Mx Time Machine
MX TIME MACHINE
SUPERCROSS SENSATION JEREMY McGRATH TAKES HIS FIRST RIDE ON HONDA’S 1974 CR125 ELSINORE
RON GRIEWE
JEREMY McGRATH, AMERICA’S HOTTEST NEW motocross star, was only a year old in early 1973 when Honda announced its new 125 and 250cc Elsinore MX racebikes. Advertised as a ’73 model, the CR250 was at dealers by early summer, where it readily sold out despite skepticism concerning Honda’s ability to produce a two-stroke powerplant. The CR125 wasn’t available until the fall of ’73 as a 1974 model.
That delay didn’t hurt the sales of 125 Elsinores one bit, however. The potent CR250 had proven that Honda-famous for its four-stroke engine designs-understood very well the workings of a two-stroke engine. Dealers had trouble keeping the new 125s in stock.
Looking at the specifications of the 1974 Elsinore today gives little indication of what all of the fuss was about. The only figure that appears outstanding is the 125’s 178-pound dry weight.
But there was a lot more to the 125 Elsie than light weight. Here was a racing motorcycle that didn’t use wheels and hubs from a foo-foo trailbike, a sleeved-down engine from a 175 or suspension from a streetbike. Additionally, the 125 was bristling with beautifully finished parts. The Elsinore emerged from a clean sheet of drawing paper and every part of it was designed to result in the ultimate lightweight motocross racer. Nothing on the Elsinore 125 needed replacement or modification for the bike to be competitive on the track. Soon, starting lines all across the country were filled with the things.
Cycle World's September ’73 issue gave insight into the importance of this new 125: “Never before have production motocrossers been so complete and ready out of the crate...Honda has literally set a new standard of excellence in motocross machinery that will have the rest of the industry straining to match it, much less surpass it...Honda’s new CR125 does everything superbly. It is without a doubt the finest handling small-bore we have ever ridden.”
Motocross bikes have evolved rapidly during the past 20 years, so we at Cycle World thought it would be interesting to put Jeremy McGrath, the best 125 rider in the country in 1991 and ’92, aboard an early Elsinore CR125. How would a young racer used to 12 inches of finely tuned suspension travel react to a 7.1-inch-travel fork and 5 inches of dual-shock, rear-wheel travel, a combination that CW's editors called “tricker than W. C. Fields in a poker game” back in 1974?
We contacted McGrath, a fully supported Honda factory rider for 1993, during a brief break in his practice schedule. He had just returned from racing pre-season European Supercross, where he caused quite a stir with consistent topfive finishes and a win in Spain.
A beautifully restored 1974 CR125 Elsinore was loaned to us by Rick Doughty, a vintage MX racer and owner of the Vintage Iron restoration shop (4774 E. Carmen, Fresno, CA 93703; 209/252-9053). The CR was delivered with a smile and these simple instructions: “Have fun.” There were no cautionary words concerning wear and tear or crash damage to the beautiful little Elsinore. Doughty believes vintage MX bikes should be ridden and enjoyed.
McGrath met us at the designated time at DeAnza MX Park, walked around the bike a couple of times and commented, “I’ve seen pictures of these and heard people talk about them, but this is the first one that I’ve seen in person. The thing sure looks tiny and fragile. I hope it doesn’t break in half over the jumps.”
After we advised McGrath against jumping the old bike like he would a new one, he looked at the CR’s short-travel suspension, small fork legs, steel-tube swingarm, minia-
ture spokes and hubs, and mumbled, “Yeah, I’d better take it easy; I don’t want to get hurt before the season gets under way.”
As McGrath put on his riding gear, we mulled over his first thoughts concerning the ’74 CR. Back in the early Seventies, a rider’s first concern was about a bike’s handling and turning abilities. Today, all MX bikes tum and handle well. A modem rider’s primary thoughts are of jumping expertise. Keeping the bike low to the ground while others sail over doubleand triple-jumps is a sure ticket to a spectator’s seat in the grandstands.
Avoiding DeAnza’s long MX track, McGrath cruised around the short practice track with rolling TT-type jumps and minimal bumps. Within three laps, McGrath was blowing up berms, the little 125’s engine screaming at peak rpm. Less aggression was directed at jumps, however. After landing hard over the first roller from an elevation of only a couple of feet, McGrath was careful to keep the CR close to the ground over the jumps.
Twenty minutes later, McGrath slid to a stop with a big grin on his face. When asked his opinion of the 125 Elsinore, he quickly answered, “Well, it’s old.” Then, after some thought, “The engine’s power is actually pretty good at the top, but there’s absolutely no low-end power. The engine loads up unless the revs are kept high, but that’s not too hard to do. The transmission and clutch work well. I wouldn’t mind racing one of these-as long as everyone was on them.”
About the CR’s jumping manners? “Big jumps are out of the question, this thing jars you pretty good from only a foot or so in the air. Em surprised at how well it turns, though. The brakes aren’t much, although the front one is stronger than I thought it would be. I can’t believe how light and narrow it is and how easy it is to flick around. It’s kind of fun to ride, but I miss not being able to get the bike way up in the air.”
With that, McGrath jumped onto Cycle World's stock 1993 CR125R, bounced on it a couple of times and headed off to the long MX track. The throttle was pegged instantly, the transmission machine-gun-upshifted for the duration of every straight, the red CR bouncing off berms and leaping effortlessly into the air higher than we mortal spectators thought possible at DeAnza.
Photographer Kinney Jones, mouth open in awe, said, “I wonder how fast he would go if he took the time to adjust the suspension?” That question was answered early in the ’93 AMA Supercross season when McGrath, in his first year of banging handlebars with the big boys of 250cc motocross, won four races in a row and jetted to a commanding points lead. S3
