VOLUME ISSUE AUGUST , P127
needed little time to recognize
any similarity between these two
models was purely coincidental.
The Elsinore's 57-inch wheelbase
gave it the appearance of a long-
legged thoroughbred racehorse,
while the CZ's stodgy, squatted
look seemed more reminiscent
of a draft horse pulling the milk
wagon through the streets of
Prague before the great war.
Honda's rounded aluminum alloy
fuel tank was unpainted on each
side; if it wasn't there to make
you go faster. The CZ, mean-
while, still sported protective
rubber knee pads on each side of
its squarish "coffin" tank, almost
encouraging the owner to care
for their machine and to lovingly
avoid scratching the bright red
paint on their new motorcycle.
Once, when asked about a cer-
tain Beatles' song, Paul McCart-
ney, said, "It was good, because
we did it!" Was the Elsinore
good, simply because it came
from Honda? Perhaps, but the
CN staffers (which included the
highly respected journalist John
Huetter) backed up their admira-
tion for the Honda with the facts.
Quality abounded on the 250M.
"It was hard to find goodies or
a normal replacement item that
Honda hasn't paid attention to,"
CN wrote. "Nothing has been
short cut in construction."
The CZ, meanwhile, inspired
the testers to write out a detailed
list of attributes that really sound
more like they were trying to
convince themselves of the mo-
torcycle's worthiness. The bike
featured chain adjusters that are
"normal CZ funky." The "rims are
plain old steel and nothing to
brag about." Even the fiberglass
fenders "look nice and work until
they break."
It seems as if both motor-
cycles were meeting all expecta-
tions!
But hyperbole won't get you
holeshots; could the CZ uphold
its proud legacy when the test
moved from the race shop to
the racetrack? Honda had yet to
win a major motocross race; the
Czech factory had more World
motocross championships cups
than could ever fit on one fire-
place mantel. The truth would
be determined at the old Arroyo
Cycle Park, now called Glen
Helen Raceway.
Alas, the duel was barely
underway before the Honda
began to display its superior
-
ity. In a drag race, the Elsinore
immediately put a bike's length
between itself and the CZ, a
lead that would double at the
end of the 110-yard stretch. The
Honda's six-port engine, fed by
a 34mm Keihin, simply rocketed
away. The CZ could count only
one blessing; a new Filtron filter
ELSINORE
THE AGES
Up until the Elsinore showed up,
the CZ was the racer's bike of
choice in the U.S. It performed
well, was affordable and parts
were easy to find.
