Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Just picked up a couple of barn cr250m elsinores. Supposed to be 1973 or 1974's From what I have researched so far the vin#'s for 73 and 74 both start out the same so how do you tell if you have a 73 or a 74. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help with this.

http://100megsfree4.com/honda/
They usually have enough infor to ID models.

Thanks, I had already checked that site and it really doesn't clear up the matter as both the 73 and 74 vin #'s start with the same numbers 10#### I guess there isn't any way to tell without knowing how many bikes Honda turned out as 73's before calling them 74's

I see your point. My CR250M DOM is 5/74 and its serial number is 10022487 so I know its a '74 and they made a ton to that point. Did Honda distinguish between the models or was it just a DMV thing? They use the same part code for both AFAIK.

For all intents and puposes there is no significant difference between the 73 and 74 Elsinore CR250M's. The serial number range covers both years. Basically Honda just sat on their laurals in 74 and waited while the other Japanese MX bikes flew by them technologically. It took Honda four years to catch up in 1978 with the red rocket CR250R.

I hear the 1973 CR250M came with a Billet Crank which is stronger than the Cast Iron Crank that Honda switched over to in 1974. Maybe someone can confirm this!

Only the first 500 73 CR250M models had the billet cranks. The numbers are supposed to start at 1000225 so motors up to about 1000700 probably had the billet cranks. I have bike number 1000726 but it does not. One way I tell a 73 is it does not have an extra washer on the frame where the swingarm pivot goes in. Honda upgraded stuff as they went. The frame numbers run from 1000216 to 1025537. My guess is the 1000216 to about 101000 are probably 73s. Anybodies guess where the 74 numbers started.

I recall magazine advertisement inserts that pictured the new 1973 CR250M that had the aluminum tank with no green on the top and a silencer that was 2 or 3 times larger than the pickle silencer. Did these ever make production (even limited) or were they just promotional models?

I posted a pic on the swapmeet board of a set of cases I picked up several years back. Just wondering if anyone knows if the 73 CR250's had a raised pad where the engine ID numbers are stamped. I know the 74's do. The cases I have do not have the raised number pad like the other cases I've run across. The case numbers are also stamped in line unlike the others I've seen that are stacked on the pad. The numbers are 1001709. Could this be one the the last 73's? I bought them on ebay about 5 years ago. They were never used and there was also a cylinder and complete clutch assembly from the same engine that was also never run. As I recall there was also a crank for sale by the same seller, but I lost that auction. Doooohhh! I really was not thinking about engine numbers or billet cranks when I bought them as I wanted them for a race bike I was wanting to build. I didn't think about the different number pads from the other parts engines I had until I was going to build the bike. I decided not to build the racer as I figured these must be 73 cases in mint shape. I have no idea why someone shelved a complete 73 motor and then parted it....but go figure. I wish I knew if the crank the guy had was billet. I ended up finding a billet crank for it, and have a spare in excellent shape if anyone needs it.

I've never seen this type of case on any 73-74 CR250M's. My '73 has the raised pad w/stacked numbers. Maybe it is one of these possibilities: 1. Early '73, 2. Replacement cases from Honda Parts, 3. Cases from a complete "crate motor". 4. Pre-Production cases. What other possibilities could there be? Anyone? Very interesting....

Well....at least it appears that the cases I have are unusual. I didn't think they were replacement cases as they have numbers stamped into them. I thought replacement cases came without numbers. When I was putting the engine together I noticed that this set does not have the extra webbing where the shift detent spring holder mounts. The later style cases were reinforced in this area. The original set of cases I started with had broken where the detent mounts. From what I've been told Honda had a real problem with the early cases breaking in this area. I had been told that Honda was replacing the early cases under warranty as the first run of cases were all breaking at the mount. I kinda figured that what I had was a set of cases that had been removed from a bike known to have these problems. Since these early cases were failing...maybe some Honda dealer pulled the engine before selling the bike and replaced them with the updated cases. This is ALL speculation as I really have no clue. What I can't figure is why the different number pad....and why the numbers should be at least late in 73.......... someone must know out there?????

Hi Nathan. Are the numbers you gave for your CR the engine or frame numbers? Could it be that you have a very early set of the updated cases...and the ones I have are one of the last of the first run? I'm thinking that the cases I have must be #709?

Thay are for the engine. Anything is possible I guess. Its a mystery to me. Good luck in your searching.

Hay Behindbars I was wandering if you live near buchanan, Michigan?

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