My favorite bike is the '78 Maico 440.
And here's everything to make it perfect:
- All number plates have to go. I don't race my bikes, so there's no reason to pretend that I do. Besides, they make the bike look heavier than it is, and make clean-up difficult.
- Stock tank sticker should be replaced with '79 sticker, with some pinstripe or electrical tape or something to make the black outline more bold.
That's it. Everything else I'd keep totally stock, except maybe a TSM logo on the rear fender and Maico logo on the front fender.
I'd like to thank the runners-up for their excellent entries!
+ 1979 Maico: Stupid fenders front and rear, as well as ridiculous side-plates kept the '79 just behind the '78. Otherwise perfect (and identical) machine, for the most part.
+ 1977 Maico: In appearance, this is the winner. The red coffin-tank and yellow slash work with every angle to make this a beautifully angular and aggressive bike. Too bad it has the (by then) rather antiquated cases, which are not only gigantic, but don't go with the bike's otherwise angular lines, and place the sprocket way too far form the swingarm pivot. The rear fender also earns the award for worst rear fender of all time (easily fixable with a saw, or just put the excellent '76 fender on) and the down-pipe which I don't like. Wheelsmith versions have the best-looking high-pipe ever made.
+ 1980 Husqvarna 390CR: I lived my childhood on a '79 Husky 390, which came to be my standard for Huskies. But the '80 has slightly better forks and a little more travel front and rear, earning it the award for best suspension on any bike ever. Seriously, you just don't know how good it is until you hit something really big at 90 miles per, but only know about it because your friend told you later. The '79s rear fender doesn't work with long-travel, and the '80 fixes this as well. Black-on-Gold tank (the last narrow one) and classic Husky looks all but make up for its lack of Maiconess.
+ 1967 Kawasaki 120: This is the only list you'll ever see this bike on, which is a shame. In stock trim, it's not very good, with goofy-looking and power-killing pipe overall "play-bike" on/off road '60s mediocrity. However, once you get rid of the street gears, replace the forks and shocks with better units, and get a good straight-stinger pipe on that bad boy, it turns into a beast. This bike earns the award for most-fun by miles. By MILES. You will never have as much fun on a motorcycle. Even though it's a small-bore, the rotary-valve induction provides instant throttle response and intense torque. If you think your reed-valve two-stroke has throttle response, think again. As soon as you ponder the possibility of opening the throttle in 1st, the front-end instantly points toward Saturn. This bike misses the higher places because it's awkward as hell to ride with its 2.5" seat height, and top speed is best measured in miles per day, with a few decimal places.
+ 2010 Maico 685: There's not much to say about this beast. It's not even a beast, really. Nor is it THE beast. It's simply beast; the epitome and definition of all beastdom. I mean, come on, you could pull a frickin' horse trailer over the Rockies with this motorcycle.
