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/1544998
H onda is one of the few motorcycle manufacturers that does not carry a single two-stroke model in its lineup. As of 2007, every Honda motorcycle imported into the U.S. is powered by a four-stroke engine, a fact that may not seem so strange to veteran cycle enthusiasts, the folks who can be overheard talk - ing about things like AM radio, muscle cars and genuine rock music. These are the guys who remember when Honda was a company that did not, uh, carry a single two-stroke model in its lineup. Nope. In the early 1970s, there were Kawasaki Bighorns, Suzuki Savages and Yamaha AT-1s (ap - parently, all of the macho nick- names were already spoken for), and they were all two-strokes, rin- gin' a dingin' on the streets and trails. That throaty sound you hear? That's the Honda XL250, the bike Cycle News put to the test in their March 14, 1972 is - sue. What did the CN crew think of this motorcycle, which was a very different approach to the same market segment? "Fun and easy to ride," "trouble- free," and "outstanding" were just some of the glowing terms the staff used to describe the XL250. Mind you, this was a time when superlatives were not bandied about during magazine road tests. In most reviews, vibration would work loose vital nuts and bolts. Fragile compo - nents were prone to breakage. Oily gremlins threatened every two-stroke ride, fouling plugs if owners ever let their bikes idle, forcing riders to carry a spare (or two) in their toolkits. (A toolkit, by the way, was something that every motorcycle was equipped with back in the good old days. A few wrenches, screwdrivers, a pair of pliers and a spark plug socket were all tightly bundled in a plastic pouch that could be found under the seat or behind a side cover. Seldom used, but a lifesaver when needed, these rudimentary tool kits now lie at rest in motorcycle boneyards, alongside centerstands, carbure - tors and drum brakes.) But the Honda was good with one plug, probably for the life of the bike, and that little hunk of porcelain sparked many a good time for Honda riders. Our CN staffer jumped on the XL250 and rode it straight to Indian Dunes, where he would encounter a smorgasbord of off-road chal - lenges, including a sand wash, with onlookers standing by. "Alas, I splashed into the CNIIARCHIVES P150 BY KENT TAYLOR In the early 1970s, when two-strokes were the norm, Honda took a different approach with its four-stroke- powered XL250. HONDA XL WHEN TWO STROKE PLAY BIKES WERE KING, HONDA WENT FOURSTROKE 1972