showing me clearing the doubles while others slopped around in mud blood and beer ...1977 yz125 was the bike to put you into the pro class ..and before you say it yes the 1977 twin rear shock RM125 Suzuki had more horse power and a faster top speed ..but could always be passed by useing the advantage a 1977 yz125 single rear monoshock in the whoop sections , double in double out , with big doubles no troubles as it was bye bye RM until we all ran out of piston rings at the same time during the end of the season as i bogged bad in the last burm a RM i had just battle for 20 minutes plows the hell out of me rear ending me as he could not get it stopped putting the fire out of his RM but rekindling my candles that were already burned off at both ends and braap i got to the checker by thevskin of a chickens tooth ahead of an enraged RM
Had a 1976, I was about 14 and weighed about 80 pounds, felt like a flag on a flag pole on a windy day. Could barely touch my toes but rarely needed to. What a bike! Thanks
I had the original (green) Elsinore 125. So much power! I have to say that I longed to have a go on a CR250 but when I finally did, I was woefully disappointed that it wasn't *twice* as fast. The 250 had more torque but lacked the explosive power-band of the 125. Much preferred my 125 because it was so nimble. Of course this was back in the day when doing a cross-up was considered cool, long before we had the aerobatics we see today.
Mum bought one for my 16th birthday. Green and silver tank, MK1. I was racing an MX80 Yamaha, heavily modded. The Elsinore was ,even stock, incredibly quick. I ended up with a DG radial head, FMF up pipe, reed valves... I know, sounds odd, but great for slower, twisty tracks, larger Mikuni, air forks and Mulholland shocks. Raced it and did well until I crashed and burned. Good times ♥️
MY brother bought me 74-XR 75 when I was 10, MY saving grace to motocross for next 11 yrs to pro🇨🇦! HE knew it when he put me in front, first ride on a 73 TM 250, when 8 yrs old, I was vibrating when we stopped! HE is my hero!
I owned a 74' CR125 and loved it. I loved looking at the faces on the 250 and open rider when I passed them because they have not seen this bike yet at that time!
I could pull it up in 2nd and make it to 6 gear with the biggest S%@t eating grin loving life. Thanks mom for buying my first MX bike. I will never forget either one of you!.
I had a `75 Elsinore back in those days . Raced it until `78 . I remember I payed some 900 Dollars for it out the door back then . Sure seemed like a BUNCH of money to a kid , back then . I can almost still smell the Blendzall that I used to mix in the Gasoline .
I hear you. I saved up $805 when I was 16. Went to the Honda shop, and put a brand new 1974 CR125 Elsinore in a 1949 Ford pick up, hauled it home, and rode it till dark.
Gorgeous. Bought one brand new in the Fall of '75 (leftover) for $476 OTD -- heck of a deal. The most fun was hitting the pipe wide open on the razor thin powerband and pissing off everyone within a quarter mile! Sure wish they still made dirt bikes today with low seat height and center of gravity which are a lot more fun on two tracks and trails.
I got one in 1974, i was in high school and the girls liked me and my flashy silver team honda jacket. I won many races with it. Yes i moved the shocks forward... did it in the high school shop. To top it off I was a parts guy in a Honda dealership.... raced up until 84 when i blew out my knee... 250's, 480's... good times. Uncle Donny Emler and the White Bros were legends
My first two stroke was a yamaha 125 mx i was 11 years old couldnt even touch the ground it was so big and could barely hang on but was in love instantly next one was 1981 cr 125 wow awesome bike loved it
after 45 years of want just landed a pretty nice 74 125,rode it Saturday,hadnt ridden 2 stroke 125 since 1980,clutchless gear bangin was sweet,,runs really good, sounds awesome belray smells even better
I was at Glen Helen with a recent purchase 1975 Cr 125 about a year and a half ago( 2017). I was 58. The last time I was on a Cr 125 was 1974. I had a new one at 16. The 75 engine quit after a few laps, and as I was pushing the bike back to my truck, I tried starting it in front of this old guy; He says "sounds like it seized". The old guy comes over and says "hi I'm Tom White, I have one of these like new at home". I said really, that's must be nice. I kinda didn't believe the guy. Plus I was upset that the bike had failed since the engine was suppose to be "professionally rebuilt" as advertised. Since I had been out of the motocross world for over 40 years, I had no idea who I had just met. I wish I had known who I had the good fortune of crossing paths with. I wish I had known. RIP...
Wow, awesome! My buddy had 2 of these back in 1979. At that time I had a 1976 Yamaha DT 400. Was a big bike for a skinny 14 year old but I managed to hang on to the bars LoL. In 1985 I got my first motocross bike. Brand new 85 Kawasaki KX 125 and then a 86 Honda 250R Trike 😁 great times then. I had the baddest bikes in my town.
This brings back memories of my Teen years , I 13 years old and bought my first Dirtbike a '74 CZ 250 MX and a little bit later a '75 Honda CR125M Elsinore , 2 of my favorite bikes my buddies and myself we to Escape Country later on called Racing World and had a Blast , Indian Dunes , Ascot Raceway . Those were some awesome times . I miss that little Bumble Bee , I put every performance modification at the time and it screamed , blew the DG and FMF bikes in the weeds and they wanted to see what was done to the engine , I didn't let them , I told them it was Stock ! 😁
never owned one but these elsinores were the bikes of dreams back in the day.. they Did revolutionize the motocross world! I used to go to a local shop who had these and just to sit on one on the showroom floor was amazing...so lean, so light and so ergonomically perfect! Light switch powerbands and ultra close ratio gears!
I got this in 75 new with a Bell Moto-Star helmet. I still have the helmet and the factory owners Manual for it. It was the baddest Motorscooter on the block at the time!
BEST DAM DECADE of my life! Got my 1st Bike in 73 ! & Saw on any Sunday! I Was hooked! Wat a Rush! All these Yrs later STILL wonderfull memories. Had RM's YZ's .. Tear assing on Gerretsen Beach & Gravesend Bklyn! Not a care! Dodging cops! Impressing chicks! It was Great! God Bless...
i had the cr125,i think it had a 6 speed trans,he didnt mention that.the yz monoshock with the up exhaust pipe kind of changed the game.,but when you jumped a hill that mono shock kicked the back end of the bike up.i didnt like it much,about that that time i was getting old and had to quit.started drag racing.not quite as hard on the body.thanks for a trip back to the glory days.
My first experience with dirt bikes was watching the yearly scramble race in my home town in New Zealand. These guys riding British 4 strokes rolling around a bumpy paddock making huge amounts of noise and occasionally one would even get the front wheel off the ground ! It was awesome. I was 9. At seventeen, I was watching a CR125 ( green tank ) leaving all the TM 125's in it's smoke, flying over the jumps like a very angry wasp and generally ruining all the other riders day. It was truly awesome ! Then I was thinking, " Why is my MT 125 such a dog compared to that beast ? " So I got a CR barrel and expansion chamber and my pride was restored. I would snigger at guys on TS 185's.....
