1981 Honda CR125R

superorbital
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superorbital
Edited Date/Time 11/19/2015 3:24am
What is the deal with this bike? I really cannot find much info. I am restoring one because I got a killer deal on it. No one seems to be into them at all. I don't ever hear anyone talk about the 81 Elsinore with any gusto. I really have not been able to find any good or bad comments. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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sgthubbard#60
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sgthubbard#60 1/31/2014 7:18am
1/31/2014 7:18am
One of my favorite bikes in my collection. Mine has a Fox Twin Clicker shock and Race tech emulators in the forks, other than that it is stock. The stock shock worked okay but faded really fast. VMX racing has plastic. Common wear parts like fork seals, sprockets, brake pads, pistons, gaskets, clutch plates, etc.. are all available aftermarket as well. Still have the original front number plate? There worth a mint alone.
adamcr151515 1/31/2014 7:29am
1/31/2014 7:29am
They were heavy and underpowered. The '80 CR125s were ridden more than the '81, in '81. I would suggest selling the left side clutch/water pump cover on Ebay (worth about $300) and parting the rest out to buy a '83 or '82. Here's a link to a PulpMx Classic Steel article on it.


http://pulpmx.com/stories/look-back-old-moto-mags/gps-classic-steel/gps…
newmann
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newmann 1/31/2014 7:56am
1/31/2014 7:56am
adamcr151515 wrote:
They were heavy and underpowered. The '80 CR125s were ridden more than the '81, in '81. I would suggest selling the left side clutch/water pump cover...
They were heavy and underpowered. The '80 CR125s were ridden more than the '81, in '81. I would suggest selling the left side clutch/water pump cover on Ebay (worth about $300) and parting the rest out to buy a '83 or '82. Here's a link to a PulpMx Classic Steel article on it.


http://pulpmx.com/stories/look-back-old-moto-mags/gps-classic-steel/gps…
Of course if he sells the water pump housing to buy an 83 model, he'll be on ebay looking for an 81 waterpump housing.Laughing

The 81 model is what convinced me to ditch the 250's in favor of 125's. Found one at a salvage yard locally back in 1991 in pretty nice condition missing the exhaust. Guy that brought it in said it wouldn't run. $75.00 and it was in the truck. Got it home, pulled the plug and checked for spark. Sure enough, no spark. Disconnected the nasty wet black plug and hooked up a new one.....fat blue spark. Started on first kick....Smile Found a pipe at another salvage yard and got it up and running. Next trip to the track, after three laps on my 90 YZ250 as my arms were about to fall off I unloaded the 125 and cranked out about 15 laps. Next week, the 250 was sold and a shiny new 92 KX125 took it's place. been hooked on the tiddlers ever since.
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Brett Campbell 1/31/2014 10:29am
1/31/2014 10:29am
I think the 81 model was one of the best looking CR's made. Unfortunately it can be a pain because of the binary powerband. You have to learn to use the clutch sometimes to get it on the pipe. BTW I have two 81 CR 125"s.

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lostboy819
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lostboy819 1/31/2014 12:20pm
1/31/2014 12:20pm
The 80 model 125 was fast the 81 was slow. In the 125 class slow is bad.
lostboy819
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lostboy819 1/31/2014 12:21pm
1/31/2014 12:21pm
Brett Campbell wrote:
I think the 81 model was one of the best looking CR's made. Unfortunately it can be a pain because of the binary powerband. You have...
I think the 81 model was one of the best looking CR's made. Unfortunately it can be a pain because of the binary powerband. You have to learn to use the clutch sometimes to get it on the pipe. BTW I have two 81 CR 125"s.
They do look cool.
sgthubbard#60
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sgthubbard#60 1/31/2014 4:07pm
1/31/2014 4:07pm
There not slow at all, you just need to keep them on the pipe. Dropping a tooth on the front sprocket will help a lot for tighter tracks.
BigAl
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BigAl 1/31/2014 5:38pm
1/31/2014 5:38pm
Back in the day DIrt BIke ported the 81 CR125. If I remember correctly, they said with the revised porting it would have won the 125 shootout.

Honda shows a switch in cylinders and intake midway through production.

First step at a minimum is install some fiber reeds. I just restored one and installed a mossbarger reed cage and spacer. I think it's from a 87 model. I'm not sure if a moto tassinari will work without a spacer or not.

I also used the later model intake and sent the cylinder/head to eric gore. Haven't ran it yet.

They are heavy but beautiful.
evomx244
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evomx244 2/1/2014 2:29am
2/1/2014 2:29am
BigAl wrote:
Back in the day DIrt BIke ported the 81 CR125. If I remember correctly, they said with the revised porting it would have won the 125...
Back in the day DIrt BIke ported the 81 CR125. If I remember correctly, they said with the revised porting it would have won the 125 shootout.

