Honda planning retro scrambler?

HONDA is believed to be considering reviving its old Elsinore name – presumably on a retro-styled scrambler.

The original Elsinore of the early 1970s was Honda’s first two-stroke motocrosser, and its aluminium fuel tank and classic twin-shock styling gave it just the sort of ’70s appeal that’s in vogue right now – just think of Steve McQueen ragging an Elsinore across some sand dunes (which he did) and you’ll get the idea.

Now Honda has re-trademarked the Elsinore name in America. While it could be applied to a modern machine, the firm has recently embraced the idea of retro bikes, particularly with the CB1100, and with old-style ‘scramblers’ looking likely to be a future trend – not least thanks to Ducat’s plan to launch one – it might be a good idea for the firm to bring back the old-style Elsinore.

While the original was a two-stroke, any new Elsinore is likely to be a four-stroke single thanks to emission regulations.