I had a 1974 CR125 Elsinore and I instantly became a better rider. The balance of that bike made it such an easy and forgiving bike to ride. Wish I still had it.
Wow cool! This is when I started riding. I idolized the CR! My first bike was a 1976 XR75 with a Baszani pipe. I worked hard in the summers and finally bought a brand new 1980 CR 125 for a little over $1000. I had Hondaline gear, a snap on duck bill with a snap on JT Racing face protector, lol, those were the days... I'm 52 now and still racing amateur motocross and hare scrambles.
When I was a teenager, One of my Friends had a Honda works model as he rode for them in Races,⁉️ I rode that bike a few times, and it put the wind up me 🙀👌👍👍👍
My first bike was 75 CR 125M I was in eighth grade I loved that bike over the winter of my ninth grade year on went the DG rear shock lay down kit my dad had it welded up were he worked FMF nitrogen bags went in the rear shocks i installed the FMF air fork kit on the front forks I stripped all the paint off the frame and gas tank I primed and painted the frame gas tank and fenders to the closet paint I could find to match fire engine red I ported the cylinder my dad had the cylinder head shaved I can't remember the amount taken off re jeted carb installed home made roller skate wheel chain tensioner installed FMF pipe I still remember that spring the look on my friends faces at the track you would have thought I had a factory honda and it was fast real fast
'76 was the year to have. Rear suspension was forward mount laydown shocks. The travel really increased. Preferred the 250 . You could trail ride a 250. 125 was either full throttle or no throttle unless you had a Yamaha with a reed valve. Could ride that 250 Elsinore on the back wheel almost all day long. Slight crack on the throttle and that front end came right up. Damn !
I was 13 in '75. Rode several cr125's. Flat and unresponsive- until it got 'On the pipe'. Then, rooster tail, trench digging top fuel dragster. I raced mx 82 and 83. Exhausting fun.
I just bought a 75 CR125M for $150.00. It has been setting out in the elements for decades but it is 99% complete and not that bad for wear and tear being left outside .
Those things took the market by storm! In it's time, it was the baddest bike out there. I was riding a 70cc Indian MX76 at the time. Now I ride a bigger Indian. Great memories.
My late brother Stuart brought his CR 125 M1 in 1975 brand new for $818 in Victoria Australia. I used to ride it after he lost interest following a big off and as a 15 year old I thought it was an absolute weapon 😁
I raced the Suzuki TM 125 when they first arrived in Texas. I was king of the hill every place I raced at in Texas until the Honda 125 Elsinore came out.
I was in high school , was racing a Yamaha MX 125 when these came out. They were rockets! The early ones had a carb issue, if you let the Rs drop too low in a corner, they’d load up. You had to turn off the gas , hold it wide open and let it blurb and blubber til it cleared. Then turn on the gas and blast off again. He’s right, everyone started buying them ( tho most couldn’t ride them right) and I had to grab a YZ when they came out. Then the mono shock, man it was expensive to stay competitive. When the liquid cooled bikes came out it was all over for me, I couldn’t keep up after halfway through a moto. The air cooled were all loosing speed together through the motos as they got hot, the liquid cooled didn’t get hot and halfway through a race the guys in back were just walking past us. Still, it was amazing watching the bikes evolve so fast.
I had a new Trail 70, then XR-75 silver, Indian 70 cc dirt bike that was yellow for a brief period, then a 125 Elsinore silver, Suzuki rm 185 then a Yamaha YZ 250 and several others. Still have a few of them and some newer ones. Too bad we cant share pic.s here. The one I won the most races with was a Yamaha MX 125 that had been slightly modified, ;), Bassani exhaust , carb kit etc. Those were the days.
I'm getting into motorbikes as a cyclist who recorded 35, 000kms cycled in 2018 and 30, 000 in 2017. I'm driving a Honda MSX which I have bought in June 19 and I'm completely loving my driving my Honda. I've recently had Michelin City Winter tyres fitted because I'm driving in Belfast "Norn Iron" and it's starting to be more commonly wet on the roads it's than dry, unless it's cold and then it'll dry up and be grippy :) Honda is badazz.
I painted my frame red in 1975 before Honda and chromed my tank then painted my frame yellow what a great bike 666 out the door Pasadena Honda great video
I bought one off the showroom floor in 1975. When they delivered it to my house the two guys said to me: Do your parents know what this bike is? It's a f..kin rocket! Bad to the bone at 15 years old is a good thing!
My bike when I was about 13-14... my best friend had the Yamaha 250 in that beautiful green, and he was a little better/more experienced rider than I, and I never could beat him, or rarely. The Elsinore orange/silver was the only bike as sharp as the Yamaha.
Used to ride one of these over the desert. Best not to go on the soft sand. But on the harder stuff you could fly along like you were in a spaceship. Serious grunt and speed. You don't need to go at 200 mph on sand to feel like you are flying. The odd sand dune or bump here or there soon levels you out. The skill is in going as fast as you can without getting bogged down. You can't really crash. As long as the bike does not land up on top of you and burning or crushing your little teenage legs, you are good. After a while you learned the hardest dunes you could ramp up and fly over, hopefully with a hard enough bit of sand to ride off from. But hey, what the hell, some dunes only landed in soft sand and you never got out of them. Just make sure the bike don't land on you and you are good. I love desert riding more than anything else. There is a serious sound and serious sound to these bikes as well. It looks kind of old fashioned now. At the time it really did look like a space ship. I'll never forget that silver, or those wide handlebars. I only rode it a few times as it was not my bike. It's not something you ever forget as a teenager.
Honda could be the GREATEST motorcycle company of all time. They invented so many types of bikes - from the Z50A minitrail to the CB750 4-cylinder and everything in between. But for me the Motocross bikes scare the pants off me. My favourite Honda was my CT110 trail bike which was my faithful steed for several years on many off-road adventures at a reasonable pace. Cheers from Canada :-)
Ah. My old Left Knee killer. I had a 78 125 ELSINORE . It caused me to go to the emergency room and and I wound up having to have orthoscopic surgery done on my left knee. Because this was the bike that scared the living shit out of me. After that accident I never rode again and I never well. I was in the hospital for 4 days. Keep in mind this was back in the days when doctors dictated to insurance companies not like today doctors are pussies. They let insurance companies run over top of them. Anyway, After I came home after surgery and there are reasonswhy I was in there for four days and a big reason is because my left knee swelled up the size of a basketball, but but I digress. My head was filled with images of being Marty Smith but that was not to be simple because I was always too scared of the damn thing and I was writing over my head. After I came home I limped around moped around the house at 17 years old. It all the images of becoming a motocross star came crashing down to reality and I had to admit the truth I was never going to be another Marty Smith because I just did not have the coordination or the guts. Like I said earlier I never rode again and It set out in its own 12x12 shed that me and my dad built, and 6 months later I finally sold it. Speaking of my parents, absolutely wonderful people that came out of the great depression and World War II generation, was fully behind me on riding/racing. Dear God how I miss both of them today!!!! Any baby boomer that had parents like mine that came out of the greatest generation, their dad had fought during World War II or the Korean War, and a mother like mine that could cook and I mean cook absolutely anything and bake anything and yes we got woopings back then when we screwed up and we deserved every damn one of them, there are no parents today like the greatest generation parents. I have to stop because I’m starting to cry because I miss both my parents so damn much. So damn much.
