Pre'75 open class racer

[paul]

FREAKY WHEN I WAS A KID WE BUILT A MINI BIKE OUTA A MOTOR SCOOTER THAT HAD A MAICO 250 ENGINE  IT WAS A ODD THING BUT THAT MINI BIKE USE TO DO ABOUT 100 MPH SPEED WOBBLES AND ALL. IT WAS A DANGEROUS SUCKER   

[Freakshow]

Ahhhh so your also the guy that cut up that maico square barrel to make a trike.


Anyway back to the 250 74.5 thing are these things all the same ?

[firko]

The engine and most of the frame and running gear are the same as a '74 model. The only difference of any significance is the LTR rear end on the '74 model. They're still slow old buggers.

[Freakshow]

and engine etc the same in this 73 ? 

the pre 75 250's in tassie seemed quite fast or had they had some money spent on them

[paul]

this is a tidy bike
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Honda-CR250M-Elsinore100-Original-Unrestored-1974_W0QQitemZ110278794556QQihZ001QQcategoryZ102690QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Freakshow]

HAd the 125 and though it was so so.  I heard the 250 where flaky on the gearboxes.

[firko]

Whoever told you Maico gearboxes were "flaky" is sadly misinformed. Maico gearboxes are practically bulletproof and can handle anything you can throw at them. The 250 trans is exactly the same as that in a 400 or 440 so if it handles that kind of horsepower, 27 hp of 250 aint going to do it any harm.

[jimg1au]

that elsinore is not as listed 10 hours old ??
paint ware on
head
sidecovers
frame
may be 10 hours in the sand hills
anyway bikes from texas are ok thats were i got my 1973 cr250 from in 2004

[cyclegod]

VINTAGE VMX bikes, all race ready, Honda 125 Elsinore $3000, Bultaco 250 Persang $4000, Bultaco 360 Persang $4500,
Husqvarna 400CR $5000. Lesmurdie W.A. 0427-449-192

[paul]

is that a wanted or a for sale 

[JC]

Gents,

I hesitate do disagree w Mark & others on 250 Maicos but I think yr being a bit unkind to 250 Maicos. I raced a 73 radial fin for about 2yrs in 74-5 (w LTR mods by then) & never found it slow. It sometimes gave the impression of being slow cos of the heavier flywheel effect compared to the jap 250s, & maybe was a bit slower out of corners as a result, but ridden accordingly it & other 250 maicos did very well in the class. Twas very reliable too. Only complaints I had was mediocre (well, pathetic really) front brake & it was a bit heavy for my jockey-sized frame back then.

Interestingly Motorclist Mag did a couple of 250MX comparos tests in late 73 & put them all on the dyno. The Maico had most powerful topend of all euro 250's (including CZ, pursang & VR) & was only just pipped by the elsinore among the jap bikes. Others did have better mid-range tho.

Still a decent race bike in pre75 250 class imho.

[Freakshow]

Whoever told you Maico gearboxes were "flaky" is sadly misinformed. Maico gearboxes are practically bulletproof and can handle anything you can throw at them. The 250 trans is exactly the same as that in a 400 or 440 so if it handles that kind of horsepower, 27 hp of 250 aint going to do it any harm.

NO i was refferring to  the CR honda 250;s

[firko]

John, The Maico is indeed a good bike but compared to the Bultaco, Elsinore, OSSA and Monty it loses every drag race. I've raced 4 or 5 250s over the years and enjoyed them but I was always disapointed in them when compared to the open classers. For the '99 Dirt Track Nats at Nepean we had my brand new unused 250 engine in my old square barrel 250 frame and we dynoed it for three solid days trying all sorts of pipe and carby combos. Initially using the stock from the factory tune the bike achieved the amazing figure of 17bhp. In the end, we used a Wheelsmith 400 pipe and a 38mm Bing and VP race fuel and got 27hp, the advertised factory figures for a stocker. The bike came a close second to Peter Lee from Griffith on his 40hp methanol burner thanks mainly to the beserko riding of my mate Chris Ellis wringing every ounce out of the bike.
That 17hp that we started with felt pretty good to me but the bike felt like a 400 at 27hp which makes those American dyno figures for a bog stock bike on normal fuel look dodgy.

[Expat]

Cyclegod......check your PM box for message

[cyclegod]

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