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Cycle News 2022 Issue 22 June 1

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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VOLUME 59 ISSUE 22 JUNE 1, 2022 P141 cially 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 CR-125M is so uncompro- mised that in execution, it actually exceeds the 250 Elsinore. While the motor is like a mini-Elsinore, the chassis components are different and designed specifi- cally 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... "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, the 125 exceeds its performance. Bumps that are brutal on many motocross bikes become jar- ring on the 250 Elsinore. On the CR-125 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 CR-125 throws the old 'weight makes smoothness' adage right out the door. The little Honda two-popper will con- sistently 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 pro- prietary shocks we have found. This is due to their spot-on ap- plication 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 CR-125's cushions at any speed it would obtain. In short, the suspension is great... "The 125 puts much less de- mand 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 CR-125 bounces the Bumps that are brutal on many motocross bikes become jarring on the 250 Elsinore. On the CR-125 they seem to nearly disappear. The caption we wrote for this photo nearly 50 years ago still applies: "Ain't she pretty?"

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