2011 Maico news...

[JohnN]

Hot off the presses!!

Here is some additional Maico news.

http://twostrokemotocross.com/2010/07/british-made-maico-linked-to-f-1-engineering-company-as-all-new-engine-line-up-is-announced-for-2011/

[G-MONEY]

Damm! will any of us mere mortals be able to afford this thing? Will they sell these bikes at a loss to get thier foot in the door? I see a base price of ten grand, I hope I'm wrong.The Service Honda F conversion might be the better deal. Can we get some prices on these bikes?

[burn1986]

Little pricey. Kind of like the the Formula 1 of dirt bikes. It would be nice if they got their bikes approved by the AMA and sponsored some riders to do SX and MX, Oh but now I remember, the AMA doesn't allow equal 2 strokes.

[offroader]

Sounds good!Can't wait to see the pics and get that test going John!

[burn1986]

Yeah, I like seeing the pics. I think we're all waiting to see them in action. It would be good if someone could so some liaison between Maico and the AMA to get them approved for MX and SX, even if it is the 250.

[JETZcorp]

One thing that surprised me was the way they said they were going from mild steel to chromoly.  So... it wasn't already chromoly?!  I always thought they'd been using chromoly since the '70s.  In fact, looking back, it looks like the '79 test says it's chromoly, and that's also the '78 frame.  I imagine the very similar frames of '76/77 were also, but I don't have a bike test to prove that.

Either way, it appears that they went to chromoly, then mild steel, and now back to chromoly again.  Was there a reason for this, like cost or maybe a supply issue?

[offroader]

I would guess the mild steel was cheaper.Vince and MI are really stepping up the program.Seems you will be able to purchase a works bike if you have the desire and/or money.

[JETZcorp]

That was always the Maico deal.  Unlike the gigantic budget factories who raced bikes that no customer would ever be able to purchase, they sold what they raced.  I read an old test where Gaylon Mosier was talking about the trick new "cantilever" frame that they'd given him for '75 (I think.)  Sure enough, in 1976 here comes the exact same frame stock on every model and dubbed "AW" for Adolf Weil replica.  Ake Jonsson raced with forward-mounted shocks in '73, and then in '74 (or '74.5 technically) here comes the forward-mounted shocks at the dealerships.  Husqvarna did much the same thing, and the most sickeningly positive review I've ever read was of the Heikki Mikkola replica bike for... either '77 or '78 I can't remember.

Enough ramblings.  What I'm trying to say is that these small European factories have a history of selling what essentially amount to works bikes for everyone.  The price tags are big, but so is the performance and list of things it comes with that you'd probably buy for your Suzuki anyway.  We're still waiting to see if the new Maicos will deliver truly works bike performance, but I think we can be pretty confident from what we've heard that the "goodies" category is being filled out like it never has before.

[DESERTFOX19]

 So when is maico going to put that 700cc motor in a quad.

[Coop]

So when is maico going to put that 700cc motor in a quad.

Hopefully never.

[maicoman009]

Yeah good question JETZ. I also thought that Maico used chromemoly frames?!Unless the couple of years that they were sold in the U.S. as M-Stars but I know the Maicos that Kostler sold & maybe he still does,always had chromemoly frames.

[opfermanmotors]

The 1986 Frame is always touted as one of the best handling which is why Guus Mulders was using it to create Super-81 Maico 490 replicas.  2003 bottom end, 1986 Frame modified to dual shock and 1983 air cooled head.  

[DESERTFOX19]

So when is maico going to put that 700cc motor in a quad.

Hopefully never.

 Why not that would be a cool quad for the dunes.

[GlennC]

So when is maico going to put that 700cc motor in a quad.

Hopefully never.

 Why not that would be a cool quad for the dunes.

Just put a paddle on the 700 bike, you will be fine in the dunes.

[scotty dog]

So when is maico going to put that 700cc motor in a quad.

Hopefully never.

 Why not that would be a cool quad for the dunes.

NO Quads arent cool!! LOL