Garland Remington III Amen brother! That was my grandparents generation and I agree they were the greatest generation for all of the reasons you mentioned.
My grandpa fought in World War Two.. if he read that, he’d tell you to cry me a river, and he meant it, he told us real men cry, he wore his feelings on his sleeve and always told us to keep our heads up and question everything!
Nice! I still remember the first time I saw one at a local track in 73 in the rain and mud ....coming in on a trailer...a 125 and a 250 They looked like special/works built race bikes and everybody gawked at them. "THATs" a Honda??? First heat, you could hear the 125 was distinctly higher pitched and short shifted through the 6 spd as it left everything at the starting line like they were sitting still. But, it also blubbered like crazy in the corners if they got off the pipe. Even with that...next place was far back in every heat. The japanese were transitioning from enduros with pipes and lights removed, to purpose built race bikes. After the race and everybody gathered around to gawk...we realized that not only were they not one-off customs, but anybody could buy one at the local Honda dealer for 700$. It was a fun time indeed :)
Honda had to build the Elsinore going from 4 stroke MX bikes to 2 stroke to keep up with Yamaha. I have been a Yamaha fan since I started riding and when Honda first brought these out I went to my local Honda dealer to test ride it. I must admit they are damn quick Motorcycles. Well worth the hype.
I had the green/silver CR250 Elsinore, and that thing would flat get with it. A friend of mine had a blue/silver CR125 Elsinore with head/tail lights (his uncle owned the local Honda dealership). It wasn't no slouch either. He used to get ALL of the cool stuff first.
It sounds like he had an MT 125 not a CR. He might have put a CR barrel and expansion chamber on it though. Otherwise it would definately have been a slouch. I speak from experience.
It's noticeable to me how similar the small Elsinore is to the original Bultaco Sherpa S 125s and they came on the scene pretty much in force in 1962. The quality of the Honda is better and it does have a small rotor magneto which was preferred for performance. However, the weight and general characteristics were very close. My daughter has a used but not raced original '76 Suzuki TM 125 which is rare also. It was overshadowed so completely by the first RMs but as a specimen, it's a good example.
I was so bummed.I bought the 73 125 Yamaha mx and then Honda came out with the 125 Elsinore which my friend went out and bought. It was so much better then the Yamaha. I think it was even better then the strap tank 125 YZ that came out at around the same time.
@@davidskaar3232 David - with the price of NOS parts ,he won't have much $ after a restoration !. I used to own a mint Rocketship .It was competitive in 1979 & I sold it for $250😪 on a move to AU...it still had its Factory Bridgestone tyres on front & would lift the front wheel through 1st 3 X gears. I still miss that green with silver tanked bike I bought with a blown gearbox (3rd gear) $32 for a new driven gear.I fixed it myself. Those were the days.Trev New Zealand
You can still find 1974 1-2-5 Elsinores... The big miss here is TW#42 who was sincerely one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet. Yes... Stock, they'd smoke all but the very fastest DKWs, Monarchs and Pentons.
Had a Yamaha 100 MX’r but wanted a faster bike so I bought a ‘75 model CR125 new at Wheelworld Honda in Albuquerque - it was May 1975 & it cost me $895 that I had saved bussing tables at Bella Vista - it was a flat out kick ass bike stock but I had to tinker so we put a webco head on it, had the cylinder ported, polished & replaced the carb with a 32 Mikuni & finished it off with a Bassani pipe - it came alive & got on the pipe around 10,000 RPM. Almost killed myself several times during the first months of ownership - raced on it at the B dig but honestly the bike was just WAY better than its rider. I sold it during my Senior year of HS (‘78) and always regretted doing that. It was an awesome machine & I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for 2 strokers. Like how about an Yammerhammer RD350 twin or the crazy Kawasaki 750 triple, love ‘em!
I remember seeing one in a dealer's showroom in '74. Things changed rapidly after that with some european based brands backing out of motocross because of yearly changes needed to keep up with Japanese. Changing something every year to drop an oz. or gain a little power was too much for a relatively small market. Honda California worked really well with Honda Japan.
Tom White has one Great Private Dirt Bike Museum.. I am guessing the last bike he added to it before he passed away was the New Indian 750 Flat Track Racer.. I liked the Yamaha TT 500.. My friend bought one to build a Hill climber.. but some lady hung a U turn in front of him after she pulled to the side of the road in a rain storm.. He was doing a plug check.. Broke his leg in 7 places and never built the Hill Climber.. I have all the Literature for CCM 500 & 600 Motocross bikes Close ration for wide ratio 3 speed or 4 speed Trans.. in 1982 I could have bought one for $2,200.00 but never did I did put a bored and stroked Honda SL 125 motor in a 77 Honda CR 125 frame .. fun bike to ride 160 CC's
I had the four stroke version of this the 75 XL 125....and I motocross the shit out of it it handle great despite weight 230 pounds compare to the two stroke,I had 650 dollars saved up for a brand new 78 RM 80....and being 13 my dad was my purchasing agent and I end up with the 75 XL I new it was the same bike basically I left the engine stock...except for a hooker header up pipe...put the Tony D fender on it and the conversion was done,I put a Cheng chin paddle tire on it and irc front put a 60 tooth rear sprocket on it an thru the 52 tooth in the trash...it went from 60mph. Top speed to 53mph but it would lift the front in first second and third...I used to rake the 5 speed as fast as I could,the Cheng shin tire was great because the knobs went all the way around the tire to the rim edge...I could lay it over on both sides and burry the grip in the ground going thru a berm...I had a 96 CR 250R and it handle turn the same....I rode that bike any where from 45 to 70 hours a week and could not kill it I was out to show my dad it wasn't motocross worthy....50 to 70 hours a week for 14 months straight snow rain summer,I broke a lot of stuff on it but couldn't kill it obviously I had know idea what a Honda was it got one oil change by the way and sunk it in a 6 foot deep river and still going....sold it for parts and some kid came along telling me how great a bike it was and he was gonna restore it ,I wanted to kill him,JK it really was a good bike think about what other bike could go 365 days 8 to 12 hours a day and not blow up I'm 55 now and none....could do that....and still be a good rideable bike...after wards....thanks Tom great museum....
