The Bike That Got Away: 1978 Honda CR250 Elsinore

The mid to late '70s were a great time to be involved with motocross. Bikes were improving rapidly, mainstream media had picked up on the sport, many local tracks existed, and all of my best buddies were local racers. Previous to this time, we raced converted enduro bikes, and if you were really serious, you might have had a Husky, or Bultaco to use in our weekend wars. When the Japanese manufactures put their resources to this sport, man things took off! Advancements in suspension, power, and handling were made every year. If your bike was two years old, you were suddenly uncompetitive.

Why I Bought It: When the red Honda CR250 Elsinore debuted, a major technological shift had just taken place. The bike had crisp off idle to redline power, looong travel suspension, and with its bright red paint job (that included the engine), it looked as sexy as my Farrah Fawcett poster hanging in my bedroom! Suddenly, the starting lines were overwhelmed with red Elsinores! Particularly the fast 250 "A" class. We all dressed in the requisite red, white, and blue Team Honda jerseys and wore our hair as close to the style of Marty Smith as we could. We imagined that we were all factory racers (talent be damned!), and lived the good life as we raced every weekend. The pits were filled with the music of Boston, The Eagles, Joe Walsh, etc. and life just couldn't get any better! Especially if you had the penultimate bike at the sport's penultimate period!!

Why I Sold It: Every fantasy must come to an end. College bills had to be paid, races were fewer and farther apart, many of my buddies dropped out of the sport, and we had to realize we were now full-fledged adults. The rock star era had ended (actually never even began, but we didn't know better), and if you did continue to race, the "next best thing" was required. Single shock rear suspension had taken over and water cooling was just around the corner. Bikes lost their individuality as they all started to look alike and sound alike. Fewer manufacturers had MX offerings and the golden era of MX had come to an end.

Why I Wish I Still Had It: Motocross bikes lead a hard life. If the throttle isn't wide open, or you're not falling at least once every couple of rides, you're not trying hard enough. Clean examples are hard to find, and if you do find one for sale, the owner knows what it's worth. Like the hot girlfriend you once dated, you wish you had her around so you could just gaze at her and remember what a great time of your life that was. Bikes are more than the rides that they provide. They are life experiences shared with your best friends. If I did have one, I am sure that very little riding time would actually take place. But every once in awhile, I would fire her up, rip up and down the lane behind my house, and relive the happiest time of my life. And I would remember the old phrase "Youth is wasted on the young"!