1974 Honda CR125 Elsinore versus Modern Bikes at the 2023 Wild Boar GNCC race in Palatka, Florida.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- This video is the start of my race and the first 2 miles of the GNCC event. Later in the lap, I ended up in one of those deep mud holes that everybody tells you to avoid, and I watered out the engine. If I had to do it over again, I would have installed sand tires, solid handguards, and probably went on a diet too. At 220lbs that little Honda Elsinore motor had a hard time launching me from the dead engine start. This '74 CR125 engine is probably the fastest one I ever built and once you get it going it really covers some ground in a hurry and the bike corners like a demon too. After drowning the motor, I finally got it running again with the help of a course official pulling me with his ATV. After that, I took an easy tour of the rest of the track that had to be the roughest terrain I ever seen in my life. I just enjoyed the Florida sunshine and tried to stay out of the way so that I didn't end up being a hood ornament on one of the flying expert riders. My friends and I had a great time at the GNCC and every person that worked the event was super nice and patient with my bucket list attempt of riding a 50-year-old motorcycle at a GNCC National.
I'll bet those young bucks on the modern bikes were pissed as hell to get passed by a BIKE that's 30 years older than them. Nice riding!
Actually it's almost 50 years older..lol
@@lanceladue2818 I think kingbee may have meant that the 125 is likely to be 20 years older than the other riders, rather than their bikes.
Very pissed 🤣😂🤣
Try a 49 year old bike and still kicking ass...👊✊💥💥💥💥💥👍
1973 released 74' Model = 50 years older!
I was riding at Wildwood MX park in Kentwood, LA. Kevin Windham passed me on a 1974 Bultaco like I was sitting still. A talented rider is a talented rider no matter what bike they are on.
Wow, I had this exact bike and raced it in '74. Basically you pin the throttle and row through the gears, no clutch. I was amazed it seemed to pull with the water cooled/ power valves modern bikes, pretty impressive with maybe 7” of suspension! But 180 pounds and skinny as a mountain bike. Damn good rider. Nostalgia, man.
I raced against you guys in the 70"S with a KX 125. You guys were unbeatable!
Great riding , 50 year old ,no power valves , drum brakes .Awesome.
And no suspension with straight up shocks ..no laid down
What a rough ride though. Probably a better flat track bike.
Campaigned one in ‘74 and ‘75 and trust me, with a bullet-proof gearbox we didn’t use the brakes - or the clutch!
That hurts just watching...have just accepted at 52 my elbows, knees and shoulders can't take the beating from my -81 Husky 430 on track anymore😢.
The Elsinore was, and still is an awesome ride
WOW! That was incredible and took me back to 1974 when at 15yrs old, my dad bought me my Elsinore 125! I learned how to ride wheelies on this bike and man, was it fast! Thank you for posting this vid! Had a huge smile on my face and felt so very proud to have owned one! Ride safe…
Man that's a well tuned bike and it's rippin'. Those CR M series has a distinct and unique sound of its own especially with those down swept pipe.
agreed. it seems perfectly tuned from air intake to fueling to exhaust & it shows. especially when it’s ripping past bikes with 50 years of tech innovation(s)
Currently re building my SL Honda 125 from 75. Wonderful year for Honda
I bought a 75 mt125 for $50 a few weeks ago. Just got it running for a good minute last night! I'm stoked!!!
I was a big Marty Smith fan in the 70's, and he and the Cr's were the first rock star racers. My first good 125 was a 79 YZ, and it really was a game changer with the monoshock.
Highest paid teenager in the world. He was my idle. Deeply sorrowed by his wife and his tragic deaths. Still hurts.
When i picked up my 250 Elsinore in 73, I was sure no one could ever build a better bike!
I had mine in 75 from memory. I thought the same thing at the time..
God !!! The sound of that motor brings back a lot of good memories.
