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Vintage Honda Colors

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Posted by: HomeMadeSin

Can anyone tell me what the original colors of 70's era Honda dirtbikes? I know the red/black combos, but what about the silver/green/black? Were they originally silver or were any of them chrome?? Any place to look on the web? Or a good book at the local bookstore?


Posted by: Smit-Dog

Although you are probably looking for full-sized bikes, I had a couple Honda's back in the 70's.

1970 QA-50. Offered in 2 color choices that year. Mine was officially called "Sprout Green". The other color that year was "Gypsy Yellow".

1974 XR-75. One color. Officially called "Rubber Gray".

Pics Here: http://community.webshots.com/album/55180786pXahwK


Posted by: zoommx

Click here for "The Honda Elsinore" site
Roger


Posted by: Oregon Trail

Check The Honda Gallery , it tells about colors and such.


Posted by: HomeMadeSin

Daayyyummm Smit-dog, that XR75 looks sweet! That has to be an absolute blast to ride.

zoommx and OT: I actually hit those sites (had the Honda Gallery) last night. The Honda Gallery is great, but most of the photos are black and white. I know it lists the paint color scheme too, but I would like to see Nuclear Red versus Bright Red, etc.

Doesn't appear to be any chrome colors, just grey. Does the grey remind you of Xr's more or Elsinores? If I redo my CR500, it should look like the Elsinore, not XR.

Thanks.


Posted by: Smit-Dog

Quote:
Originally Posted by HomeMadeSin
Daayyyummm Smit-dog, that XR75 looks sweet! That has to be an absolute blast to ride.

I had an XR-75 as a kid, but those pics aren't of my bike. Found them one the internet. Sweet restoration though.


Posted by: Husky Texan

The 73/74 CR250 had a polished aluminum tank with a green stripe on top and a clear coat over the aluminum. The 74 CR125 had a painted grey steel tank with a green stripe. The 75 CR125 had a painted grey steel tank with a red stripe.


Posted by: DougRoost

I found that Honda Elsinore site a week ago after doing a Google search. Great site but have to say it wasn't as I recalled the Elsinores nor was there a history section as I expected to educate us unwashed in Elsinores. I'm not a vintage bike guy but had a 1977 Yamaha DT100 and 1978 DT250, and a guy I knew bought an Elsinore 250 (gray). He was just daredevil and would do some amazing things on it, so I had always had a special place in my memory for them.

When I looked at the bikes on that site I was surprised. First, the bike my friend had must have been an MT since it was mostly gray, but it looked as dual sport as my DTs. I thought I recalled his bike being more racey than my DT, but maybe that's just the way he rode it and the years going by. I do have to admit the 1978 CR250R was more like I thought they looked (more laid down shocks and all) and that's a great looking bike for that era.

But the real surprise to me was how on the CR Elsinores the kickstarter was on the left, sprocket on the right, etc. (what I'd call a more Euro layout). The MT and MRs were the traditional layout, so I'm surprised they'd both be called Elsinores and therefore (I assume) considered part of the same family. Can one of you vintage guys enlighten me on the Elsinore history/brand/marketing? i.e.- just what made these bikes Elsinores, why MT, MR, and CR were all under the Elsinore umbrella, why the more "Euro" layout on a Japanese bike, etc. Thanks!


Posted by: Husky Texan

Here's the deal.

Elsinore name.......all Honda 2 strokes went by the Elsinore name through the 82 model year. Someone in the marketing department thought it would be nice to play off the Elsinore GP footage in "On Any Sunday". Must have been a nightmare for the parts guys. "What bike do you need a plug for?" Uhh, an Elsinore.

The only bikes to be flipped like the Euro bikes are the 78-83 CR250, the 81 CR450R, 82/83 CR480R and I believe only the 79 CR125 but I could be wrong on the 125. Honda did that to reduce weight because bikes of that era were suffering due to heavy frames caused by the suspension travel revolution that was on-going. At least they shifted on the left side. Nothing like riding a vintage bike and diving into a turn to find that you just downshifted instead of breaking.

As far as the MT's, they were two stoke foo-foo bikes and didn't sell all that well. The MR's were decent enduro bikes but the industry went into a slump around 76 (thanks Jimmy Carter!) and didn't sell all that well. Lot's of cheater CR125s with MR175 cylinders on them.


Posted by: OnAnySunday

Quote:
Originally Posted by Husky Texan
The 73/74 CR250 had a polished aluminum tank with a green stripe on top and a clear coat over the aluminum. The 74 CR125 had a painted grey steel tank with a green stripe. The 75 CR125 had a painted grey steel tank with a red stripe.


'74 CR125 had the same tank as the 250. ie: made of alum.
Also had the same green stripe.
How do i know? I had one. Fierce lil' $!##$@ too! :thumb:
I remember that baby alright, and it was alum.
I bought it new off the dealers floor.
(Walt Lobb Honda sales in Philipsburg Pa.)
I even still have the oem sales brochure and manual buried somewheres.......
Your probably thinking of the MT series which had to have a steel fuel cell to be d.o.t. legal.
My '74 XL125 had the same tank as the MT's did. (abeit painted red instead of silver.)
And if i remember correctly the original XR75's paint color was reffered to in literature as "GunmetalGrey mettallic".


Posted by: HomeMadeSin

Husky Texan - do you have any pics of your '83 CR480? That was my dream bike back in the day. I remember seeing a couple of brave souls on them and seeing them as m/c Gods. Me and my little '84 XR200R putt putt. In fact, I was dying for one to replace the XR, but quickly changed my mind when I finally rode an '85 CR250R and was floored (almost literally) at the difference.

Wally - Phillipsburg, PA huh? I used to work for a pump company that had a huge facility there. I also lived in Southern PA for a stint, calling on PECO power plants. I never rode in PA, that was in my dormant stage of m/c, but did notice quite a few riders around.


Posted by: Husky Texan

Not mistaken for the MT's, I had a 74, 75, and 76 CR125 and time has probably fogged my memory. It seems like I remember having to have the mounting tab on the rear of the tank welded and it was steel but that WAS 30 years ago.

Sure wish I still had the 74. And wish I still weighed 135 lbs!


Posted by: Oregon Trail

Yep those XR's are still fun to ride. I have my original 1973 XR75 my dad bought me off the showroom floor. :thumb: He wouldn't let me do anything to it back them except a pipe, but now I made up for it. 98cc strokered motor with a PK cam, SL125 carb, 1 piece alloy intake, T&M exhaust, extended swingarm, Boge shocks, 74 tank, CR80 front end and Dunlop 756's. The best part is out vintage club lets the adults race the XR's at the last race of the season. Some pics



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