Two Stroke Motocross
Two Stroke Motocross Forum => Vintage Two Strokes => Topic started by: Coop on May 27, 2010, 08:48:16 PM
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Awhile back a friend scanned in a bunch of old Cycle magazines. I forgot all about it, and I am not tired at all tonight so I was reading through them. I thought some might be interested in this bike test I came across in the January 1976 issue.
You have to use your scroll bars unless your screen is big enough (I have a laptop and have to) and the test concludes on page 4, bottom right side.
Page 1 (http://dpminton.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Cycle-01-76/10608281_MY3Av#737918413_D9ZWn-X3-LB)
Page 2 (http://dpminton.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Cycle-01-76/10608281_MY3Av#737918732_rjGEA-X3-LB)
Page 3 (http://dpminton.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Cycle-01-76/10608281_MY3Av#737919031_BE3Dd-X3-LB)
Page 4 (http://dpminton.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Cycle-01-76/10608281_MY3Av#737925144_Rc9Hy-X3-LB)
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I own a stock, unrestored 1976 Maico MC400 and I think it is visually one of the nicest MX'rs ever made. One day I will restore the bike, till then I just like to look at it as a stunning example of industrial design (it's fun to ride too).
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Awesome. I am not really a Maico fan in general, I like all vintage bikes. So when I saw that test I thought some guys here might like it. There is also a Penton test. Here is a link to the full issue:
January 1976 Cycle (http://dpminton.smugmug.com/Motorcycles/Cycle-01-76/10608281_MY3Av#737599420_3Df3c)
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Man, I remember thinking it was bad-ass that Husky did all they did back in the day with only seven guys working on engineering. Now it turns out Maico did it all with three German dudes. These days, nobody even dares sell sliced cheese unless the little plastic wrapper things were designed by a hundred-man committee.
I don't like that particular bike, though, because of the plastic tank. The aluminum coffin-tank Maicos from that year were much better-looking.
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My 76 MC400 has a (stock) aluminum tank.
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Yeah, my dad's '77 AW250 has one too, and I think it's the same tank. In my humble opinion, I think that was the best-looking gas tank on any bike from any manufacturer. I hear tell that you can actually fit one onto an '81 Maico, so if I ever got one, I'd either put one of those on, or one of the next-year Magnum style round tanks. I've seen a couple '81s with '78 tanks and they look wicked.
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My '77 AW400 has a Malcolm Smith desert tank :( really want a stock tank for it
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Now it turns out Maico did it all with three German dudes. These days, nobody even dares sell sliced cheese unless the little plastic wrapper things were designed by a hundred-man committee.
Excerpt from 1968 Maico 360 X4-A article
"What makes the Maico such a brilliant achievement? After all, the other 360s utilize a similar basic concept of a single-cylinder two-stroke engine married to lightweight cycle components. Much of its success must be attributed to the unending program of development and improvement carried out by the factory and the U.S. distributor."
"The development work behind many of the improvements embodied in the X4-A, and previous Maicos, is largely the responsibility of Frank Cooper, the energetic distributor for the bikes. Cooper and his crew supply the West German factory with a continual flow of ideas and suggestions, many of which have first been engineered and tested under American conditions. The factory cooperates 100 percent with this program, and, with its more extensive facilities, is often able to improve still farther on basic suggestions."
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Mind if I add the article photos here?
http://www.maicowerk.com/Articles/ (http://www.maicowerk.com/Articles/)
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Nope, feel free.
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Well, that's interesting.