1974 HONDA RC250 WORKS BIKE - ELSINORE
“ SUCCES STARTS WITH CHANGE"
In the 60s and early 70s Honda was laughed at whenever Motocross was mentioned. They were the "snail" of the game. That game would seriously change when Honda rolled out their first 2-Stroke Racing Machine in 1972 called theRC250 (and RC125). Taichi Yoshimura climbed aboard an RC and dominated the birth and its first day out at the races in Japan. As the news spread like wild fire... in America, the laughers quickly stopped laughing as the newly formed Honda Racxing Team started dominating tracks everywhere. Young American men like Marty Tripes, Gary Jones, Marty Smith, Rocket REX Staten, Bill Grossi, Rich Eierstedt, and Gary Semis became Motocross-gods on their Honda Works Machines.
The motorcycle I have painted (in the photo) is of Marty Tripes’ RC250. It was the purest of high grade eye-candy to those, back in 1974, who were waiting to see what weaponry the now respected Honda Factory had up its already locked and loaded sleeve. It rolled into the pits with a Radial Head, Oury Grips, Forward Mounted Shocks, Fork Boots, and a Red-Tip-Silencer on the end of the expansion chamber (the silencer did NOTHING but cause a smoke-and-mirrors wonderment).
This bike changed motocross for what it is today. Motocross was dominated by European Countries for years. The day Honda proudly produced their first 2-stroke machine was the day the European Motocross Machine Industry started walking to its grave. A new element of FAN was hurrying to the races and motocross stepped into the limelight with massive amounts of spectators. The marketing geniuses stepped in and the indoor coliseum race was born. Its name shall be "Supercross"!! The name should be listed in history as... "The Cause of Supercross: Honda".
The RC250 was later available for public buying in 1973 as the new "Honda CR250M Elsinore", named after Elsinore, California. In 1974 its little brother ... the CR125M was born ready and available. The CR125M Elsinore put the 125cc Class on the map and dominated amateur motocross tracks from America to Australia. The old Elsinores from the 70s are widely collected today and can fetch a whopping price into the tens of thousands if in mint condition. Long live The ELSINORE. Long live HONDA!
©2021-Shannon
“ SUCCES STARTS WITH CHANGE"
In the 60s and early 70s Honda was laughed at whenever Motocross was mentioned. They were the "snail" of the game. That game would seriously change when Honda rolled out their first 2-Stroke Racing Machine in 1972 called theRC250 (and RC125). Taichi Yoshimura climbed aboard an RC and dominated the birth and its first day out at the races in Japan. As the news spread like wild fire... in America, the laughers quickly stopped laughing as the newly formed Honda Racxing Team started dominating tracks everywhere. Young American men like Marty Tripes, Gary Jones, Marty Smith, Rocket REX Staten, Bill Grossi, Rich Eierstedt, and Gary Semis became Motocross-gods on their Honda Works Machines.
The motorcycle I have painted (in the photo) is of Marty Tripes’ RC250. It was the purest of high grade eye-candy to those, back in 1974, who were waiting to see what weaponry the now respected Honda Factory had up its already locked and loaded sleeve. It rolled into the pits with a Radial Head, Oury Grips, Forward Mounted Shocks, Fork Boots, and a Red-Tip-Silencer on the end of the expansion chamber (the silencer did NOTHING but cause a smoke-and-mirrors wonderment).
This bike changed motocross for what it is today. Motocross was dominated by European Countries for years. The day Honda proudly produced their first 2-stroke machine was the day the European Motocross Machine Industry started walking to its grave. A new element of FAN was hurrying to the races and motocross stepped into the limelight with massive amounts of spectators. The marketing geniuses stepped in and the indoor coliseum race was born. Its name shall be "Supercross"!! The name should be listed in history as... "The Cause of Supercross: Honda".
The RC250 was later available for public buying in 1973 as the new "Honda CR250M Elsinore", named after Elsinore, California. In 1974 its little brother ... the CR125M was born ready and available. The CR125M Elsinore put the 125cc Class on the map and dominated amateur motocross tracks from America to Australia. The old Elsinores from the 70s are widely collected today and can fetch a whopping price into the tens of thousands if in mint condition. Long live The ELSINORE. Long live HONDA!
©2021-Shannon
“ SUCCES STARTS WITH CHANGE"
In the 60s and early 70s Honda was laughed at whenever Motocross was mentioned. They were the "snail" of the game. That game would seriously change when Honda rolled out their first 2-Stroke Racing Machine in 1972 called theRC250 (and RC125). Taichi Yoshimura climbed aboard an RC and dominated the birth and its first day out at the races in Japan. As the news spread like wild fire... in America, the laughers quickly stopped laughing as the newly formed Honda Racxing Team started dominating tracks everywhere. Young American men like Marty Tripes, Gary Jones, Marty Smith, Rocket REX Staten, Bill Grossi, Rich Eierstedt, and Gary Semis became Motocross-gods on their Honda Works Machines.
The motorcycle I have painted (in the photo) is of Marty Tripes’ RC250. It was the purest of high grade eye-candy to those, back in 1974, who were waiting to see what weaponry the now respected Honda Factory had up its already locked and loaded sleeve. It rolled into the pits with a Radial Head, Oury Grips, Forward Mounted Shocks, Fork Boots, and a Red-Tip-Silencer on the end of the expansion chamber (the silencer did NOTHING but cause a smoke-and-mirrors wonderment).
This bike changed motocross for what it is today. Motocross was dominated by European Countries for years. The day Honda proudly produced their first 2-stroke machine was the day the European Motocross Machine Industry started walking to its grave. A new element of FAN was hurrying to the races and motocross stepped into the limelight with massive amounts of spectators. The marketing geniuses stepped in and the indoor coliseum race was born. Its name shall be "Supercross"!! The name should be listed in history as... "The Cause of Supercross: Honda".
The RC250 was later available for public buying in 1973 as the new "Honda CR250M Elsinore", named after Elsinore, California. In 1974 its little brother ... the CR125M was born ready and available. The CR125M Elsinore put the 125cc Class on the map and dominated amateur motocross tracks from America to Australia. The old Elsinores from the 70s are widely collected today and can fetch a whopping price into the tens of thousands if in mint condition. Long live The ELSINORE. Long live HONDA!
©2021-Shannon
