Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125816
.. '" 1 M " I II o > '5 ... en ~ w Z W ..J U >- U • The Mini-Elsinore. Better than Big Brother? CR 125 M HONDA SPEC fFlCATION,S Engine ., DisPlacement Bore/stroke Compo ratio two-stroke single 123cc 56/60 7.6:1 Carburetion 28mm Keihin Ignition .........•........ magneto Transmission 6 sPeed Wheelbase : :54.5 inches Seat height 32.5 inches Fuel 1.6 gal. Weight 1801bs. Price ...........•............ N/A QUESTION: How is a CR·125M Honda like a Polsky Wyrob Koprovich? ANSWER: It comes in a jar, goes heevy on the garlic, and the name doesn't tell you much about it. But, there is more. If the Honda 250 EI~inore is the Kosher Dill' of motorcycling, then the 125 definitely rates comparison to the Polsky. SECOND QUESTION: How is a motorcycle like a pickle? ANSWE R: In no manners do motorcycles bear great resemblance to pickles. Hence, the only real comparisons we have available are of the Kosher DiU to the Polsky pickle, and the CR-125M to the CR-250 Elsinore. it's kind of a surprise to compare one manufacturer's 125 to the same manufacturer's 250. WeD, that's what has happened. How does the Ii ttle Elsinore compare to the hig one? That's the surprise. The bottom of the competition line might have been expected to be a bit compromised but. ended up over-shadowing its big brother. Jt migh t be logical to assume that a 125 tw o-stroke motocrosser from Honda would be a 250 chassis with a miniaturized 250 engine. While there would be some weight sacrifice, it would share the. Elsinore's good handling and should be very strong. Most importan t, it would save incredibly all the way down the production line, for manufacture and parts stock. Noone would have been' very surprised or critical if Honda had done just that. But, they didn't. The CR-125M is so uncompromised that in execution it actually exceeds the 250 Elsinore. While the .motor is like a mini-Elsinore, the chassis components. are differen t and designed specifically for the 125. In tile end, the lessons learned and the weigh t saved through careful design have produced a bike that decidedly out-handles the 250 Elsinore. The CR-125 carries a frame that is similar in design to the 250, but is smaller. The wheelbase comes up three inches shorter than the Elsinore, at 54V, inches. The lighter weight and shortness also brough t abou t some differences in geometry . .The little Elsinore steers better than the big one. Like the Elsinore, the frame is of chrome molybdenum tubing. The combination of the long (for a 125) wheelbase and excellent suspension make the CR-125 a superb tracker over moonscape type surfaces. While the Elsinore has become known for its ability over rough surfaces, th~ 125 exceeds its performance. Bumps that are brutal on many motocross bikes become jarring on the 250 Elsinore. On the CR-125 they seem to nearly disappear. . The· ride comfort is absolutely uncanny for a bike that w,eighs as little as the 125. At 180 pounds the CR-125 throws the old "weight makes smoothness" adage right out the door. The little Honda two-popper will consisten t1y outride most any bike. At the same time, there is no sacrifice in precision. The bike is not at all wo!lowy. The forks are different than the 250's. Th.ey have six inches of travel, as opposed to the 250's seven plus. A number of us sat down after a day's riding and rummaged through our impressions of the suspension units. We searched for a complain t and couldn't find one. 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