Good to hear the old Elsinore again. I had red one back in 81 and LOVED it! It would keep up with much bigger bikes. An awesome machine.
Man love the sound of old 2 strokes. They we're the funniest and fastest thing made.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!!! Brought me right back, trying to keep those old piston port motors boiling on the pipe and trying to hang on through whoops with barely a handful of suspension travel! Love it!
Isn't that the truth
The front mud flap was so mid 70’s ! Iconic period in motorcycle production history . .
Makes me miss my MR 175 Elsinore. I'll never go back. Let her live in glory. Technology destroys our heroes
I had a 74’ Elsinore and wow was that a wicked power band!
Makes me miss my 1975 1/2. RM 125... The 70s were fun. 😊
Did it have a down pipe
@@donbrashsuxRM'S all had high pipes!! The TM had a low pipe
@@arthurmchugh5184 no the RM125 S and M models had down pipes
Stu had one. Said it was ported.
I’d only begun riding bikes that very day, on a four stroke Honda 100.
It gave a little bit of warning - then *BAM!* it scared me out of a years growth!
@@donbrashsux checked it out and you are right 😀😀
Very impressive !!! I would not dare to hit the mud on that awesome masterpiece of motocross history
Damn man , I wasn’t sure how this ole girl was going to fair with some of the more modern monsters in the field ! Then here comes this 74 CR ..one by one knocking off the field. I was impressed brother ! Shame you sunk in the mud ☹️
Those Elsinores were so much fun... I raced my 75 CR125M in Pepperell and Southwick Mass and watching your well-tuned bike pull away from more modern bikes was pure joy to watch, thanks for posting!!!
I had the 73 model and as you know they were fantastic bike's and mine never broke down and was easy to work on. Hi from Brisbane Australia 🎉
My knees hurt just watching this..
Thank god for long-travel suspension!
Many years ago it was said in a Dirt Bike Magazine editorial that Roger DeCoster could probably beat most of us on a step-thru 90 lol. Truth to that!
A couple years ago I told that to someone with a Beta who was going to put 2K + into his front suspension. Everyone on the board laid into me for that. It's ALWAYS the rider. Even though you think your fast there's always someone faster.
Now that brings back memories!
I rode this when my older friend let me take his around the tracks for a few laps. I was probably 12 and could barely touch the ground. He told me to scoot up on the tank as far as I could to keep the front end down when I hit the power band !!
I will never forget the sound and explosion that day on the mighty Elsinore.
We were 12 years old and my buddy gets one of these for Christmas. Holy crap, we were all hooked, I finally got a 1978 model a few years later. Those were the days.
Love it!!! Awesome riding had a 250 same year when was 13 years old don't know how I survived
Brought back memories of 16yo me in 1974 getting a new 125 Elsinore, loved that bike, my all time favorite.
Holy crap, 50 friggin years ago pop got me one of these at the age of 13. That's a mind warp!
That is some good riding, i grew up riding bikes of this era , they are back breakers !!!!
That is a good rider right there you can see the bike burp and cough and he still managed to show the newbies how it's done on a 50 year old bike great work dude
This was a joy to watch, brought back a lot of memories.
That was awesome man! Brought back a lot of cool memories. Had a new YZ400 back in 79 that was insane to hold on to. They were amazing machines for their time for sure. Got a ride on a CR IN 74 and it’s what had me in bikes my whole life.
I raced a 250 back in the day!!! Those bikes were fast ,light and fun !!!😅😅😅🏍🏍🏍
Nice ride. That 125 had about 22-25 hp back then.
You had it running great.
Good video
Damn, this video did my heart good! That old Elsinore was ready to run! Forget all the fancy suspension, fancy race mods, all that shit, that old bike was ready to be get up on the pipe and embarrass some folks! Great Job riding that hellion! Great video!
