Description
H&H Classic Auction @ National Motorcycle Museum | Solihull, West Midlands
30th Oct, 2024 13:00
c. 1981 Maico 490
Legendary twin-shock motocross machine
Registration No: Unregistered
Frame No: Not visible
MOT: Exempt
Last of the big capacity twin-shock motocrossers
Brutal 47hp piston ported two-stroke engine
Presented in authentic unrestored condition
Maico was famed for its off-road bikes with its motocross and enduro models proving to be very successful in both European and American competition throughout the 1970s. Whilst 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 challengers 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 in the early 1980s the 250 and 490 models were considered to be the best twin-shock bikes available, and in subsequent years described by American publication 'Motocross Action' as 'the greatest open-class motocross bikes of all time.'
This example of Maico's era-defining twin-shock two-stroke motocross machine 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 a very original and unrestored condition. It has not been run for a while, so will need some recommissioning before use. The engine number is MT3363360 suggesting a 250 set of cases, but looking at the size bore size (see photo) the top end looks to be 490.