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I had a silver and green tank model the first version loved it.
I was racing mx at age 13 when these came out. I was riding a bultaco. My dad looked at it and told me ( he fought in ww2 and was in Japan several times in his career including just after the war ended) that the Japanese were experts at copying a product and improving on it over time. He said that sadly the euro bikes would be gone soon. At age 13, I didn't appreciate his insight ( teens know it all right? ) within a couple of race seasons, all the euro bikes were disappearing...soon came suzuki and Kawasaki and the smaller Spanish companies never stood a chance. I'm just glad I was able to ride the euro bikes. Wish I still had mine.
I was in school at the time too. Was racing a Yammie MX 125 at the time. Me and several buds were like a team kind of, we shared parts, transportation and a couple of the dads did pit and mechanic work for us. Anyway, the year these elsinores came out , girl in our area got one of the first to hit the local shop. It was super fast, but they had issues with loading up.
Let the Rs get too low in a corner or such and you’d have to turn off the gas while it sat and bogged and choked til it cleared. Then a rocket again. Tje next year I had to buy a YZ to stay with the Honda’s.. I miss all the great bikes back then.
The Pentons, Ossas, bultacos, maicos…even HD had MX bikes. And of course the Hodakas!!
Haven’t been on a dirt bike in probably close to 40yrs. That new stuff would kill me at my age lol.
@@megastick9324 I still ride, just not as fast, no competition and off road only. Loved the old euro bikes
@@weirdshibainu I still ride street bikes, wouldn’t mind a dual sport of some type . Watching this stuff does make one lament a bit lol.
@@megastick9324 Same. I've come close to buying an old bultaco just for fun, except spare parts hold you hostage. I also have a tw200 yamaha, not fast, but low seat height, super reliable and a blast.
Loved the Bultys - once you got used to the gearshift being reversed!
A friend of mine owned one of these in the mid 70s, and even today the memories of him riding it leave a wonderful impression. His Elsinore was blazing fast and when he up shifted it from one gear to the next it sounded like he was backing off the throttle and hitting the throttle once again. It certainly was a high revving machine when going through the gears. Very impressive indeed.
That’s how you shift?
In 1982 I was running in Houston after school for Cross Country practice. I passed by an apartment complex and there was garbage piled at the curb, I spotted an old CR 125 and though I couldn't stop and get it I sent my buddy to go retrieve it. It was a 1974. We cleaned out the tank (Rusted) went to cycle salvage and got an old chain and back sprocket for $10 and it started! It was so fast and so loud with a vicious power band. I was such an idiot for selling it when I went to college but back then had no idea what it would be worth. Boy I miss those days!
Had a Super Rat. Cryin now.
You and everyone else
I was a teenager in the seventies and I wanted one of these so bad. I never got one, but I did have a Mini Trail 50 as a kid I loved.
I had one just like that. Went from an XR75 to the Elsinore and it scared me so bad when I test rode it that I knew I had to have it. Sold it in CA. Maybe that's it!
Marty Smith and the Honda 125 Elsinore are synonymous with each other. In 1974 he won the first AMA 125 National Championship for Team Honda; 1975 he decimated the 125 National Championship competition on the RC125 Factory bike. By 1975, The competition in the form of the production Suzuki RM 125 and the YZ 125 monoshock stepped up and surpassed the production Honda with their long travel suspension versus the still short travel Elsinore. But as Mr. White alluded to, the aftermarket shops were all over the Honda. I remember the FMF package racer kits. The Honda Elsinore 125 lit my fires for motocross. The 1970s was a great period of time for the motocross and off road enthusiast.
WHERE IS HIS MUSEUM ....BLUE ?....i had a original Elsinore in 79 awesome fun real quick too
Amen BlueDog. Pretty sure I got to see him at Redbud, my fav local track back then.
I had the first 125 cr Elsinore. Great motorcycle. But it was amazing really how fast the RM 125 caught up with the Elsinore when you think about it.😊
@@C.A.MARSUPIAL-ys6tlWhere I grew up, you only saw RMs and YZs. Myself, I started with a TM125 that I had to build from scraps, literally, then got a ‘77 RM100. Later on I bought a ‘78 CR250. A beautiful bike with that red engine, and it had Fox air shocks. But I loved the RMs, especially the 125s, and I missed my RM100. A friend had a ‘78 RM125 and it screamed. They were super easy to work on. Honda put the kickstarter on the left side, (oh I hated that!). It wasn’t until the very late ‘70s and early ‘80s until I saw people buying CRs and KXs. I remember when Kawasaki came out with their Uni-Shock, and even though Yamaha’s monoshock had been out for years, the uni-shock changed everything for rear suspension. Those were the days. Every year saw a complete redesign from the Big 4 and progress was rapid. Travel went from 6” to 12” in a few short years. Miss those days.
@@TheSteveSteele I love those red engine one's. I grew up in Melbourne Australia. I'm curious if you didn't have the cr Honda were you grew up where abouts and why weren't they around. Thanks for the reply. PS. My brother got the RM 125 and I got his cr Elsinore 125. I found the RM a bigger taller bike so I prefered riding the cr Honda. 🦘👍
I got my 75 Elsinore Friday night before the Hopetown GP in Simi Valley because my 74 blew a crank seal practicing on Wednesday. Broke it in in the field outside the main gate Saturday morning before my race. Loved those bikes.
Had a 74, man it was fast. The bike that introduced me to Emergency rooms.....
LightWorker61 Frank my ride to the ER was aboard a new 79’ Yamaha IT 175, I was 13 that year and weighed 130lbs
Not the bikes fault. With or without mods, the Elsinore was one of the best handling bikes in it's era. Though people did get hurt on them - I know one or two who were killed while racing them back in the day at Sand Hill Ranch MX track in Brentwood, CA. Bad things can happen at break neck speed when you're in a traffic jam striving to win a trophy. The 125 Elsinore was an amazing bike that could inspire someone to be over confident. I struggled to keep the front wheel on the ground the first day I rode one.
I also had a 74. That bike due to it's great handling actually saved my rear end a few times. On more than one occasion it kept me upright when riding over my head in the Mojave desert.
I also had a 74..traded it a few years back for a big red atc...
The atc suits my needs better but man I miss ripping on that little beast.......I'm in my 50s and it really got your heart beating. ...
Damm I wish I kept it
My friend's brother had a 75. He put a skunk's works 38mm mikuni carb on it and I could smoke on that puppy!!! We had a bermed out track on Fort Ord in the sand.......man was that fun!!!!
My first bike was the 1974 Honda MT125 (street/trail). It was a dog until I put the CR125 top end on it. Just order everything from the crankcases up. MT had a 5-speed gearbox & the CR had a 6-speed gearbox. Life was good at age 14.
