Introduced in February 1973, the revolutionary
Elsinore was Honda's first two-stroke sold in America and
the first purpose-built motocross machine from the world's
largest motorcycle producer. And it changed the face of American
motocross forever.
Few
things have the power and longevity of a good idea. There
are countless examples of them in Honda's history, and one
of the most significant is the 1973 CR™250M Elsinore.
Originally
known simply as the Elsinore, it was the first production
motocrosser from Honda and the first two-stroke Honda sold
in America. The Elsinore was a pure motocrosser-fast, reliable
and good handling. In addition to its well-rounded approach,
the Elsinore was distinguished by its lightness. A beautiful
polished aluminum fuel tank (Who can forget the green stripe
on top?!) chrome-moly frame, silver plastic fenders and magnesium
bits scattered throughout gave the Elsinore a jewel-like persona.
With
29 horsepower on tap, the five-speed, 225-pound Elsinore had
a power-to-weight ratio and handling that redefined the 250
motocross class. Shortly after its arrival on the scene, the
Elsinore carried Gary Jones to the 1973 AMA 250 National title
- Honda's first. Led by the original Elsinore, Honda CR250s
have won an astounding 24 National and Supercross titles.
The
Elsinore began a lineage of innovative Honda motocrossers
leading directly to today's sophisticated aluminum-framed
CR250R. Like the current CR, the Elsinore (and 125 Elsinore
that followed in 1974) was the most technologically advanced
motocrosser of the day.
Perhaps
even more significantly, the Elsinore began Honda's commitment
to American motocross, a commitment that had a profound impact
on the growth and popularity of a sport still in its infancy.
The Elsinore name dropped off the CR250 in 1982, but the impact
of this revolutionary machine lives on in a sport that has
captured the heart and commands
the attention of mainstream America.