BLOWerMEat
Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 12 Sep 2011
Karma :  
|
 Posted: 23:37 - 20 Oct 2011  Post subject: 1980 elsinor |
 |
|
Is the 1980 250 Elsinor worth $300 bucks? 
____________________
u cant phase me you people who ( Cant Understand Normal Thinking.)s |
|
Quornholio
World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Jun 2011
Karma : 
|
|
Tarmacsurfer
World Chat Champion
Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Karma :
|
|
Blau Zedong
Banned
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Karma :
|
|
Teflon-Mike
tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Karma :  
|
| Posted: 06:46 - 21 Oct 2011 Post subject: |
|
|
https://www.vintagefactory.com/73CR250Elsinore23.jpg
Honda's entry into two-stroke's with a dirt bike to slot between Yamaha's fast and furiouse YZ Competition Scrambler, and rather lack-lustre 'MX' 'Cow-Patter' trail-bike....
Yanks loved how quick the YZ's were, but tried using them for all day trail riding, and then slated them for how unreliable they were after grumbling about tank range; MX was a cross between a YZ and street equipped DT, and a good bike, and ideal for what they were designed for, but lacking the YZ's fury, similarly slated!
The CR250 Elsinor was Honda's first forrey into two strokes (since thier very early clip-on engines of antiquity!); perporting to be a 'full on' competition Moto-Cross bike, or at least designed from the ground up as a dedicated off roader, rather than a de-equipped and modified road bike, as the SL four strokes were, though they did make a road going version with auto-lube injection & lights, the MT250.
I believe it was closely based on contemprary Bultaco machines of the era, that were dominant on the US scene at the time. Later bikes were reed-valved, like the Yamaha, and though I cant find references, I think the original was piston ported, like the Bultaco, and sported low level, Bultaco-esque low level expansion chamber to deliver 28bhp.
It was also the first Honda built in US Satalite plant, originally concieved to build the Gold-Wing, rumored to 'hide' the project from close scritiny of Sochiro Honda, and his hatred of two-strokes. Aparently when some engine testing was done in Japan, they fiddled the job-cards to imply that it was being tested for the agri-implement division!
The 'pure competition' intension, was aparently proclaimed by the original bikes having a bare, unpainted, aluminium tank with green Honda decal, the only adornment..... oh, and magnesium side casings (also like the Bultaco & Montesa's of the time)
It was, rather lardy and uncompetative against the neat handling long travel mono-shock YZ's, of the time. That the same year the Elsinor was released, Yamaha took the first cantilever 'Mono' to World Championship number one in 250MX, rendering almost everything else obsolete over night, though it took until 1975, for them to take the mono accross the range in the YZ series, giving Suzuki time to cash in on thier dominance, having taken hatrick 500MX titles, and increase the travel and get more rising rate from canted twin-shock chassis, to keep the disc valved RM's up the front, until challenged by Kawasaki's disk valved KX's with Unitrack multi-link suspension.
We didn't really get or 'get' the 'Elsinor' in the UK, and I dont know whether there were any officially imported to the UK before the Elsinor name was actually dropped in 1982.
The Yanks bought them in droves, though, and they were quite prolific on the US Club scene, where the two stroke motor suggested competition pottential that the four strokes didn't have, and despite lacking the full on MX competence of rivals; tough old boots used as Ranch bikes or Cow-Patters, they proved pretty durable, and come Sunday a good way to waste the after noon....
Often taking placings purely from blanketing the field, and on increased probability rather than capability, reputation they gained was far in excess of their actual capability, and longer lasting....
$300?
All depends on actual year, completeness, condition, and any providence.
They are AHMRA eligible for 'Evolution Era' MX Class, but they are not uncommon, by a long stretch of the imagination, and no more competative now, than they were in thier day; in fact given that they let the last of the line Air-Cooled Kwaks run with uni-track rear suspension, modified to T-Shock or Cantilever actuation, in place of linkage, probably less so! But, its classic class, so depends how seriousely you want to take it... in relation to the rest of the field.... and lot of folk in the class DO take it very seriousely, and run bikes like air-cooled unitrack KX's, with modern carbs, electronic ignition, and barels re-sleeved and re-ported to modern specs, and milled to take reed-nlocks from later water cooled bikes, etc etc etc.
As a fixer upper; not a bike you are likely to make much money on; plenty out there lovingly restored, as they do make good first resto projects, due to availability of bits, new & used, in the states, but with so many folk prepared to put in thier time and money on them for fun, and looking to sell to fund the next one, after, more fully restored bikes out there than people who want them.
Quite a few have been finding thier way over the pond in recent years; there must be more stateside than people that want or are prepared to pay money for them; but here, they are a harder and more expensive proposition to restore, but some do, as UK classic Scrambles classes put them into I believe T-Shock, where they dont have to run against the cantilever YZ's, and they can better hold thier own against early T-Shock RM's, and I think the earliest ones JUST squeek eligibility for I think its 'Pre '75, where they are up against old Brit-Bikes powered by Villiers engines, or Spanish stuff like the piston ported Bultaco.
____________________
My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?' |
|
Benson_JV
World Chat Champion
Joined: 04 May 2010
Karma : 
|
| Posted: 06:52 - 21 Oct 2011 Post subject: |
|
|
You had to ask. 
____________________
Willson - "If you go out on that CBR600 in the winter, you're going to do more miles on your side than on your wheels."
Riding: CBR600FW Driving: Audi A6
Previous Bikes: '96 Bandit 600, '96 GPz305 |
|
Teflon-Mike
tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010
Karma :
|
|
jjdugen
World Chat Champion
Joined: 03 Jun 2011
Karma : 
|
|
BLOWerMEat
Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 12 Sep 2011
Karma :
|
| Posted: 02:02 - 22 Oct 2011 Post subject: |
|
|
|
|
BLOWerMEat
Borekit Bruiser
Joined: 12 Sep 2011
Karma :
|
| Posted: 02:06 - 22 Oct 2011 Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for your input on this subject fellows and will let you know the outcome later. 
____________________
u cant phase me you people who ( Cant Understand Normal Thinking.)s |
|
Help & FAQs
Search BCF
Members
Groups
Events Calendar
i could but then I would be no worse than you.
rating
rating