I've never owned one. I've had a Suzuki (JR50), a Yamaha (GT80), a Kawasaki (The 120!), and a Husqvarna (250CR) but never a Maico. The newest bike on that list is the JR50, which was an '85 or something I think. The oldest is the 120 coming in at '67.
My dad, on the other hand, has owned many. He still owns many. I think I have them all down, but I might be missing one from back in the day before I was born. I'll list them in the order I think he got them.
1973 (I think) Maico 450This was the bike that showed him what the world could be like with over 400cc of balls to work with. For most desert roads it was the best-handling bike he's ever owned, and could be put in a powerslide wherever you wanted, for however long you wanted. When riding to the local track, you were supposed to walk your bike. He did what everyone else did and rode side-saddle on the sidewalk. But, inevitably he'd end up passing cars in high gear with the engine a touch off idle and legs casually swinging over the side as the bike hit about 45. Bike was sold after two years.
1977 Maico AW250After going a long time without really having a bike to ride, he picked up a ratty AW250 from a dude he knew. This in the '80s and getting parts for a Maico was a very high-cost proposition, so the bike was always fairly ill-maintained. It still has a giant '75 cylinder with MASSIVE fins that just barely keep from touching the wheelsmith pipe. This particular bike was tuned by a fairly high-level racing expert to be his dedicated racing machine, so it performs a bit differently from other AW250s. The points were always messed up and odd things were wrong with it, and he was constantly riding with CR500s and YZ490s and such, making the already needle-thin powerband (caused by the points) feel even worse. Right around the 2000 time period, we finally had enough money to keep 'er in good shape, and after some hassle with lots of bad bearings, it now runs beautifully. He says you ride the AW like you ride a unicycle - put the front wheel where you want it and the rear will take care of itself perfectly. It still doesn't have nearly the low-end of, say, my Husky, but I can report that the power comes on very smooth compared to the 250CR and it gets my vote for best-looking bike in the garage. "Big Red" was the official bike of the 2008 riding season.
1981 Maico 490This is the only museum piece between the two of us. A lot of guys will tell you their 490 is "good as stock" but this one is the real deal. It's been ridden three times since it rolled of the line in Pfaffingen and still sports all stock plastics, graphics, wheels, tires, seat, etc. Really, the only thing that's not stock is the swing-arm, which is a rare and highly-demanded aftermarket piece that was available and well regarded in the period. He picked it up for $2500 sometime around... maybe 2003 or something. Today, given their popularity and the rarity of some of the pieces on this bike, it would sell for gigantically more.
1978 Maico 440When he got this bike, it looked horrible but really just needed cosmetic changes. Picked up for $1500, the tank was stripped of paint and left silver with the '79 tank graphics put on. Frame was painted black and the whole thing was gone over thoroughly. This bike was used by a VDR (Vintage Dirt Racing) series champion at Woodland, which is a track known for being muddy (it's a fall-winter-spring series). Thus, it's got a great big mud fender on the front. It's got the award for hardest clutch pull in the garage, and is the only bike with 21st century Renthal bars. It runs beautifully but is very hard to start because the Bing carb is set weirdly. If it can be made to start more easily, it will be the best "do anything" bike in the collection.
1986 M-Star 500This is a beast. It receives the award for newest bike in the garage, and fastest non-museum bike in the garage (we don't know how fast the 490 is because we've never started it.) Other riders think it won't rev out, because when they ride next to it, it's always plodding along at a billion miles per hour in high gear. All graphics are non-stock, including German flag colors, a Sand-Spider with red M, and ye olde Maico badge. This is my least-favorite Maico because I don't like the mid-late '80s style, and this bike's aesthetic personality is 100% CR500. Blue seat on a red bike, how original.
1981 Maico 250This is the most "trick" bike in the collection and is only used on days when there damn well isn't going to be any mud. It was set up by "Maico Dave" and has Excel rims, chrome pipe, new fenders front and rear, new swingarm, new ignition cover, and a bunch of other such things. Dad took the stock plastic tank off and put a skinny aluminum GP coffin tank on with simple ye olde Maico badges. It makes the bike look 20ft tall. This 250 is so good that it out-runs my uncles '81 Husky 430 on any road that's got any turns to it at all, and wins our award for best 250 ever made. It is historic in that it's the first model Maico ever put a reed valve on.
Here's the South half of the garage, where all the Maicos are. You can also see the [street legal] Husky 360 in the foreground, and beneath the frame is a '79 Harley Sportster.
