This is a 1979 Honda CR125R Elsinore, it’s been sitting unused in its original factory crate since 1979, and it’s now possibly the only unridden example of its kind left in the world.
Honda’s Elsinore series of motorcycles from the 1970s (and very early 80s) are now legendary in the vintage motocross community, they were named after the Southern Californian Elsinore Grand Prix, and they became a force to be reckoned with in their time.
Fast Facts: A Factory-Crated 1979 Honda CR125R Elsinore
- Honda’s CR125 Elsinore originated from a secret two-stroke development program undertaken by engineers despite founder Soichiro Honda’s initial opposition to the technology. Introduced in the United States for the 1974 model year, the CR125M featured a 123cc two-stroke single producing approximately 21.7 bhp, a 6-speed gearbox, and lightweight construction designed for competitive motocross racing.
- The Elsinore quickly established itself as a formidable motocross machine, with Marty Smith winning the inaugural AMA 125cc National Championship in 1974 and dominating again in 1975. Competition from Yamaha and Suzuki intensified throughout the decade, prompting Honda to continually revise its engines, chassis, and suspension systems to remain competitive.
- For 1979, Honda introduced the redesigned CR125R Elsinore, featuring reed-valve induction, a chrome-lined cylinder bore, a 32mm Keihin carburetor, and long-travel suspension offering approximately 11 inches of travel. Other developments included a 23-inch front wheel and revised frame. The model was later given liquid-cooling and Pro-Link rear suspension for 1981.
- The 1979 Honda CR125R featured here has reportedly remained unused in its original factory shipping crate since delivery, making it an exceptionally rare survivor. Acquired by its current owner in 2011, it remains partially disassembled with its original packaging. It’s now being offered in Grand Blanc, Michigan, through Bring a Trailer.
History Speedrun: The Honda CR125R Elsinore
Honda sold its 125cc motocrosser under the Elsinore name for a total of eight model years, from the air-cooled 1974 CR125M to the liquid-cooled 1981 CR125R. The first one came from a company whose founder, Soichiro Honda, had famously said in the late 1960s that Honda would never build a two-stroke motorcycle.
Honda signed rider Marty Smith, who was then just 17 and still in high school, for the inaugural AMA 125cc National Championship in 1974 and gave him the RC125, the factory version of the CR125M. Smith won the first two rounds and finished second in the other two to take the title, with Honda riders filling the top four places. Images courtesy of Honda.
A group of younger Honda engineers was building a two-stroke anyway, as a secret project without the knowledge or approval of Honda management. Their 250cc prototype first raced, in disguise, in August of 1971, and a 125 followed it onto Japanese motocross tracks in July of 1972. Honda ran the smaller 125 model in the All-Japan Motocross Championship while it finished development, then announced the production CR125M at the start of 1973.
The name came from the Elsinore Grand Prix, an early-summer cross-country race in California that had appeared in the 1971 film On Any Sunday. In the United States the 125 arrived a few months after the CR250M, with a 1974 model-year designation, and an MSRP of $749 USD. In May of 1973 Honda added the MT125 Elsinore in Japan, a dual-purpose model which was based on the CR125M, but with lights and other road equipment to ensure it would be street legal.
The engine was a 123cc piston-port single with a 56 mm bore and 50 mm stroke, a 28 mm Keihin carburetor, a capacitor-discharge ignition (CDI) and a 6-speed gearbox. Honda claimed at least 21.7 bhp at 9,500 rpm and 12.3 lb ft at 9,250 rpm – not a bad horsepower number for a 125.
The bike was fitted with a 21 inch front and 18 inch rear wheel on a 53.5-inch (1,360 mm) wheelbase, with 31 mm fork tubes, conventionally mounted twin rear shocks and drum brakes front and back. Its quoted weight of 179 lbs (81 kgs) was close to the FIM’s 176 lb minimum.