Good freakin job, as soon as I heard the ring from the fins it brought back some good memories. 👍🏻
I grew up on old 2-strokes. I’ll say this. You have to stay on the throttle and make the bike scream to have any chance. And you get very tired after many laps of that. This guy is going for it. Bravo! I rode RM100s, TM125s, RM125s and a CR250. Good times!
Brings back memories for sure! Thanks for the video!
Excellent ride! Just because it's old doesn't mean you cast it aside! 🖖🙂
Crikey! HOLD ON! Some serious arm pump after that race!!
BEST DECADE EVER! That INTOXICATING SMELL! SOUND! GOD! LIFE WAS GOOOOD 😊😊😊
DAMNNN!!!!!! You are a BEAST!! As an old timer I was ginning from ear to ear watching this!
Wow, thank you for this! Honda introduced the 250 Elsinore a year earlier, their first attempt at a production 2-stroke race bike, and they hit the nail on the head! The '74 125cc was my first race bike and was considered state-of-art at the time. I always crack up when I see to ole Mud Flap out front. I finally trophied in '75, before I went on to the Suzuki RM125 with a marzocchi front-end.
Nice bit of riding by the way : )
Me, too. I had a '74 CR (Crotch Rocket) I bought brand new. I worked at a Honda dealership in high school (Tifton, Georgia) so I was able to buy it myself. I laughed at the big mud flap comment. The six speed transmission was wicked but easy to "load it up" if you failed to downshift properly.. Then had to sit with the gas off waiting to burn that fuel dump out of the cylinder. I rode several races in Hilliard Florida and St. Augustine - that sand was brutal. I am now 64 and to this day, that era is still my "Glory Days". I moved on to the RM125 , too when I moved to a Suzuki dealership. Best of times. I have a million stories. I guess old farts like me do.
Oh my..
I remembered that two stroke sound from my childhood..
So cool..
Thanks.
OLD IS GOLD! Nothing like a well made 2-stroke 'screamer'! Hell... even my little Honda MB5 50cc bike is way too much fun to ride! Imagine a 7 HP, 50cc motor with a powerband!
That would be a pretty slow 50cc engine, even back then I think, (7hp), for a 2-stroke. I am sure they were getting 10-14hp from the 50cc race engines. I sell a 46cc cylinder reed engine, with a cylinder than has that older porting configuration, (single exhaust port for the big factor), like those days, and I am pretty sure they are hitting 10hp with a pretty wide power curve. My most popular engines are more 30cc-34cc, (also 60's/70's single exhaust port.), and they are making up to 7hp, and rev up to 21,000rpm.
It is better to listen too than the music today. :)
your video put tears in my eyes the sound of that brings back memories thanks
Awesome video and impressive riding! Great to see that Elsinore still out on the track & doing very well. Thanks for posting.
Excellent!
I had the same bike at the age of 17. It runs like hell, super bike. Now at the age 63 I've still great souvenirs of this 50 years "young "bike
Savage machines thanks for the memories. 🎉🍻👏👏👏👏
I'm 60 years old and not brought back some great times riding off Honda Elsinore I have 125 then 250 they were incredible machine
Super cool. Hurts my back just watching. Nice riding! Long live the 2 stroke.
I was 14 years old in ‘74 when that bike was made . I’m 63 now & ride a ‘99 YAMAHA WR-400f & just wanted to say AWESOME riding on a Bike that next year will be 50 years old !! Gotta be worth a small fortune , and yet here you are riding it like you stole it 😉😆👍. Great example as someone said about a good rider can ride anything fast . Those old Elsinore’s were game changers back then , and prove here that they still hold their own . Thanks for sharing this with us. I constantly piss off my riding buddies on my 24 year old bike too …..👍
What a sweet sound. Brings back so many memories.
Nice riding. I heard that suspension bottom out a couple times. 😄
Good lord, it was bottomed out when he sat on it. You heard his teeth bottoming out.
That is way cool. Great riding on an incredible iconic bike. It really takes me back. I raced one back in the 70's. The sound is awesome and the smell would be like catnip for an old guy like me. Thanks for posting.