They built The CR in 74 green..On the tank
Didn't see much red, untill 76
Always wondered if that was a bolt on. Good for you. Had many CR's back then. I remember getting on an MT125 and being very.... unimpressed.
It had nothing on an XR75!
@@CR125Elsinore I had a 76 MT125. A buddy at school just got an XR100. I told him he didn't have a chance. Turned out he did lol.
You just put a CR125 head, piston, and rings on it and it ran as fast as a CR125?
@@kirbylee57 I did not change the head. I used the cylinder,intake boot, piston & rings, carb, and used an after market ex. pipe. I had to remove the air box and use an after market flip on filter, all so removed the oil tank. One thing to keep in mind is the MT engine was dark brown & the CR engine was black. I have seen a lot of MT parts listed on e-bay as being CR parts. but yes it would run with a CR.
Had one fkn loved it! Im just an old dude now riden a Harley.
I'd like to have a 125 and 250 early Elsinor's. Just to look at and remember.
I just found one
Riding since 1976 (Bicentennial), CR125 was my second bike . First was a Honda MR50.
I had one in 1974 new from the local dealer.
It was differentiated from the first model by the red stripe on the tank as opposed to the green stripe on the original.
All I did was re jet it and go racing.
I raced against all sorts of bikes and all capacities and it held its own .
What a great bike and the start of a love affair with bikes of all kinds.
It rocked !
I bought a 1974 for my little brother. That thing was nuts. At the time I was riding a 360 Husky and the first time I rode the Elsinore, it caught me off guard and scared the crap out of me. A Honda 2-stroke, who ever heard of such a thing?
These bikes are just as good as those look and this red stripe elsinore is exiting to ride and look at so beautifull production and the green striper was fun i had one they were fast beautys
The Honda Elsinore was fantastic when it rolled out I was 14 and in 1975 there were 80% +- Elsinore's on the line, amazing!
Then the YZ 's rolled out in late 75', they dominated for 2-3 yr's, Suzuki thereafter and as we, the competitors know, the playing field on technology evened out. By 1980, it was 85-90% rider. Just my opinion based on racing those years.
Damn those were some good years!
You left out the 1976 yz125 mono shock as i bought one in 1977 with most of all the bugs worked out .but you had to be quick to get one first soon as they were released to dealers that year as a week later they were all sold out ..but in noname parts of the country the dealers who might still have one were scalping them 500 bucks more and higher so i preordered one and the day it came in before i could get to my yamaha shop the owner that morning had already sold ny brand new still in the crate yz125 to someone for cash deal on the road as they were headed to a national ...so i didnt get one until the following saturday the day before myv1st race for the season opener and was a bit pissed having less than 24 hours to get it ready and on the line...but calmed down a bit with two 1st place finishes my 1st time out in the 125 class on a rainy day of a mud track on wtwo 2 at 6 oclock evening local tv ., showing me clearing the doubles while others slopped around in mud blood and beer ...1977 yz125 was the bike to put you into the pro class ..and before you say it yes the 1977 twin rear shock RM125 Suzuki had more horse power and a faster top speed ..but could always be passed by useing the advantage a 1977 yz125 single rear monoshock in the whoop sections , double in double out , with big doubles no troubles as it was bye bye RM until we all ran out of piston rings at the same time during the end of the season as i bogged bad in the last burm a RM i had just battle for 20 minutes plows the hell out of me rear ending me as he could not get it stopped putting the fire out of his RM but rekindling my candles that were already burned off at both ends and braap i got to the checker by thevskin of a chickens tooth ahead of an enraged RM
baker ....those were great years donnie, cherish what we have today so we wont regret tomorrow.
Had a 1976, I was about 14 and weighed about 80 pounds, felt like a flag on a flag pole on a windy day. Could barely touch my toes but rarely needed to. What a bike! Thanks
I had the original (green) Elsinore 125. So much power! I have to say that I longed to have a go on a CR250 but when I finally did, I was woefully disappointed that it wasn't *twice* as fast. The 250 had more torque but lacked the explosive power-band of the 125. Much preferred my 125 because it was so nimble. Of course this was back in the day when doing a cross-up was considered cool, long before we had the aerobatics we see today.
Mum bought one for my 16th birthday. Green and silver tank, MK1.
I was racing an MX80 Yamaha, heavily modded.
The Elsinore was ,even stock, incredibly quick.
I ended up with a DG radial head, FMF up pipe, reed valves... I know, sounds odd, but great for slower, twisty tracks, larger Mikuni, air forks and Mulholland shocks.
Raced it and did well until I crashed and burned.
Good times ♥️
MY brother bought me 74-XR 75 when I was 10, MY saving grace to motocross for next 11 yrs to pro🇨🇦! HE knew it when he put me in front, first ride on a 73 TM 250, when 8 yrs old, I was vibrating when we stopped! HE is my hero!
I had me a 1976 CR125 Elsinore, bought it used and fixed it up, Many great days of fun around Miami, Florida back in the late 70's
what a beautiful bike . i can feel tom s energy and excitement as he describes this bike . rip tom
I owned a 74' CR125 and loved it. I loved looking at the faces on the 250 and open rider when I passed them because they have not seen this bike yet at that time!
These were amazing for being able to simply pick up the front end, mid turn, and switch lines.
I could pull it up in 2nd and make it to 6 gear with the biggest S%@t eating grin loving life. Thanks mom for buying my first MX bike. I will never forget either one of you!.
By the late 70s, these were absolutely bad ass. I had YZs in the late 70s but the CRs were amazing
I had a `75 Elsinore back in those days .
Raced it until `78 .
I remember I payed some 900 Dollars for it out the door back then . Sure seemed like a BUNCH of money to a kid , back then .
I can almost still smell the Blendzall that I used to mix in the Gasoline .
I hear you. I saved up $805 when I was 16. Went to the Honda shop, and put a brand new 1974 CR125 Elsinore in a 1949 Ford pick up, hauled it home, and rode it till dark.
That was my first race bike when i was a kid. 1975 what a great year.
Mine too .
Graduated high school that year.
Gorgeous. Bought one brand new in the Fall of '75 (leftover) for $476 OTD -- heck of a deal. The most fun was hitting the pipe wide open on the razor thin powerband and pissing off everyone within a quarter mile! Sure wish they still made dirt bikes today with low seat height and center of gravity which are a lot more fun on two tracks and trails.
I got one in 1974, i was in high school and the girls liked me and my flashy silver team honda jacket. I
won many races with it. Yes i moved the shocks forward... did it in the high school shop. To top it off I was a parts guy in a Honda dealership.... raced up until 84 when i blew out my knee... 250's, 480's... good times. Uncle Donny Emler and the White Bros were legends
My first two stroke was a yamaha 125 mx i was 11 years old couldnt even touch the ground it was so big and could barely hang on but was in love instantly next one was 1981 cr 125 wow awesome bike loved it
I had 81 cr 125, water cooled single shock 12 inches of travel. Just 6 yrs after the bike in video, man what a difference 6yrs made.
after 45 years of want just landed a pretty nice 74 125,rode it Saturday,hadnt ridden 2 stroke 125 since 1980,clutchless gear bangin was sweet,,runs really good, sounds awesome belray smells even better
I bought one right out of college in 1975, cost me $850 in Lowell, MA. What a machine!
