For this edition of Classic Ink, we are going to take a look back at the ads for Honda’s awesome 1986 motocross lineup.
Honda’s 1986 motocross lineup still stands as one of the greatest top-to-bottom collections of racing machines ever produced. While none of the bikes were perfect, their combination of excellent power, sharp handling, and advanced suspension gave them an advantage on the track that was nearly impossible to beat. Photo Credit: Honda
In 1986, Honda unveiled a stable of machines that would dominate racing indoors and out. The ’86 CRs looked very similar to the year before but major motor updates and significant suspension advancements raised their performance considerably. Showa’s all-new cartridge fork system brought works-level damping performance to the CR250R and CR500R, while the debut of the Honda Power Port (HPP) system on the 250 delivered one of the widest, fastest, and easiest to use powerbands ever seen on a production motocross machine. The CR500R’s motor lacked the power valve of the new KX500, but it continued to deliver the kind of trench-digging and arm-stretching horsepower that had taken so many Open class Hondas to victory. If you had the strength and skill to handle its firepower, then CR500R had what it took to carry you to victory in any class from novice to national pro.
In the days before social media print ads were King and nothing used to get me more excited than seeing the ads for new machines in the magazines. Photo Credit: Honda
While the CR80R and CR125R missed out on the works forks in 1986, they made up for it with rompin’, stompin’ motors that left their competition eating roost and sucking on red vapor trail. Both machines were wicked fast with hard hitting motors and wide powerbands. Neither of the smaller CRs offered stellar suspension, but their chassis turned on a dime and gobbled up the bumps well enough to keep their pilots at the front.
For my money, this is still one of the best-looking motocross machines ever produced. The gold rims, clean graphics, and beautiful bodywork of the ’86 CR250R came together to produce a machine that was just as lovely as it was fast. Photo Credit: Honda
In every class from 80 to 500, the CRs were at or very near the top of the heap in 1986. The CR80R, CR125R, and CR250R swept the magazine shootouts with only the KX500 challenging Honda’s stranglehold on magazine supremacy. Some Open class riders preferring the smoother power of the KX to the brute force of the CR, but no one denied the Honda’s competitiveness on the track. From top to bottom, the CRs were the built to win, and with Micky Dymond, Johnny O’Mara, Ricky Johnson, and David Bailey at the controls, they were all but unbeatable in 1986.
Both the CR125 and CR500 were highly competitive machines 1986. While the 125 did not get the 500’s new cartridge forks, its awesome motor and crisp handling gave it a huge advantage against its rivals. Photo Credit: Honda