AWWW YESSS the smell of Bardahl castor oil wafting through the air on a crisp sunday morning during practice at the race track was like heaven. I also raced a 74 CR125, I dont think anyone could argue the fact that it was the most dominant MX bike ever built.
Power wise he’s not too far off but the suspension and brakes must be a huge disadvantage. Great video!!!
Great ride! Looks like a blast on that bike! Let us know if you need any parts for that thing 😉
All clutch, pipe, and piston port testicular greatness..
I had that same green ‘74 cr 125 some 30+ years ago…i remember i was a teenager and the back brakes were shot so i had to downshift and use the front brake to stop…..that bike was soooo much fun….air cooled bikes just always ran better compared to the later liquid cooled ones ive owned later on in life
BEAUTIFUL & NOSTALGIC 😊
I had that same bike in 1974. Brand new it was $680.00 This video gave me goosebumps. Thanks for sharing. Great video
That was excellent. Had me on the edge of my seat for sure. Amazing 👍
It did me too!!
I held my breath. I was holding on and trying to keep the front wheel on top of the water while clenching my arse to my chair and hitting the off on switch throttle . I had the 75 red tank with 1/16 turn throttle. Loved it
@@donblunkall5607 back in 75 through 80 I rode Suzuki RM’s. I’ve always put Honda CR throttle assembly’s on because of the short turn 🤜
Yeah, several of my friends had the RMs. Boy, those were the days. I just don't think it could get any better. Everyone had bikes and it kept us out of trouble. Pizza parlor after riding. Even the old folks put up with the noise of the Elsinore. I think it had to do with them seeing us smiling ear to ear and them seeing the amazing animal from across the sea, screaming and blowing rocks and dirt from the rear tire and the front tire was only on the ground when it was parked. Amazing times we experienced my friend.
@@donblunkall5607 like I’ve said 1000 times I don’t care what they’re doing now as far as all the insane tricks we grew up in the best days of motocross and motorcycle riding. I have owned a Lotta motorcycles to the years but one of the stupidest mistakes was that I bought a 73 CR 250 all original back in 96. It ran good the only thing wrong was it had a pretty big dent in the right side of the tank at that time I had lots of motorcycles enough money so dummy me sold it around 2001 for $1200. I only paid $825 for it. I don’t know if this will post. This is the only video I have of it trying to show my dad how to work video camera. 😂😢 oh the first part. I am riding my 95 KX 125.
th-cam.com/video/IrM2hqB_0go/w-d-xo.html
Hell yeah! Ripping it up! That was same bike my uncle had and when I was a kid I would stare at it all day. Would love one in my collection one day.
I raced CR125's until 1980. Started with a 74 model then a 75 and 78. That 74 like the others you had to stay on the pipe as we called it. Get the power band to kick in. It was not a woods bike for sure. On a motocross track you got your weight over the rear wheel and held on lol. WFO! Starts were awesomely wild and fun.
I remember going to see all the pro's in the 70's at Cycle World USA in St. Peters, Mo. Great Track.
Brings back great memories. This was the first 125 my parents got me as a child. Wish they were still making two strokes today, my 60 yo ass would buy one!
This is awesome! Dudes one hell of a rider and that bike is sweet. I have a love for vintage dirt bikes
So bad ass! I always dreamed of having one of those back in the day. One of our neighbors in the early 1970s had one exactly like that. So cool.
That’s one pissed off bumblebee..Love those old Elsinores .!