I was at Glen Helen with a recent purchase 1975 Cr 125 about a year and a half ago( 2017). I was 58. The last time I was on a Cr 125 was 1974. I had a new one at 16. The 75 engine quit after a few laps, and as I was pushing the bike back to my truck, I tried starting it in front of this old guy; He says "sounds like it seized". The old guy comes over and says "hi I'm Tom White, I have one of these like new at home". I said really, that's must be nice. I kinda didn't believe the guy. Plus I was upset that the bike had failed since the engine was suppose to be "professionally rebuilt" as advertised.
Since I had been out of the motocross world for over 40 years, I had no idea who I had just met. I wish I had known who I had the good fortune of crossing paths with. I wish I had known. RIP...
We rebuilt them every week or they blew up but small price to pay back then
Cool! We want more videos like this. There are still quite a few bikes to talk about in there :) .
more coming!
RIP..... :(
www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tom-white-obituary-20171103-story.html
Sorry to hear of his passing. RIP Bob White
I didn't know that Glen Hellen has been around that long.
Wow, awesome! My buddy had 2 of these back in 1979. At that time I had a 1976 Yamaha DT 400. Was a big bike for a skinny 14 year old but I managed to hang on to the bars LoL. In 1985 I got my first motocross bike. Brand new 85 Kawasaki KX 125 and then a 86 Honda 250R Trike 😁 great times then. I had the baddest bikes in my town.
We all got ‘em in 1974, 125’s with the green top tank. They were light years ahead of everyone else.
This brings back memories of my Teen years , I 13 years old and bought my first Dirtbike a '74 CZ 250 MX and a little bit later a '75 Honda CR125M Elsinore , 2 of my favorite bikes my buddies and myself we to Escape Country later on called Racing World and had a Blast , Indian Dunes , Ascot Raceway . Those were some awesome times . I miss that little Bumble Bee , I put every performance modification at the time and it screamed , blew the DG and FMF bikes in the weeds and they wanted to see what was done to the engine , I didn't let them , I told them it was Stock ! 😁
never owned one but these elsinores were the bikes of dreams back in the day.. they Did revolutionize the motocross world! I used to go to a local shop who had these and just to sit on one on the showroom floor was amazing...so lean, so light and so ergonomically perfect! Light switch powerbands and ultra close ratio gears!
I got this in 75 new with a Bell Moto-Star helmet. I still have the helmet and the factory owners Manual for it. It was the baddest Motorscooter on the block at the time!
I love these old dirt bikes!!..spent hrs. On the trails..and a couple of 6 week stints in casts!! Hahaha wouldn't change it for world !! Great vid.
Nobody was scared on these bikes. They handled so well they just made you feel like a pro.
BEST DAM DECADE of my life! Got my 1st Bike in 73 ! & Saw on any Sunday! I Was hooked! Wat a Rush! All these Yrs later STILL wonderfull memories. Had RM's YZ's .. Tear assing on Gerretsen Beach & Gravesend Bklyn! Not a care! Dodging cops! Impressing chicks! It was Great! God Bless...
i had the cr125,i think it had a 6 speed trans,he didnt mention that.the yz monoshock with the up exhaust pipe kind of changed the game.,but when you jumped a hill that mono shock kicked the back end of the bike up.i didnt like it much,about that that time i was getting old and had to quit.started drag racing.not quite as hard on the body.thanks for a trip back to the glory days.
I saw that TM in the background. My first bike was a TM125. Crazy machine.
my dad bought me this bike but insisted that i wear helmet, duck-bill visor, jofa mouth guard, and full-bore mx boots
My first experience with dirt bikes was watching the yearly scramble race in my home town in New Zealand. These guys riding British 4 strokes rolling around a bumpy paddock making huge amounts of noise and occasionally one would even get the front wheel off the ground ! It was awesome. I was 9. At seventeen, I was watching a CR125 ( green tank ) leaving all the TM 125's in it's smoke, flying over the jumps like a very angry wasp and generally ruining all the other riders day. It was truly awesome ! Then I was thinking, " Why is my MT 125 such a dog compared to that beast ? " So I got a CR barrel and expansion chamber and my pride was restored. I would snigger at guys on TS 185's.....
Thanks for the memories. Raced one while in HS.Indian Dunes.Moorpark,CA
These bikes were the talk of the town when I was growing up & one kid had one, it was fast🔥
I had a 1974 CR125 Elsinore and I instantly became a better rider. The balance of that bike made it such an easy and forgiving bike to ride. Wish I still had it.
There was a Swedish built Bike I never heard of that was ahead of it's time .. I think maybe Marty Smith rode one ..Monarch
Wow cool! This is when I started riding. I idolized the CR! My first bike was a 1976 XR75 with a Baszani pipe. I worked hard in the summers and finally bought a brand new 1980 CR 125 for a little over $1000. I had Hondaline gear, a snap on duck bill with a snap on JT Racing face protector, lol, those were the days... I'm 52 now and still racing amateur motocross and hare scrambles.
When I was a teenager, One of my Friends had a Honda works model as he rode for them in Races,⁉️ I rode that bike a few times, and it put the wind up me 🙀👌👍👍👍
My first bike was 75 CR 125M I was in eighth grade I loved that bike over the winter of my ninth grade year on went the DG rear shock lay down kit my dad had it welded up were he worked FMF nitrogen bags went in the rear shocks i installed the FMF air fork kit on the front forks I stripped all the paint off the frame and gas tank I primed and painted the frame gas tank and fenders to the closet paint I could find to match fire engine red I ported the cylinder my dad had the cylinder head shaved I can't remember the amount taken off re jeted carb installed home made roller skate wheel chain tensioner installed FMF pipe I still remember that spring the look on my friends faces at the track you would have thought I had a factory honda and it was fast real fast
Was it faster after all the work you did to it? Painting it would have been a waste of my time, but if you liked it, it was a good thing.
'76 was the year to have. Rear suspension was forward mount laydown shocks. The travel really increased. Preferred the 250 . You could trail ride a 250. 125 was either full throttle or no throttle unless you had a Yamaha with a reed valve. Could ride that 250 Elsinore on the back wheel almost all day long. Slight crack on the throttle and that front end came right up. Damn !
Truth
I had a Honda CR125 as a kid, 1978 rode the heck out of it in the farmlands around NW ct.
