VOLUME ISSUE MAY , P151
water," he writes. "I made it all
the way across the big, wide
wash flat-out, way over my head,
but I showed those four-stroke
skeptics it really was not that
big or heavy. Hitting the water,
I remembered, 'What about wa
-
terproofing? Here's where I get
off, I thought.' Only I didn't. The
250 just sailed on through, never
missing a beat."
Through the water. Up
the hills. Ripping it up and
down fire roads, the Honda
welcomed the workout
and met the challenges.
Just one time would the
Honda let down the staffer,
and that was when he rode
through what was referred
to as "quicksand." The Honda
sank to its axles, bottoming
out the frame, and the tester
needed some help to pull it free.
Surprisingly, at a dry weight of
278 pounds, the Honda was no
heavier than its competition. It
was likely not as quick, though
the four-valve head
helped the XL hold its
own.
It is unusual to read a 1970s
motorcycle test and find nary
a complaint, but this one came
pretty darn close. On the moto
-
cross track, the gearing
was found to be a bit too
tall, and the rear shocks
"need help." But the writer added
that the Honda wasn't supposed
to be a motocross racer anyhow.
The Honda 250 Elsinore would
answer that call about a year
later.
Two-stroke play bikes, like
many other cool things of the
early '70s, all but disappeared.
AM radio became the frequency
for zealots and fanatics of all
sorts, the catalytic converter
buried muscle cars in 1975, and
rock music died in 1976 when
Michael McDonald joined The
Doobie Brothers. Meanwhile,
Honda's line of four-stroke play
bikes has changed its prefixes
over the years but is still going
strong 55 years later. That's a
long train running, indeed!
CN
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Believe it or
not, the XL250
weighed in the
same ballpark
as comparable
two-stroke
models.
The XL250 had many
advantages over its two-
stroke rivals, including
reliability and ease of riding.
