Two-Stroke Survivor: 1975 MT250K1 Elsinore
It’s a toss-up for me as to what my favorite decade is, almost anything from the 1960s on is a contender. Well, other than the 2020s which is by far my least favorite decade and we’re not even three full years into it. This 1975 Honda MT250K1 Elsinore is from a favorite decade and the seller has it listed here on eBay in Westfield, Massachusetts and the current bid price is $3,501.
The 1970s gave us some not-so-great things, like a lingering Vietnam War, massive bumpers on cars, and leisure suits. But then again, ten-speed bicycles really came on strong as did skiing, tennis, and off-road motorcycles, or on/off trail bikes. We called them dirt bikes where I grew up, but we also called a pickup bed a “box” and the thing over that was a topper, not a cap. It appears that the chrome exhaust shield has been painted black in the photo above.
The ’75 MT250K1 Elsinore followed a beloved and lighter CR250 and they were made for three years: 1974-1976. They had more steel parts and weighed about 65 pounds more than the outgoing CR250 which is quite a lot for a small motorcycle, or even a big motorcycle. One confusing thing for me about this example is that in the photo above, the red paint on the gas tank appears to be faded but the seller includes four photos with a bright, shiny tank with nice paint. There is no mention of it being repainted or why that is.
2,700 miles aren’t a lot for a motorcycle, especially a nice-sized street-legal one like this MT250. I have 49-cc oddball motorcycles with more miles on them than this one has. The seller, in going back to the gas tank, says that this one has absolutely no rust in side and the CR250 had an aluminum gas tank which is one of the reasons the MT250 weighed more. They show several photos inside the tank and it looks nice. It still doesn’t explain the faded paint in the one photo.
The MT250 is powered by Honda’s 248-cc single-cylinder two-stroke and the seller says that it starts on the first kick and is a lot of fun to ride. Have any of you owned an MT250?
Auctions Ending Soon
2002 Subaru Impreza WRXBid Now1 days$333
1975 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleBid Now1 days$4,000
1964 Ford F-100 Camper CustomBid Now1 days$2,000
2006 Jeep Wrangler SportBid Now3 days$11,000
1974 Datsun 260ZBid Now5 days$750
Comments
I can’t tell about the fade and am wondering if that is a combination of reflections from light and clouds in the reflection. Cool MT250K1 Elsinore though and this is the one everyone wanted in my neck of the woods.
In 1974 i took part at the Austrian 125 cc Moto Cross Championship with a Honda Elsinore 125 . My team colleague, Johann Reitbauer became champion. I ended 13th. It was a great time.
Oh, those old injuries ache once again, gol dang, I do declare, anyone that had a dirt bike in this era, really had a lot of fun. THIS, was what I was looking for when I bought that dismal DRZ. For a “modern” bike, the DRZ was okay, but too complicated. These were simple as a toaster, and just as reliable. One of my biggest complaints on the DRZ, was no kick start. I wonder what bozo convinced the “board” at Suzuki to leave that off. Simple on these is the order, and even though I swore my motorcycle days are over, you do something for 50+ years, I truly miss it. This bike is in the same era as my ’73 TS400 was and that bike never let me down. A great find here, again, with all of these vintage Asian bikes, parts could be a problem. Some say no, but I heard just hope the electrics don’t fry, the weakest link on these.
OMG! I had one of these back in the day. What a great bike … lucky I’m alive!
Beautiful bike. I had a 82 CR250R, what a beast. I could roost dirt 30 feet into the air when the gate dropped. It was a great motocross/hare scramble machine.
These were definitely an improvement over what Honda ran before; these could actually function in the boonies. The Japanese still had a ways to go before they could compete successfully with the Europeans. Our parts manager had one just like this. I rode it a couple of times and it was good but it still was a far cry from a Bultaco Bandito. As a duffer’s bike you won’t go wrong…
Really nice looking bike, none too tall either. As a child of the seventies it would take a ladder to climb aboard these things by the late seventies, ha ha, fun decade. Pre-water cooled dirt bikes just look better…cleaner.
These type of bikes where fun back in the 70’s. My brother had a Yamaha DT400 in yellow and it was fun. Simple easy to start and fun to ride. Ahh missed those days. 🐻🇺🇸
Hi Big Bear, you know what I tell everyone, WE DID IT!! Many just don’t have the chance or place to ride these anymore.I had a friend whose parents had a dairy farm in N.Wis. and he had a DT 250 and I had my TS 400. Once the chores were done, we’d ride into the forest on snowmobile trails, back then (70s) every tavern had a “gas barrel” and we’d ride well into the night. We put a lot of miles on those things, and I never recall being stranded. Today, most of those “mom & pop” taverns are closed, and strict rules on “gas barrels”, it’s not the same. That’s why I say, we have those memories, and “those are the memories that makes us wealthy souls”,,( thank you Bob Seger for the mindset and Scotty/BFs for the visuals)
Brought back alot of memories here.
After chores my friends and I would ride all day. Seems like was no shortage of trails either.
We live close to an MX track as well.
Scotty, I assume you know the difference between the CR250 and the MT? The former was a motocross racer, the bike for sale here a trail bike, or enduro as we referred to them. The CR was not “out going” it still exists as a model name. To further confuse things, there was also the XL250, a four stroke enduro, designed for the same market as the MT.
Ah yes, the 70s dirt bikes. We were three: Rick rode his Elsinore, Jeff had the Husquavarna, and I had my Yamaha. They were building I-90 through the western suburbs of Cleveland. Thank you DOT for the awesome dirt tracks, jumps, hills, and woop-deedoos! The Husky was the better bike, but Rick was the better rider. He went on to race locally on a Yamaha YZ 250 with the monoshock. I started jumping cuz I idolized Evel Knievel. Did someone above recall the bruises and cuts and aches?! Lol
Looks like a beautifully preserved Elsinore, if I recall, the red stripe on the tank had an orange tint to it which may be making the photo look washed out. The instrument faces look great, gustva but if sun exposure and the red zone on the tach would fade and wash out. This one looks deep and sharp. When these came out they were a bit of a disappointment as they were inevitably compared to the CR bikes which were considerably lighter and higher strung with more sophisticated suspension. I was riding XR/XL bikes on and off road at the time and really wanted to want an MR but was underwhelmed after riding several. The MR 125 (blue strip on tank) was more fun as it was lighter but was no faster than my buddies XL125 without the 4 stroke’s feeling of indestructibility. The MR (175 & 250) bridge the gap between the CR and MT 2-strokes but we’re not street legal out of the box. Ultimately for my style of riding (slow, with lots of falling) in the Florida woods and Everglades I settled on an ‘84 Dual-Carb XR350 with just enough street equipment (brake light and mirror) to earn a license plate in Florida. Nonetheless this is a beautiful bike and extraordinary example of Honda at a time when they offered a full line-up and bike for every type of rider.
I had a 73. That one is beautiful. I gave it away after putting a new cylinder and piston in it. A friend still has it. I had a blast on it. We took off the lights and made it lighter. He put it all back on. With a stock exhaust. I had some loud thing on it…( which helped you to be heard in the woods, so no one ran into us)
Do your friend still have the loud exhaust? I’m looking for an aftermarket pipe for my ’73 MT250.
Let me know. Thanks,
Mike
We’re nothing like the CR. They weren’t great and didn’t survive. XL250s were way better at the time.
SOLD for $4,502.