I was 13 in '75. Rode several cr125's. Flat and unresponsive- until it got 'On the pipe'. Then, rooster tail, trench digging top fuel
dragster. I raced mx 82 and 83. Exhausting fun.
I just bought a 75 CR125M for $150.00. It has been setting out in the elements for decades but it is 99% complete and not that bad for wear and tear being left outside .
Had a 76 mt125 and soon after had a 76 cr125 elsinore,kick ass bike,memories.
My first dirt bike was a 1977 Suzuki rm 80, and i had so mutch fun with it.
Those things took the market by storm! In it's time, it was the baddest bike out there. I was riding a 70cc Indian MX76 at the time. Now I ride a bigger Indian. Great memories.
My late brother Stuart brought his CR 125 M1 in 1975 brand new for $818 in Victoria Australia. I used to ride it after he lost interest following a big off and as a 15 year old I thought it was an absolute weapon 😁
I raced the Suzuki TM 125 when they first arrived in Texas. I was king of the hill every place I raced at in Texas until the Honda 125 Elsinore came out.
I was in high school , was racing a Yamaha MX 125 when these came out. They were rockets! The early ones had a carb issue, if you let the Rs drop too low in a corner, they’d load up. You had to turn off the gas , hold it wide open and let it blurb and blubber til it cleared.
Then turn on the gas and blast off again. He’s right, everyone started buying them ( tho most couldn’t ride them right) and I had to grab a YZ when they came out. Then the mono shock, man it was expensive to stay competitive. When the liquid cooled bikes came out it was all over for me, I couldn’t keep up after halfway through a moto. The air cooled were all loosing speed together through the motos as they got hot, the liquid cooled didn’t get hot and halfway through a race the guys in back were just walking past us.
Still, it was amazing watching the bikes evolve so fast.
I had a 79’ CR250 back in the day. That thing was scary powerful and fast until I got used it. A huge change from a Suzuki TS185
Yamaha was the real innovator of dirt bikes in the mid to late 70's with the mono shock.
I had a new Trail 70, then XR-75 silver, Indian 70 cc dirt bike that was yellow for a brief period, then a 125 Elsinore silver, Suzuki rm 185 then a Yamaha YZ 250 and several others. Still have a few of them and some newer ones. Too bad we cant share pic.s here. The one I won the most races with was a Yamaha MX 125 that had been slightly modified, ;), Bassani exhaust , carb kit etc. Those were the days.
I had the MT 125 blue tank enduro. Handled great but lacked power.
Fixed with CR 125 Head and Piston and expansion chamber. Great desert bike.
I'm getting into motorbikes as a cyclist who recorded 35, 000kms cycled in 2018 and 30, 000 in 2017. I'm driving a Honda MSX which I have bought in June 19 and I'm completely loving my driving my Honda. I've recently had Michelin City Winter tyres fitted because I'm driving in Belfast "Norn Iron" and it's starting to be more commonly wet on the roads it's than dry, unless it's cold and then it'll dry up and be grippy :) Honda is badazz.
I painted my frame red in 1975 before Honda and chromed my tank then painted my frame yellow what a great bike 666 out the door Pasadena Honda great video
I had a Yamaha MX 125 BACK in 1975 White black and red steel tank!
Had a '77 model- everything was red but the seat and tires. What a little ripper!
Sin lugar a dudas Honda Elsinore fue todo un icono en el motocross.
How sweet it is to see a CR like this one 😊
I bought one off the showroom floor in 1975. When they delivered it to my house the two guys said to me: Do your parents know what this bike is? It's a f..kin rocket! Bad to the bone at 15 years old is a good thing!
My bike when I was about 13-14... my best friend had the Yamaha 250 in that beautiful green, and he was a little better/more experienced rider than I, and I never could beat him, or rarely. The Elsinore orange/silver was the only bike as sharp as the Yamaha.
Used to ride one of these over the desert. Best not to go on the soft sand. But on the harder stuff you could fly along like you were in a spaceship. Serious grunt and speed.
You don't need to go at 200 mph on sand to feel like you are flying. The odd sand dune or bump here or there soon levels you out. The skill is in going as fast as you can without getting bogged down. You can't really crash. As long as the bike does not land up on top of you and burning or crushing your little teenage legs, you are good.
After a while you learned the hardest dunes you could ramp up and fly over, hopefully with a hard enough bit of sand to ride off from. But hey, what the hell, some dunes only landed in soft sand and you never got out of them. Just make sure the bike don't land on you and you are good.
I love desert riding more than anything else. There is a serious sound and serious sound to these bikes as well.
It looks kind of old fashioned now. At the time it really did look like a space ship. I'll never forget that silver, or those wide handlebars. I only rode it a few times as it was not my bike. It's not something you ever forget as a teenager.
Honda could be the GREATEST motorcycle company of all time. They invented so many types of bikes - from the Z50A minitrail to the CB750 4-cylinder and everything in between. But for me the Motocross bikes scare the pants off me. My favourite Honda was my CT110 trail bike which was my faithful steed for several years on many off-road adventures at a reasonable pace. Cheers from Canada :-)
Raced for Ramona high school motocross team 1974 on a Honda elsinore. So fun and fast
I bought a new 73 CR250M. Played chase in 74 against a CR125M and had great difficulty getting him off my ass. Those 125’s were quick.
My 73’ CR250M Elsinore took me straight to the podium. No other bike could come close at that time.
I still have my first dirt bike. It's a '74 Honda Elsinore MR50. It looks just like that '75 Honda Elsinore CR125 only scaled down.
Ah. My old Left Knee killer. I had a 78 125 ELSINORE . It caused me to go to the emergency room and and I wound up having to have orthoscopic surgery done on my left knee. Because this was the bike that scared the living shit out of me. After that accident I never rode again and I never well. I was in the hospital for 4 days. Keep in mind this was back in the days when doctors dictated to insurance companies not like today doctors are pussies. They let insurance companies run over top of them.
Anyway, After I came home after surgery and there are reasonswhy I was in there for four days and a big reason is because my left knee swelled up the size of a basketball, but but I digress. My head was filled with images of being Marty Smith but that was not to be simple because I was always too scared of the damn thing and I was writing over my head. After I came home I limped around moped around the house at 17 years old. It all the images of becoming a motocross star came crashing down to reality and I had to admit the truth I was never going to be another Marty Smith because I just did not have the coordination or the guts. Like I said earlier I never rode again and It set out in its own 12x12 shed that me and my dad built, and 6 months later I finally sold it. Speaking of my parents, absolutely wonderful people that came out of the great depression and World War II generation, was fully behind me on riding/racing. Dear God how I miss both of them today!!!!
Any baby boomer that had parents like mine that came out of the greatest generation, their dad had fought during World War II or the Korean War, and a mother like mine that could cook and I mean cook absolutely anything and bake anything and yes we got woopings back then when we screwed up and we deserved every damn one of them, there are no parents today like the greatest generation parents. I have to stop because I’m starting to cry because I miss both my parents so damn much. So damn much.
