1975 Honda MR175

Honda had a pretty checkered run with dirt bikes in the early 70s. It seemed their offerings were either very, very good or ‘not so much’. They introduced a legend in 1973 with the CR125M and CR250M Elsinore. The Elsinore changed dirt riding and racing forever.

The MR175 was based on the CR125M when released in 1975. It was a clear attempt at breaking Yamaha’s stranglehold on the street legal ‘Enduro’ niche that was established by the DT1. The previous attempt, the 1973 XL175 was a dismal failure.

Honda had reasonable success with the MR. They lacked the overall punch of the Elsinores, but were a pretty good ‘enduro’ class entry. With their Glare Green (Honda’s paint name) tank they were certainly unforgettable in 1975. Colors for the rest of the run were more ‘moderate’.

The 1975 Honda MR175 used a 171CC air cooled two stroke single cylinder motor coupled with a 5 speed transmission and a dry weight of 207 LBS. Near 7 inches of suspension travel and and a manageable 32 inch seat height made a competitive entry in the Enduro class.

This particular 1975 Honda MR175 (VIN# MR175E1007573) is in Mesa, Arizona and is listed with ‘has a new top end and starts easy’. The only listed deficiency is that the lights don’t work. There is a list of ‘new’ parts, including an aftermarket exhaust. The bike is currently on the starting bid of $950