Back in October 1946, Soichiro Honda established the Honda Technical Research Institute in Hamamatsu, Japan. It was there he developed and manufactured small 2-cycle bike engines. It was only two years later that Honda Motor Company was born. And in 1959, Honda opened its first dealership in Los Angeles with only six employees and its Super Cub motorbike that debuted earlier in 1958. It was also in 1959 that Honda earned a notable sixth place in the 125cc class at the Isle of Man TT and opened the doors to American Honda Motor Company. Then in 1960, Honda begins manufacturing motorcycles in Suzuka, Japan and follows up in 1981 with its 500cc World Motocross Championship for its third-consecutive year. Also in 1981, Honda introduces the ATC250R, the first true high-performance ATC (all-terrain cycle), taking wins as it had at such places as the legendary Baja 1000. Take for example its 1984 SCORE Baja 1000 effort, where it outran every buggy and truck in the event, and all but three motorcycles (Chuck Miller and Randy Morales were the overall winners that year on their XR500R). As for the mighty XR, well, it was the foremost 4-stroke of the time, boasting legendary research and development by such pioneers as the famous Checkers Offroad Motorcycle Club (MC) rider Al Baker, who utilized his company, Al Baker's XR's Only, to launch a revolution that included the birth of many stars that included the likes of Johnny O'Mara and Jimmy Lewis. The Honda XR600R was the king of its day and ended its era with wins at the 1998 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 and desert racing wins again in 1999, until the mighty King of Baja, the XR650R was given its opportunity to take the reigns at the 1999 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 as a 2000 model year. As the 4-stroke revolution of off-road motorcycles evolved, Honda set the pace, and the Honda CRF was introduced with the Honda CRF450R, CRF250R, CRF450X, CRF250X and numerous others to add to the list. All the while, the Honda CR, Honda 2-stroke line of dirt bikes, lived on into the 2000s with a lesser degree of presence. The XR also suffered the same fate, as the revolution of the CRF took hold.