Honda CR250M
The Honda CR250M Elsinore was a two-stroke motorcycle first manufactured by Honda in March 1973; it had 29 horsepower and weighed 229 pounds.[1][2] It was designed by Soichiro Miyakoshi, and prototype testing began in Japan in 1971 and on California motocross tracks in 1972.[3] The CR250M was Honda's first two-stroke production race bike, the first competition dirt bike that Honda built from scratch instead of adapting a street bike,[4] and the first production motocrosser.[5] A chome-moly frame, aluminum bodywork and plastic fenders contributed to its light weight,[2] even after restyling when initial tests showed the frame to be too fragile, potentially bending after less than an hour of riding.[6]
The Elsinore was named after the offroad race in Lake Elsinore, California,[7] the best-known off-road race of the late 1960s and early 1970s.[2] The popularity of the CR250M and its derivatives soared after Gary Jones rode a stock machine to win the 1973 AMA 250 national motocross series.[2]
In 1974 the CR250M was followed by its smaller version, the Honda CR125M,[4] and the first US Honda factory that opened in 1979 in Marysville, Ohio built CR250Ms.[8]
Specifications
Bore and Stroke: 70x64.4 mm
Engine: 247.8cc
Transmission: 5-speed
Wheelbase:56.5in
Ground Clearance: 7in
Capacity: 1.5gal
Weight: 213lb (dry)
Top Speed: 75mph[9]
Model codes
The 357 was released as a Honda CR250M in the years 1973 and 1974, and the 381 was released as a CR250M1 in 1975 and as a CR250M'76 in 1976.
References
- ↑ Ryan, Ray; Bill Forsyth; Jeremy Holland (2003). "1973 Honda Elsinore CR250M: A Star is Born". Motocross racers: 30 years of legendary dirt bikes. MBI Publishing Company. p. 159. ISBN 0-7603-1239-7.
- 1 2 3 4 Frank, Aaron (2003). "The King of Motorcycles, Take Two". Honda Motorcycles. MBI Publishing Company. p. 192. ISBN 0-7603-1077-7.
- ↑ Siegal, Margie. "King of the Hill: 1974 Honda CR125M Elsinore". Motorcycle Classics November/December 2012. Motorcycle Classics. Retrieved 4 December 2012.
- 1 2 "1974 Honda CR125M Elsinore". American Motorcyclist. September 1997. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ↑ "First test on production Benelli Tornado". Motorcycle News. 4 March 2003. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ↑ Walker, Mick. Honda Production Motorcycles 1946-1980. The Crowood Press. p. 196. ISBN 1 86126 820 3.
- ↑ Frank, Aaron (2003). Honda Motorcycles. MotorBooks International. p. 95. ISBN 0-7603-1077-7.
- ↑ Associated Press (10 June 2009). "A Look at Honda in the US Over the Last 50 Years". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ↑ Walker, Mick. Honda Production Motorcycles 1946-1980.
Honda Offroad Motorcycle Timeline | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Type | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | ||
CR Series | CR60 | GF5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CR80 | 169 | GC4 | GS2 | GBF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CR85 | GBF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CR125 | 360 | 400 | 444 | 466 | KA3 | KS6 | KZ4 | KSR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CR250 | 335 | 357 | 381 | 430 | 467 | KA4 | KS7 | KZ3 | KSK | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CR450 | KA5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CR480 | KA5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CR500 | KA5 | ML3 | MAC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF-R Series | CRF150R | KSE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF250R | KRN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF450R | MEB | MEN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF-X Series | CRF250X | KSC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF450X | MEY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF-F Series | CRF100F | KSJ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF150F | KPT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CRF230F | KPS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||