Description
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
30th Oct, 2024 13:00
c1981 Maico 490
Legendary twin shock Motocrosser
Estimate
£2, 200 - £2, 800
Registration No: Unregistered
Frame No:
MOT: Exempt
Last of the big capacity twin shock motocrossers
Brutal 47BHP piston ported two stroke engine
Presented in authentic unrestored condition
Maicowerk AG, better known by its trading name Maico was a family company based in the Swabian town of Pfäffingen near Tübingen. Founded in 1926 by Ulrich Maisch as Maisch & Co, the company originally manufactured 98 and 123 cc two-stroke engines but after World War II began producing their own complete motorcycles. Although they manufactured road bikes and even scooters, the company was famed for its off road bikes with the Maico motocross and enduro models proving to be very successful in both European and American competition throughout the 1970s. While lacking the financial backing that companies like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki could provide, riders such as Adolf Weil, Åke Jonsson and Willy Bauer proved to be serious challenges to the Japanese factories and achieved numerous top-three finishes in the Motocross World Championships. Replicas of the works bikes were offered to the general public and the early 1980s 490cc was considered to be the best twin shock bike available, and in subsequent years was described by American publication 'Motocross Action' as 'the greatest open-class motocross bike of all time.'
This example of Maicos era defining twin shock two stroke motocross bike has been part of a small private collection for the last few years. It proved to be the end of an era for twin shock motocrossers with the arrival of single shock rear suspension taking over in the 1980s and spelling the end for small European manufacturers like Maico. This rare survivor is presented in very original and unrestored condition, it has not been run for a while so will need some recommissioning before use.
