them they would "grow into it."
From a marketing perspec-
tive, that might have made
sense. There was no 125cc AMA
National Championship series in
America until 1974, and the FIM
didn't recognize a true 125cc
World Championship until 1975.
A 125cc bike was simply teach
-
ing you to ride before you moved
on to 250s and 500s. They might
as well have outfitted them with
braces and training wheels.
Despite this myopic attitude
toward smaller bikes, Honda
didn't hold back with the design
and manufacture of its new 125.
The suspension on the bike, for
example, was first-rate.
"A number of us sat down after
a day's riding and rummaged
through our impressions of the
suspension units," CN wrote. We
searched for a complaint 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."
Clearly, Honda hadn't simply
sorted through the parts bin,
pitching forks and shocks until
they found the right lengths and
correct mounting bolts. The 125
Elsinore received its own brand-
new suspenders, at both ends,
and the combination was a har
-
monious match. "The springing
and damping," according to Cycle
News, "are exact."
Riding the Honda CR125R
Elsinore was much like piloting
any other 125 motocross bike,
and if one is looking for the right
adjective to describe the experi
-
ence, the word "frenetic" would
work as well as any. "The 125
requires that you keep it buzzing
and six speeds both emphasize
and assist. Another one of those
tricky Keihins [carburetors, for to
-
day's wire-riders] mounts on the
back of the cylinder and delivers
super-crisp throttle response…
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."
Cycle News said the Honda
handled as well as anything else
on the market in 1973, briefly
lamenting what appeared to be
its only shortcoming. The Honda
125 "just isn't the best slider."
Remember, these were the days
before motocross schools and
YouTube riding tips from the pros,
so apparently, sliding around the
racetrack was the hot line.
When the AMA finally recog
-
nized a 125cc National Cham-
pion in 1974, it would indeed be
a Honda that would claim that
championship. Marty Smith
would be the first number one,
and he did it again the following
season in 1975. Smith went on
to win many races and champi
-
onships on bigger bikes; in fact,
the first 11 championships in the
125cc class were won by riders
who would also win numerous
250, 500 and Supercross titles.
The 125-class graduated some
of the best the sport has ever
seen. It also provided some great
racing in its own right. Somebody
just had to step up, see the po
-
tential, and then put a real racer
on the starting line. The Honda
CR125R Elsinore was a game
changer.
CN
VOLUME ISSUE JUNE , P145
Subscribe to nearly 60 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives
The CR125R Elsinore made
going fast fun and easy.
