photos by Jim Gtanatsis THE MOTO.XFOXGUIDETO PREPARII{GTHE CRANDXR HONDAFOR GOMPETITIOI{ WITH JIM GIANATSIS GONTEI{TS WORKS BIKES AND FACTORY STARS................2 Head stay template.... ......41 BASTC MODt F ICATtON ADVtCE.........................1 6 Airbox ring temp1ate............... ..........42 Honda CR 125R... ..........18 TUN r NG THE SUSpENSrON..................................46 Honda CR 250R... ..........22 AirShox pressure tab1es......... ............52 THE TEAM MOTO-X FOX HONDAS.....................26 CARBURET|ON......... ........54 ADDITIONAL TUN I NG I NFORMATION..............36 TRAINING TIPS FROM MARTY SMITH..............56 Chain guide temp1ate............ .............39 THE HONDA XR FOUR-STROKES......................58 Head stay template.... ......40 MOTO-X FOX HONDA ACCESSORlES..............64 Copyrighted by Moto-Fox, lncorporated, 1979. Moto-X Fox, 520 McGlincy Lane, Campbell, California 95008 U.S.A. The Story Of Team llonda WORKSBIKES AND FACTORYSTARS Honda Motor Company's involvement in dirt bikes, the grueling Baja 1000 back in 1968, and Bud Mclane and in particular the sport of motocross, has always took an SL-350 to the National Enduro Champion- been interesting. For a period of close to ten years ship in 1970. But then the lighter two-stroke blkes Honda held the undisputed position as the world's began taking over, and even though Honda countered largest motorcycle manufacturer. But during that with their new lineup of XL singles in 1912, the gra- time between the middle of the 1960s to the mid- ff iti was already on trackside fencing across America. dle of the 1970s Honda never seemed to have more Highly modified and reframed Bell-built Honda XL than a passing interest in dirt bikes. Much of this singles continued to reap success in long desert races probably due to the company's past heritage with like the Baja 500 and 1000 where four-stroke re- roadracing and a deep commitment in four-stroke liability paid off occassionally, but for the most part road bikes. For a company as large as Honda the bur- the two-strokes were winning everything in sight. geoning dirt bike r.narket at that time just didn't fit in Honda dealers began clamoring for a competitive to projected sales potentials and prof it margins. dirt bike to sell. Honda, itself, still didn't think there That isn't to say Honda didn't know what a dirt was a large enough market for a race bike to be man- bike was. Machines like the CL'72 250 Scrambler, ufactured in any kind of volume wh ich wou ld be pro- followed by SL models like the 350cc four-stroke f itable for them. Then there was also the problem twins were popular for desert racing and srnooth that it would have to be a two-stroke bike which track scrambles. A Bill Bell-built 350cc Honda won would be a direct conflict to their four-stroke comm- With just the addition of Girling shocks, Gary Jones rode a production CR 250 Elsinore to the 1973 AMA 250cc National Championship. Honda flew over special works CRs(the first RCsl for their first American motocross at Daytona in 1973. itment. Finally though, public relations and the ex- in America. Honda signed up the entire Jones family, ploding dirt bike sales of the other Japanese motor- brothers Gary and DeWayne along with father Don cycle manufacturers forced Honda to go motocross Jones who served as team manager, coach, engineer racing whether they wanted or not. and mechanic. Later in the season they would be Late in 1972 pholographs began leaking out of joined by Marty Tripes and then Gary Chaplin. Japan of Honda's new two-stroke prototype 250cc The racing debute of the new Honda motocross motocross bike. They had the capability to design team was at Daytona in March when the stadium race the world's best nrotocross bike arrd it was obvious was part of the 250cc National Championshlp that they had spared no expense in doing so. For a first- year. Honda wanted to win its first race badly and time effort the bike was nothing short of perfect. had two special prototypes for'Gary and DeWayne The production CR 250M Elsinores arrived in Amer- to run. While they stayed together they were the ica at the beginning of the 1973 season and proceed- fastest bikes on the track and seemed to accelerate ed to knock the entire motocross community on its like open class bikes. Luckily they had problems and head. Everything on it was either aluminum ( the gas didn't win the race because in an interview years tank, triple clamps, fork sliders, shoulderless rims) later, Gary related that when they pulled the cylin- where most of the other manufacturers were still ders off the bikes for normal maintaince, they found using steel for