Kit Palmer | June 5, 2022
I was barely in double digits when the dirt-bike boom hit. It seemed like dirt-bike technology was making huge strides weekly, so it was a great time to be a dirt-bike junky like me. The bike I remembered that really got the techno ball rolling was the model-year 1974 Honda CR125M Elsinore, which arrived on showroom floors in early 1973 with a $749 price tag.
The cover of Cycle News that featured our test on the 1974 Honda CR125M motocrosser.
Cycle News already had a full ride review of the ’74 Elsinore in the July 10, 1973, issue. And I remember as a kid reading that test word for word, but what I really recalled was the cover of that issue, which had photo of the lucky person who got to test the bike, holding the CR125 Elsinore up in the air, well above the ground, with just his two bare arms, demonstrating just how light the bike really was. And he did it without showing a hint of strain on his face. You know, Scott Summers-like.
The CR125M Elsinore wasn’t the first Honda CR ever, that was the CR250M Elsinore (named after the race made famous in the movie On Any Sunday) which came out a few months earlier, but it was the ultra-lightweight CR125M Elsinore, which was modeled after the 250, that really got the MX geeks like me drooling. At that time, 125s were very popular, probably more so than the bigger bikes, and I’ve heard the CR125M was produced in greater numbers than any motocrosser ever built, even to this day. I don’t know how accurate that is, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that were indeed true. The Elsinore, as it turned out, was so good that it gave Honda a reason to get into racing motocross at the factory level and has been going strong ever since.
I always find it interesting to read original reviews of longstanding motorcycles, especially motorcycles that went on to make legendary status like the Elsinore. So, just for fun, I dug up our original test on the 1974 Honda CR125M Elsinore, which is approaching 50 years of age, and chose some excerpts from it that I found interesting or even humorous. We wrote:
“The CR125M is so uncompromised that in execution, it actually exceeds the 250 Elsinore. While the motor is like a mini-Elsinore, the chassis components are different and designed specifically for the 125. In the end, the lessons learned, and the weight saved through careful design have produced a bike that decidedly out-handles the 250 Elsinore…
Photo models? What photo models? We don’t need no stinkin’ photo models!
“The combination of the long (for a 125) wheelbase and excellent suspension make the CR125 a superb tracker over moonscape type surfaces. While the Elsinore has become known for its ability over rough surfaces, the 125 exceeds its performance. Bumps that are brutal on many motocross bikes become jarring on the 250 Elsinore. On the CR125 they seem to nearly disappear. The ride comfort is absolutely uncanny for a bike that weighs as little as the 125. At 180 pounds the CR125 throws the old ‘weight makes smoothness’ adage right out the door. The little Honda two-popper will consistently outride most any bike. At the same time, there is no sacrifice in precision. The bike is not at all wollowy…
“Not only do the forks work flawlessly, but the stock shocks work better than any kind of proprietary shocks we have found. This is due to their spot-on application to the bike in question. The springing and damping are exact. A chuck hole that could get every pair of shocks around to bottom if taken at moderate speed, couldn’t foil the CR125’s cushions at any speed it would obtain. In short, the suspension is great…
Bumps that are brutal on many motocross bikes become jarring on the 250 Elsinore. On the CR125 they seem to nearly disappear.
“The 125 puts much less demand on the rider getting comers down than does the 250. The Elsinore will be insistent that you have a well thought out line, and if you’re sure, it will do it in a big hurry. But you better be sure. The 125 will take any number of lines on the spur of the moment. It does it at your whim and not its own. Only in very slow corners will it require the bar-turning that the Elsinore does. Tightening up a line in a moderate to fast comer is simple. Just lean it a little more and dial some power. The Elsinore will do it too, but it’s nowhere near as simple…
“Due to an exorbitant use of alloy, the CR125 bounces the scales right down around the FIM minimum (176 pounds). In fact, Honda opted for a steel tank and sprocket (in departure from the 250) in order to get the weight above the limit. The steel tank is more durable than the aluminum one found on the 250, but just can’t quite match the alloy for looks…
The caption we wrote for this photo nearly 50 years ago still applies: “Ain’t she pretty?”
“The 125 requires that you keep it buzzing, and six speeds both emphasize and assist. Another one of those tricky Keihins mounts on the back of the cylinder and delivers super-crisp throttle response. The throttle tum is around 3/16, and, if the engine is on the powerband, the action starts right away. Off the powerband, the engine doesn’t load up or falter, it just develops about one-third the horsepower. It is necessary that you pick the right gear or be in major distress upon occasion…”
We followed up the test by answering a few questions.
How fast is it?
“It is faster than any stock 125 motocrosser now available. Not by a whole lot, but a substantial amount. It is as fast as most modified 125s. A few super specials will beat it. But, if you want more out of it, it’s in there waiting to be let out.”
How does it handle?
“It does some things better than any bike, and some it does not do as well. You’ll have to learn to live with a fairly pipey motor. You can. Put together the pluses and minuses and you don’t have enough difference from the best to allow for personal preference. It handles as well as any.”
How much does it cost?
“It will basically cost about as much as your dealer wants for it. Your problem will be getting one. In dollars you might look around $950 to $1000.”
Is it reliable?
“As far as we have taken it, it hasn’t faltered. If it’s like the bigger two-stroke, it’s pretty reliable. Plus, it will cost less to fix than the European bikes.”
Our summary of the 1974 Honda CR125M: “If you’re using the 125 class as a steppingstone to bigger bikes, you might not want to drop the money involved in the Honda. You can buy a bike for a lot less that will suit the purposes of the beginner. But, if you think you want to stick around, there’s a pretty good chance that the CR125M Honda is the bike you want to be riding.”
I never did get the chance to own one of those early CR125s. Worse yet, I’ve never even rode one. By the time my skills (and piggy bank) reached the point to where I could buy one, Honda had rested on its laurels a little too long and the other Japanese manufacturers all had passed it up. Someday, however, I think it would be cool to ride one. But until then, I’m quite happy just reading about the CR125M in Cycle News when that silver jewel first came out and remember just how good I thought it must be to ride one at that time. I’m sure if I rode one now, all those high expectations and great memories I had for the CR125M would be blown out the window. So, I guess I’d just as soon live on with those thoughts and be content to revisit the old tests.CN
