Today in motorcycle history, November 26, 1972

 

 

  Honda of Japan makes a last minute decision to enter the Trans-Am Series motocross race at Carnegie Cycle Park in Tracy, California.  The world meets the Elsinore.

 

  Honda hires "All Japan Motocross" National Champion Taichi Yoshimura and two Southern California riders, Jim Wilson and Bruce Baron, to ride Honda's first two-stroke moto race bike.  The two RC250M's were painted the color of the CR250M Elsinore that was to be released to the ever-growing US market in the spring of 1973.

 

  The CR250M weighed in at a wafting light 214 pounds and had 7.1 inches of travel up front, which was state-of-the-art at that time in ancient dirt biking history. The dyno showed that the Elsinore pulled a staggering rear wheel 28 horsepower, about three more than anything else short of a flat-out TT bike. 

 

   Named after the off-road race in Lake Elsinore, California, the best-known off-road race of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The popularity of the CR250M and its derivatives soared after Gary Jones rode a stock machine to win the 1973 AMA 250 national motocross series.

 

 

   Steve McQueen owned a CR250M, what else needs to be said?!