their bikes, and magnesium (engine Honda had put a little more capacity into the engines cases, wheel hubs, carburetor) where the others were than the AMA would haved liked. using aluminum. lt weighed under 210 pounds and For the remainder of the year the Honda team the 5-speed piston ported engine was more powerful raced stock Elsinores with the only major modi- than what anyone had been used to up until that time " fication being the replacement of the stock Showa in the 250cc class. lt was the only bike to buy those shocks for better working Girlings. Marty Tripes f irst six months in 1973 and dealers couldn't get used his bike to win the Superbowl of Motocross for enough to sell. the second year in a row and Gary gave Honda his Honda was out to bolster its image with the new second 250cc National Championship. That fall Elsinores and a factory motocross team seemed to be though, the entire Jones family of which Tripes was the best way to do it. As luck would have it the en- also considered a part, was given its walking papers. tire Jones family had just been let go from Team They were proven winners, but Don Jones had a way Yamaha and Gary Jones, having just won the 250cc of doing things which never seemed to agree wlth big National Championship in 1972, was the fastest rider companies like Yamaha and Honda. Gary Chaplin raced a new Honda open class proto- makers dominating the 500cc class as well. type in the 1973 Trans-AMA Series that fall. Engine Where Honda did come out on top to prevent 1974 capacity was believed to be 45Occ and the bike seem- from becoming a total loss was the newley formed ed to perform fairly well even though there were no 125cc National Championship class consisting of just high placings. The top European champions like Ake four races. The new CR 125M Elsinore had just be- Jonsson, Hakan Andersson and Roger DeCoster had come available that spring and four unknown kids come over in force and their new long suspension named Marty Smith, Bruce McDougal, Chuck Bower, travel works Yamahas, Suzukis and Maicos were and Mickey Boone used the new production bikes to clearly superior in handling to the short travel Honda. take the top four placings in the series against minor Honda's second year in motocross would be disap- opposrtron. pointing for a company which wanted badly to r,vin. Sales of the production CR 250M Elsinore began to Gary Chaplin was the only experienced veteran on a curtail drasticly. The bike which had been considered huge rookie team consisting of Gaylon Mosier, Bruce the ultimate motocross machine just a year before Baron, Rex Staten and Billy Brossi on tlre big bikes. was left hoplessly outdated by the suspension revo- Grossi looked to be the only rider who was really lution and the other manufacturers who appeared quick, winning the 25Occ National at Hangtown and quickly with. long travel bikes. The Honda factory finishing fifth overall in the 250cc National Champ- had so much money tied up in production tooling ionship for 1914. The rest of the team wasn't as and stockpiles of bikes they decided not to design a impressive, due in part to the bikes which were now new production bike. Consequently, they spent the clearly a year behind in suspension travel compared next four years trying to sell off the outdated El- to the other factory bikes. The rear shocks were sinores with nothing more than minor revisions. moved forward on the swingarms to give an increase The 125cc Elsinore was selling like gangbusters from four to six inches of rear wheel travel on the though, thanks to its lightweight and powerful design Hondas, but the factory, Yamahas and Suzukis were which proved to be much better than what the comp- getting close to eight inches of travel. The 25Occ class etition had to offer. During 1974, 1975, and 1976 it also contained too many good riders like Jones, dominated the 125cc class because nobody offered a Tripes, Ellis, Howerton and Karsmakers, with Kars- really good suspension on their bikes, and there were Gary Chaplin in the 1973 Trans-AMA Series on Honda's first Open class bike the RC 45O-73. 4 a number of aftermarket accessory companies selling designs which proved to be ultimate in simplicity, nothing but parts to make the CR 125M highly com- function and light weight. Such inovations as ad. petitive. And of course there was Marty Smith...... justable outside ignition timing and rearward pos- Because of his National Championship in the 125cc itioned transmission countershafts for more con- class Marty was the only rider Honda retained for sistant drive chain tension with long travel suspension 1975 from their otherwise lackluster 1974 season.