Garland Remington III Amen brother! That was my grandparents generation and I agree they were the greatest generation for all of the reasons you mentioned.
My grandpa fought in World War Two.. if he read that, he’d tell you to cry me a river, and he meant it, he told us real men cry, he wore his feelings on his sleeve and always told us to keep our heads up and question everything!
Nice! I still remember the first time I saw one at a local track in 73 in the rain and mud ....coming in on a trailer...a 125 and a 250 They looked like special/works built race bikes and everybody gawked at them. "THATs" a Honda??? First heat, you could hear the 125 was distinctly higher pitched and short shifted through the 6 spd as it left everything at the starting line like they were sitting still. But, it also blubbered like crazy in the corners if they got off the pipe. Even with that...next place was far back in every heat. The japanese were transitioning from enduros with pipes and lights removed, to purpose built race bikes. After the race and everybody gathered around to gawk...we realized that not only were they not one-off customs, but anybody could buy one at the local Honda dealer for 700$. It was a fun time indeed :)
These things had the power to weight ratio of an Indy car. Hold on ! Unbelievable for a 125 !
feather light and explosive like a firecracker!
Great presentation. Fantastic looking bike.
Once you got in the power band it accelerated like a rocket seemed like every gear pulled as hard as the one before it.
Honda had to build the Elsinore going from 4 stroke MX bikes to 2 stroke to keep up with Yamaha. I have been a Yamaha fan since I started riding and when Honda first brought these out I went to my local Honda dealer to test ride it. I must admit they are damn quick Motorcycles. Well worth the hype.
I had the green/silver CR250 Elsinore, and that thing would flat get with it. A friend of mine had a blue/silver CR125 Elsinore with head/tail lights (his uncle owned the local Honda dealership). It wasn't no slouch either. He used to get ALL of the cool stuff first.
It sounds like he had an MT 125 not a CR. He might have put a CR barrel and expansion chamber on it though. Otherwise it would definately have been a slouch. I speak from experience.
It's noticeable to me how similar the small Elsinore is to the original Bultaco Sherpa S 125s and they came on the scene pretty much in force in 1962. The quality of the Honda is better and it does have a small rotor magneto which was preferred for performance. However, the weight and general characteristics were very close. My daughter has a used but not raced original '76 Suzuki TM 125 which is rare also. It was overshadowed so completely by the first RMs but as a specimen, it's a good example.
I was so bummed.I bought the 73 125 Yamaha mx and then Honda came out with the 125 Elsinore which my friend went out and bought. It was so much better then the Yamaha. I think it was even better then the strap tank 125 YZ that came out at around the same time.
I found one at a junk yard for 80$ in the process of restoration
Let's us see when you are done or in process.
@Sharron Clark Got no money or space just memories. Thanks
@@davidskaar3232 David - with the price of NOS parts ,he won't have much $ after a restoration !. I used to own a mint Rocketship .It was competitive in 1979 & I sold it for $250😪 on a move to AU...it still had its Factory Bridgestone tyres on front & would lift the front wheel through 1st 3 X gears. I still miss that green with silver tanked bike I bought with a blown gearbox (3rd gear) $32 for a new driven gear.I fixed it myself. Those were the days.Trev New Zealand
You can still find 1974 1-2-5 Elsinores...
The big miss here is TW#42 who was sincerely one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet.
Yes... Stock, they'd smoke all but the very fastest DKWs, Monarchs and Pentons.
Wow. Amazing collection..🙏👍
Had a Yamaha 100 MX’r but wanted a faster bike so I bought a ‘75 model CR125 new at Wheelworld Honda in Albuquerque - it was May 1975 & it cost me $895 that I had saved bussing tables at Bella Vista - it was a flat out kick ass bike stock but I had to tinker so we put a webco head on it, had the cylinder ported, polished & replaced the carb with a 32 Mikuni & finished it off with a Bassani pipe - it came alive & got on the pipe around 10,000 RPM. Almost killed myself several times during the first months of ownership - raced on it at the B dig but honestly the bike was just WAY better than its rider. I sold it during my Senior year of HS (‘78) and always regretted doing that. It was an awesome machine & I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for 2 strokers. Like how about an Yammerhammer RD350 twin or the crazy Kawasaki 750 triple, love ‘em!
Esthétiquement, c'est pour moi la plus belle moto de cross compé-client 👍
I remember seeing one in a dealer's showroom in '74. Things changed rapidly after that with some european based brands backing out of motocross because of yearly changes needed to keep up with Japanese. Changing something every year to drop an oz. or gain a little power was too much for a relatively small market. Honda California worked really well with Honda Japan.
Tom White has one Great Private Dirt Bike Museum.. I am guessing the last bike he added to it before he passed away was the New Indian 750 Flat Track Racer..
I liked the Yamaha TT 500.. My friend bought one to build a Hill climber.. but some lady hung a U turn in front of him after she pulled to the side of the road in a rain storm.. He was doing a plug check.. Broke his leg in 7 places and never built the Hill Climber..
I have all the Literature for CCM 500 & 600 Motocross bikes Close ration for wide ratio 3 speed or 4 speed Trans.. in 1982 I could have bought one for $2,200.00 but never did
I did put a bored and stroked Honda SL 125 motor in a 77 Honda CR 125 frame .. fun bike to ride 160 CC's
I had the four stroke version of this the 75 XL 125....and I motocross the shit out of it it handle great despite weight 230 pounds compare to the two stroke,I had 650 dollars saved up for a brand new 78 RM 80....and being 13 my dad was my purchasing agent and I end up with the 75 XL I new it was the same bike basically I left the engine stock...except for a hooker header up pipe...put the Tony D fender on it and the conversion was done,I put a Cheng chin paddle tire on it and irc front put a 60 tooth rear sprocket on it an thru the 52 tooth in the trash...it went from 60mph. Top speed to 53mph but it would lift the front in first second and third...I used to rake the 5 speed as fast as I could,the Cheng shin tire was great because the knobs went all the way around the tire to the rim edge...I could lay it over on both sides and burry the grip in the ground going thru a berm...I had a 96 CR 250R and it handle turn the same....I rode that bike any where from 45 to 70 hours a week and could not kill it I was out to show my dad it wasn't motocross worthy....50 to 70 hours a week for 14 months straight snow rain summer,I broke a lot of stuff on it but couldn't kill it obviously I had know idea what a Honda was it got one oil change by the way and sunk it in a 6 foot deep river and still going....sold it for parts and some kid came along telling me how great a bike it was and he was gonna restore it ,I wanted to kill him,JK it really was a good bike think about what other bike could go 365 days 8 to 12 hours a day and not blow up I'm 55 now and none....could do that....and still be a good rideable bike...after wards....thanks Tom great museum....