Honda shows a switch in cylinders and intake midway through production.

First step at a minimum is install some fiber reeds. I just restored one and installed a mossbarger reed cage and spacer. I think it's from a 87 model. I'm not sure if a moto tassinari will work without a spacer or not.

I also used the later model intake and sent the cylinder/head to eric gore. Haven't ran it yet.

They are heavy but beautiful.
I remember that article, I think dirt bike did the flow bench extrude porting on that bike and you are correct they did say it would have won the shootout. I have both a 81 and 82 CR125 and 80 percent of a 80 CR125 I picked up a DG ported cylinder for my 81.
BigAl
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BigAl 2/1/2014 6:22am
2/1/2014 6:22am
BigAl wrote:
Back in the day DIrt BIke ported the 81 CR125. If I remember correctly, they said with the revised porting it would have won the 125...
Back in the day DIrt BIke ported the 81 CR125. If I remember correctly, they said with the revised porting it would have won the 125 shootout.

Honda shows a switch in cylinders and intake midway through production.

First step at a minimum is install some fiber reeds. I just restored one and installed a mossbarger reed cage and spacer. I think it's from a 87 model. I'm not sure if a moto tassinari will work without a spacer or not.

I also used the later model intake and sent the cylinder/head to eric gore. Haven't ran it yet.

They are heavy but beautiful.
evomx244 wrote:
I remember that article, I think dirt bike did the flow bench extrude porting on that bike and you are correct they did say it would...
I remember that article, I think dirt bike did the flow bench extrude porting on that bike and you are correct they did say it would have won the shootout. I have both a 81 and 82 CR125 and 80 percent of a 80 CR125 I picked up a DG ported cylinder for my 81.
That's it. The first bikes the ports were mismatched with the iron sleeve. I believe that's the reason for the mid year cylinder and intake swap. Also I'm not sure if both cylinders had the bridge at the exhaust or just the later ones did.

There's a NOS 82 cylinder on ebay now. Should fit 81 or 82
superorbital
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superorbital 2/1/2014 10:01am
2/1/2014 10:01am
Thanks for the input. I do have the crazy looking front number plate. I am going to take my time and read through all of the response and check the links. Thanks a lot!
Here is how the restore has been going to date:






sgthubbard#60
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sgthubbard#60 2/1/2014 10:19am
2/1/2014 10:19am
Looking great! Don't loose motivation because someone regurgitated what they read in a magazine, listen to the guys that actually ride and race them.
Wandell
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Wandell 2/1/2014 10:34am
2/1/2014 10:34am
The 81 CR125 was a pretty significant bike in the history of our sport. It was Honda's first water cooled 125 as well as their first single shock 125. Trying to remember, but isn't it also the last to carry the Elsinore name?
BigAl
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BigAl 2/1/2014 10:47am
2/1/2014 10:47am
Last Elsinore


Looks like wrong pipe
superorbital
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superorbital 2/1/2014 11:41am
2/1/2014 11:41am
Yep last year to be called an Elsinore. I was pretty sure that was the wrong pipe. The real pipe is very uh... very 90 degree angled. I have been cleaning the plastic with a magic eraser! It works great, but you have to rinse with warm water a lot or else the chemicals in the magic eraser start to turn the plastic white. I still need the shifter, and front and rear fender. The engine looks good, except for the top end. The person that had it before me had taken the top end off a long time ago and just let it sit by the bike. It needs help big time. The shrouds were spray painted black. The paint just chipped right off for the most part. I am not going to give up. I am having a blast putting it back together.
BigAl
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BigAl 2/1/2014 12:11pm
2/1/2014 12:11pm
May be able to use white Rit dye on the shrouds if they need it.

Are you going to put a new rod in it?

DG still has an aluminum silencer for them.

I think I have some extra shroud decals.
superorbital
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superorbital 2/1/2014 5:53pm
2/1/2014 5:53pm
The shrouds cleaned up really nice. How much for the shroud decals? I also need one side plate decal. What will adding the DG silencer do for the power? Anything?