You made Stevie Wise and Marty Smith proud! Semper Fi
That's so awesome! I remember those bikes when they were new. I got a '73 XR75 for my 13th birthday but admired those bigger Elsinores. Just too much bike for a small girl. Loved my XR75
You at 220lbs., yeah, a little more to carry, but the 125 carried you very well thru' that terrain. Powerful bike indeed. Pre-125 release, the Elsinor250 came out, a good friend of mine (way back then) switched from CZ's to the Honda. Locally and state wide he was a very strong presense (Texas). When the 125 came out, he switched size and even had better success. He had awesome parents that supported him throughout his (teenage) career. Those were some great years. I had enduros back then, street legal and got me off road. Freedom is riding off road. Nice video and quite a track you were running on there. Not much room for mistakes. Well done.
It is only making about 25hp. A modern 125 makes about 35.
It ALL about the bike AND the rider. Great going mate well done. The early 2 strokes were animals. I still love the early dirt bikes like the Husky and the Maico, Bultaco,. Crazy
You currently have 420 likes 👍...I can't spoil that. Love the bike 🎉
man it's a good thing that bike came with such a big seat giving you enough room to have your massive balls on top of it. Great riding!
Wow - I'm 59 now and had that exact bike when I was 14 yrs old - what memories this brings back!!!
Amazing performance given the huge difference in suspensions, if nothing else. Well done.
Glad I have a modern bike. I rode one of these . Learned on a 250 like this. Damn thing couldn't handle a speed bump.
Imagine being a teenager in ‘74 getting one of those !!
That was me, a new red tank model at 15. Wow, the memories
I'm willing to listen to your definition of "demons"....
Would love to see the Elsinore power plant in a bike with suspension and a competitive rider like this. Those things scream.
had a 125 elsinore in my younger days these bikes were so much fun and fast wish i still had it listen how fast they wind up and the torque these were special bikes nice ridin and great video
WOW! having a flashback 😮 had 1 super fun and indestructible bike back then 🙂👍✌️👊🇺🇸🦅
Love to hear that power band kick in! 2 stroke power!
That bike sounds fantastic! Great ride! Thanks.
I had one in the 70’s after they were introduced to the US market in 74. That bike was in its element racing against the modern hi tech sleds. The elsie loved to play in mud. Picking those water hole lines was a good idea. I did the same thing. The other guys don’t want to clog their radiators. Great riding
awesome!!! that looks like SO MUCH FUN !!!
In my all too brief moto x experience, I rode a '75 Elsinore. The gray ghost we called it. Damned fast little machine. That sound sure brings back memories. Hell, I could even smell the 2 stroke oil in the air.
Sweet to see! He must have put Curnutt shocks on it! 😮
That was the bike everyone wanted back in the day but only a few coils afford... love they signature gas tank 💯
I campaigned a 72 Bultaco 125 Pusang in 1972 and I would love to ride that bike again. The CR125 came out the next year and I didn't get to race against or race on one, but the 125s of this era were very light, powerful and quick. We often had the fastest lap times on tracks like Carlsbad and Saddleback Park. Got to race against some very good riders like Marty Smith and others. Awesome memories for this 70 year old. And yes they cornered like banshees!!
Listening to that mosquito buzz around those John Deere tractors brought back memories.
Excellent Ride! 🎉
I had a 76 cr 125 Elsinore back in the day. It was a fast motor scooter and handled like a dream. I miss that bike.
that bike rips, it's way more the rider than the fancy new bike with all the designer gear and the big fancy high dollar truck. This is Awesome to see. Keeping that thing on the pipe..Bbraaap!
I had a 1974 Yamaha MX 100. I was 10 years old. It was a screaming machine!!!
In '93 I entered my '79 Honda XL250 in the Rampart Range Poker Run.
I won an extremely swollen ankle, broken brake lever, and a week off work!
NEATO to watch - my first new real quick dirt bike back in 1974. Not sure if I could rude as well as this rider though. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.
Great riding!... Greatest 125 MX bike ever built...my era!
Awsome bike .skills. and yes you deffo showed them .😊
👍🏴😁✌️
I raced a '74 and a '75 and this brings back memories. Deceptively quick and light the biggest issue with only 4" of rear travel was not to launch it.