Honda signed rider Marty Smith, who was then just 17 and still in high school, for the inaugural AMA 125cc National Championship in 1974 and gave him the RC125, the factory version of the CR125M. Smith won the first two rounds and finished second in the other two to take the title, with Honda riders filling the top four places. The Elsinore had arrived.
In 1975, Smith won six of seven rounds and finished an astonishing 543 points clear of Yamaha’s Tim Hart. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame describes that as the largest winning margin ever recorded in AMA motocross. Just for good measure, he also won the inaugural 125cc US Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio that year, and won it again in 1976 to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
The Elsinore had rapidly become the motorcycle to have if you were serious about motocross, but the other Japanese manufacturers weren’t resting on their laurels – they were hot on Honda’s heels.
For 1979 Honda replaced the CR125M Elsinore with the all-new CR125R Elsinore, the R standing for “replica,” a reference to Honda’s factory racers. Its new engine used a six-petal stainless steel reed valve, a chrome-lined bore and a 32 mm Keihin carb. Image courtesy of Honda.
Suzuki’s RM125 arrived in 1975 with long-travel suspension, and Yamaha moved its YZ125 to monoshock rear suspension for less weight and better handling. Honda’s 1975 update brought a new cylinder with more power, a new exhaust and stronger shock shafts.
The 1976 Honda CR125M2 was a new design, with a lighter chrome-moly frame, 35 mm fork tubes, a 30 mm Keihin and almost six inches of rear travel, and a 198 lb weight on the scale without fuel or fluids. Yamaha’s Bob Hannah took that year’s 125 title from Smith. The arms race was well and truly underway, but Honda engineers were hard at work on a new model.
For 1979 Honda replaced the CR125M Elsinore with the all-new CR125R Elsinore, the R standing for “replica,” a reference to Honda’s factory racers. Its new engine used a six-petal stainless steel reed valve, a chrome-lined bore and a 32 mm Keihin carb. The chassis now had a single-downtube frame, 37 mm leading-axle forks, laid-down air/oil shocks and a remarkable 11 inches of travel at each end.
The drive chain moved to the right-hand side, and the front wheel grew to 23 inches. The 1980 model went back to a 21-inch front wheel, it also got a double-downtube frame, a steel banana swingarm, remote-reservoir Showa shocks, air-adjustable forks with 11.8 inches of travel, a steel cylinder liner in place of the chrome bore and a 34 mm Keihin.
For 1981 the CR125R switched to liquid cooling and Pro-Link single-shock rear suspension – it would be the last 125 to carry the Elsinore name. Surviving Elsinores are now hugely collectable, and there’s an avid community of owners around the world dedicated to keeping them running and racing.
The 1979 Honda CR125R Elsinore Shown Here
This 1979 Honda CR125R Elsinore is said to have remained in its original factory shipping crate since delivery, making it an extremely rare time-capsule-like survivor from the late 1970s. It was bought by its current owner in 2011 and it remains partially disassembled, with assorted parts all stored in separate boxes. The original steel-and-wood shipping crate and its cardboard outer cover are included in the sale.
The bike is finished in red, including its frame, bodywork, and engine, with multicolored graphics and front and side number plates. Power comes from a 123cc two-stroke single-cylinder engine equipped with a Keihin carburetor, a kick starter, and an upswept expansion-chamber exhaust. Drive is sent to the rear wheel through a 6-speed manual transmission and chain final drive.
This 1979 Honda CR125R Elsinore is said to have remained in its original factory shipping crate since delivery, making it an extremely rare time-capsule-like survivor from the late 1970s.
As you would expect for a 1979 125 Elsinore, the bike has a leading-axle telescopic front fork, twin rear shocks, magnesium drum brakes at both ends, and D.I.D alloy rims measuring 23 inches at the front and 18 inches at the rear. It’s fitted with knobby tires, high-mounted fenders, a black vinyl solo seat, and cross-braced handlebars.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Grand Blanc, Michigan on Bring a Trailer with a bill of sale. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer + Honda
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
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