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CamP
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CamP 2/1/2014 6:29pm
2/1/2014 6:29pm
They were the best looking bikes on the track in '81. Look forward to seeing this one come back.
MaxPower
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MaxPower 2/2/2014 8:00am
2/2/2014 8:00am Edited Date/Time 2/2/2014 8:06am
You all have fonder memories than I do. I can't remember more than one 81 CR finishing in the top 10 in the AM class and not a single 81 Honda anywhere in the expert class . To me that is the only bike that sells on Craigslist that is better off painted BBQ black and needs the bars rolled forward as far as they can go. The 81 KX was just a warm breath better.
Other than the clutch/waterpump case I don't see any kind of vintage value. But that is subjective to our old vintage minds. Because to 99% of the Moto world. All of our vintage junk is a waste of time.
1982 was a complete 180 for the CR.
I'm not shitting on your build SuperOrbital. You skills are apparent as your CR is coming out great. So much effort goes into making a 30+ year old machine look unused. I was just shocked how much love there was for that bike.
That said I saw someone racing a 81 at Unadilla Rewind last year and he had that bike singing as sweet as anything I've heard in a long time
sgthubbard#60
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sgthubbard#60 2/2/2014 8:39am
2/2/2014 8:39am
That would've been me at unadilla last year. Like I said, one of my favorite bikes.
CamP
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CamP 2/2/2014 9:30am
2/2/2014 9:30am Edited Date/Time 2/2/2014 9:32am
MaxPower wrote:
You all have fonder memories than I do. I can't remember more than one 81 CR finishing in the top 10 in the AM class and...
You all have fonder memories than I do. I can't remember more than one 81 CR finishing in the top 10 in the AM class and not a single 81 Honda anywhere in the expert class . To me that is the only bike that sells on Craigslist that is better off painted BBQ black and needs the bars rolled forward as far as they can go. The 81 KX was just a warm breath better.
Other than the clutch/waterpump case I don't see any kind of vintage value. But that is subjective to our old vintage minds. Because to 99% of the Moto world. All of our vintage junk is a waste of time.
1982 was a complete 180 for the CR.
I'm not shitting on your build SuperOrbital. You skills are apparent as your CR is coming out great. So much effort goes into making a 30+ year old machine look unused. I was just shocked how much love there was for that bike.
That said I saw someone racing a 81 at Unadilla Rewind last year and he had that bike singing as sweet as anything I've heard in a long time
33 years later, it doesn't really matter what people were racing in the expert class. The 81 CR125 is still a cool bike, collectible bike, and definitely worthy of restoration
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MaxPower
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MaxPower 2/2/2014 3:20pm
2/2/2014 3:20pm
sgthubbard#60 wrote:
That would've been me at unadilla last year. Like I said, one of my favorite bikes.
The best part of the weekend for me was seeing all the bikes being used again for what they were built for. I didn't even ride but that was the best time I had all year.
MaxPower
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MaxPower 2/2/2014 3:22pm
2/2/2014 3:22pm
CamP wrote:
33 years later, it doesn't really matter what people were racing in the expert class. The 81 CR125 is still a cool bike, collectible bike, and...
33 years later, it doesn't really matter what people were racing in the expert class. The 81 CR125 is still a cool bike, collectible bike, and definitely worthy of restoration
You are right Cam P. any bike that doesn't hurt me is worthy of keeping around. Once a bike puts me in the ER I want nothing to do with it
CamP
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CamP 2/2/2014 3:30pm
2/2/2014 3:30pm Edited Date/Time 2/2/2014 3:31pm
MaxPower wrote:
You are right Cam P. any bike that doesn't hurt me is worthy of keeping around. Once a bike puts me in the ER I want...
You are right Cam P. any bike that doesn't hurt me is worthy of keeping around. Once a bike puts me in the ER I want nothing to do with it
It's normal to fear the ones that have hurt you. I don't want anything to do with an '82 KX250!
BigAl
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BigAl 2/3/2014 8:03am
2/3/2014 8:03am
I had a 1982 KX250 episode once..


I think the biggest problem with the 81 cr125 was/is weight. They lost a few ponies because of the screwed up ports in the early ones, then throw on 15lbs costs you a few more. as far as I know, the 82 is not that drastically of a changed bike from the 81 (engine wise).

The 79 was a dud too (stock), more popular now than then
notme
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notme 2/3/2014 8:41am
2/3/2014 8:41am
I also had the 82 kx duece and a half. Never had a problem and actually did fairly good with it.

If I recall there were a lot of leftover 81 cr125's and were sold off fairly cheap.
superorbital
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superorbital 2/3/2014 4:17pm
2/3/2014 4:17pm
This is awesome. I can't thank you guys enough for the info and stories. I am 46 and I do not remember this bike at all. When I first saw pics of what it should look like when it is finished I was completely confused. I remember the 70s CRs and most of the 80s, but not this one.
Now I am also looking for the rear axle. The 1 that I have is too big for the holes in the swingarm.
sgthubbard#60
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sgthubbard#60 2/3/2014 4:48pm
2/3/2014 4:48pm
By the way, don't waste your money on one of those DG silencers. There complete shit. They sound like crap, look like crap, fit like crap and the one I bought split in half on my 2nd ride with it. Didn't crash or even bump it on anything. After that I cut the stock one open, re packed it and slowly stitch welded it back together.

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