25 Years Ago February, 1978
25 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY, 1978
ROUNDUP
The older you get, the harder it is to write one of these “25 Years Ago” blurbs. Increasingly, I’m inspired to blurt out, “Hey, I had one of those!” The 1978 Honda Elsinore CR250R on the cover of this issue, for instance. I was 16 at the time and a faithful Popular Cycling reader, but if I’d read CW, I’d have agreed with the editors’ proclamation that, “The praise could go on all day.” At my house, it did.
• Following the CR250R test was a report on Honda’s new production MT125R roadracer, powered by an engine derived from the CR125 Elsinore I’d just offloaded. I had a chance to ride one of these once at Bridgehampton Raceway, and all I remember is being about a foot too tall. Art Director Peter Vamvas raced CW’s testbike at Riverside and apparently agreed with my findings as he called the MT, “A cute little machine so small that when it’s 10 feet away it looks to be 100 feet away.” A novice racer, Vamvas was coached by none other than roadracing “guru” Keith Code, whose California Superbike School is still going strong.
• A product evaluation near the back of the book almost went unnoticed until I did a subliminal double-take. On test was a pair of Hi-Point boots, now a staple amongst vintage motocrossers, but then brand-new. Their chief attribute? “When new, the boots felt almost comfortable.” Now there’s a glowing recommendation...
-Brian Catterson
