XL250 Motorsport - A Line In The Sand

Having reached almost cult status among collectors and restorers alike, the 1972 Honda XL250 Motosport was something of a revelation at its introduction.

honda xl250 jump

For sure there had been four stroke off-roaders before but, in the main, these were British machines which – even by the late 1960’s – were showing their age in terms of performance, looks and reliability.

Not so the Honda with its sleek mudguards, convincing off-road looks and curving exhaust system plus even lights and indicators for street use. Stripped of these urban legalities the XL showed its true potential off-road. By today’s standards it was not exactly light but what that bulk was offset by pleasing agility thanks to a short wheelbase, a steepish steering angle and good traction plus it had such start line wows as magnesium engine side casings – that was surely worth a second a lap in enduro and desert race bragging rights!

In fact, the engine was justifiably the star of the show being the first mass produced 4-valve per cylinder motorcycle even if the concept had been used in limited production before. Being a four stroke, the extra weight was in many ways compensated for by the superb traction of the 20-horsepower engine that allowed riders to chug out of deep morasses while their two stroke brethren dug themselves deeper in a shower of unwelcome wheelspin.

Updated within a few years, the second iteration addressed some niggles of the first but with the 1972 model Honda drew a line in the sand – literally and metaphorically. Of course, later the likes of suzuki launched the stunning PE250 but, for a short while, Soichiro’s boys shone in the dirt and the legend of the XL – and eventually the XR – was born.

If you have a hankering for an early XL then take a look through the CMSNL inventory. We’re here to help your dirt dreams come true…