For this edition of Classic Ink, we are going to take a look back at Honda’s off-road ads for the 1978 season.
Honda’s “Going Strong!” ad campaign for 1978 projected a great deal of positivity about the new products coming down the Big Red pipeline. Photo Credit: Honda
In 1978, Honda’s slogan was “Going Strong” and that certainly applied to at least some of their off-road and motocross lineup that year. On the hot side was the all-new CR250R Elsinore, the first CR to don the “R” moniker. That R stood for “Replica” as in “Works Replica”, and the all-new 250 Elsinore certainly lived up to that name. The new machine featured ultra-long travel suspension front and rear and styling straight off of Marty Smith’s factory Honda RC500. It was wicked fast, ultra-light, and just about the hottest machine in motocross in 1978.
When the original XR75 was introduced in 1973 it was one of the most impressive and capable machines available in the mini class. By 1978, however, higher-performance two-stroke offerings from Yamaha and Suzuki had severely lessened its appeal as a serious racer. Photo Credit: Honda
On the flip side of the Going Strong coin for 1978 were the CR250R’s smaller siblings, the CR125M and XR75. These two machines filled out the Honda motocross lineup for ’78 (Honda did not offer a two-stroke mini or Open class machine at the time) and both were no longer the picks of the litter in their respective classes. Once one of the best minis available, the XR75 was bulletproof, well-built, and super easy to ride, but no longer able to keep up with the two-stroke competition without extensive modification. Jeff Ward’s factory XR mini was a fire-breather, but the stock XR was not much of a threat to Yamaha’s YZ and Suzuki’s new RM. For absolute novices, the XR75 was still an attractive first machine, but if you had eyes on being the next Bob Hannah, you were likely to be happier mixing oil with your gas in 1978.
After taking the motocross world by storm in 1974, Honda’s CR125M Elsinore was left to languish in R&D purgatory as its 125 competition innovated and improved. By 1978, the underpowered, undersuspended, and underdeveloped 125 Elsie was in need of a major reboot. Photo Credit: Honda
In the case of the CR125M Elsinore, it was once again a case of the class leaving a formerly competitive machine behind. When the CR125M was introduced in 1974 the machine was an absolute revelation, offering impressive build quality and eye-opening performance in an affordable package. 125 Elsinores flew off Honda’s showrooms faster than they could make them, kicking off a huge arms race in the 125 division. By 1978, however, Honda’s conservative approach to 125 development had left the CR sucking the vapor trails of its 125 competition. The Suzuki RM125, Yamaha YZ125, and Kawasaki KX125 all offered far more travel, better handling, and superior power. The Elsinore’s old-school piston-port motor was just not up to going toe-to-toe with its reed-valved competition. For 1978, the CR125M received a slight upgrade in suspension travel, red plastic-dipped forks, a red shock spring, and weird staggered knobby tires that Honda claimed would provide excellent traction in soft and hard terrain. Much like the rest of the machine, the tires proved to be a boondoggle, with the Elsinore delivering back-of-the-class performance. Similar to the XR75, if you were just starting out (or really loved red) the short-legged and unintimidating CR125M might have seemed a decent entry-level mount, but as soon as the track got rough your kidneys were likely to wish your dad had ponied up the cash for the YZ or RM.
All-new for 1978, the redesigned CR250R Elsinore pointed the way forward for Honda’s motocross development. Ultra-long-travel suspension, eye-watering power, and works styling propelled the CR from also-ran to top dog in 1978. Photo Credit: Honda
On the off-road side of the Honda lineup for 1978, Big Red offered a collection of dual-purpose (dual sport in today’s parlance) machines designed to get you to school, work, or out to the back forty. A year later in 1979, Honda expanded the XR lineup with the introduction of the XR185, XR250, and XR500, but in 1978, you would need to strip off the light and tags if you wanted to go racing through the desert or woods on a Honda thumper. In the mid-seventies, Honda had dabbled with a few dedicated off-roaders but they had not proven nearly as popular as their motocross or dual-purpose offerings. The MR175 and MR250 were off-road Elsinores that never caught on in significant numbers and by 1978 they were both retired.
Personally, I have always wondered what the market was for a streel-legal mini considering anyone small enough to fit on an XL75 was probably too young to hold a driver’s license. Traffic laws aside, Honda’s little XLs must have done well because they continued in the lineup well into the 1980s. Photo Credit: Honda
While there were no serious off-road racers in the ’78 Honda lineup, they did have dual-purpose machines for every size and taste. At the lower end, Honda offered the XL75, XL100, and XL125. These pint-sized machines were great for puttering around the campsite or taking a quick trip to the local convenience store. If you were a bit more adventurous, then you could step up to the all-new XL250S. This redesigned dual-purpose machine featured long-travel suspension, a high-tech four-valve OHC head, a unique 23” front wheel, and a remarkably light 260-pound claimed weight.
Honda XL250S was all-new for 1978 with a redesigned long-travel chassis, high-tech four-valve motor, and revamped bodywork that hinted at the look for the all-new XRs that would debut the following year. Photo Credit: Honda
Rounding out the Honda off-road lineup for 1978 was the big-bore XL350. Originally introduced in 1974, the XL350 fit in nicely as the big brother to the XL250. Its 348cc OHC four-valve motor pumped out enough oomph to keep up with highway traffic and its chassis was just capable enough to get you to your off-road destination if you took its short suspension, compromised dual-purpose tires, and portly 314-pound weight into consideration. A 1976 update tucked the exhaust out of harm’s way, altered the frame geometry, boosted power, and added passenger pegs for the first time. This further upgraded the XL’s capability and solidified it as one of the best mid-sized dual sports available.
The salty old dog of the Honda off-road lineup, the XL350 was capable as long as you kept your adventuring not too far off the beaten path. Photo Credit: Honda
By 1978, the XL350 was beginning to show its age with significantly less travel and notably more weight to carry than the updated XL250S. Its OHC single remained pleasant and capable, but bigger and more powerful machines like Yamaha’s XT500 dwarfed its output. For tooling around the school campus or adventuring down a few cow trails, the XL350 was a pleasant dance partner, but any serious off-roading quickly exposed its overworked suspension and robust 300-plus pound weight. As long as you could keep its limitations in mind, the XL350 was a fun and reasonably proficient off-road machine. If you had allusions about being the next Bruce Ogilvie, however, the XL350 was most definitely not the best tool for the job.
