Here is an OW26 Maico for you Yamaico

[oldyzman]

http://www.vintageworksbikes.com/1973OWMaico.html
God knows how much it is for sale for?
Brett

[firko]

They don't come any tricker than Ake's OW26 Kramer. I believe that the factory chucked a monumental hissy fit when they saw it and made him ride something with more Yamaha content. It originally had Maico forks as well (see below). I think (but not certain) that Ake only used this bike in the early part of the 73 season until the new works monoshocks arrived.
                                                                            
Ake at Carlsbad during the '73 Trans-AMA.

[GMC]

They don't come any tricker than Ake's OW26 Kramer. I believe that the factory chucked a monumental hissy fit when they saw it and made him ride something with more Yamaha content. It originally had Maico forks as well (see below). I think (but not certain) that Ake only used this bike in the early part of the 73 season until the new works monoshocks arrived.
                                                                            

Ake at Carlsbad during the '73 Trans-AMA.

Hmmm
This bike looks like it has the Monoshock
Also different sub frame behind the seat.

[firko]

Correcto Geoff, well spotted.....the bike with the Kramer frame was only raced in Sweden while the other bike is the monoshock that got him in the shit with the factory even more than with the Kramer. Interesting that the twin shock bike got the trick works Kayaba forks yet he went back to his beloved Maico forks on the Monoshock.

[Davey Crocket]

Marks having another senior moment after the bunnies huge win over Manly.....whoohoo....it aint a OW26 as thats a 75 model and it does look like a monoshock bitza.....wonder what happened to it.

[Davey Crocket]

I have just looked at the bike that Oldyzman put up and I reckon its a fake....big time....the only thing that looks factory is the motor....those forks have been made up, it should have a magnesium front hub and backing plate.....rear brake torque arm is a 80's model CR, the rear wheel looks like a later production Yam part....those tripples are home made so to speak....I'm pretty sure they didnt lay the shocks down like that.......I could go on....that site the bikes on is known for having dodgy bikes on it.

[Slakewell]

IMO it looks like left over parts , yup there are some works parts on the bike. Can he show a photo with Ake on it?

[firko]

Check your history Davey...you'll find that Ake did indeed build that Kramer Maico when he wasn't happy with what Yamaha gave him when he moved from Maico. It was used as a negotiating tool to get Yamaha off their arses in chassis development. Ake was notorious for flucking with his works bikes, fitting things off other brands to suit what he wanted (Husky front wheel on his '72 works Maico for example)

And....the photo was  indeed taken in 1973 at Carlsbad, the caption from Ake's own website akejonsson.com/ stating "1973GP Carlsbad"......no senior moment from me my learned friend, despite my Waskally Wabbits hammering those dirty, cheating Sea Eagles.

                                                                      
1973 GP Ettelbruck, Ake on his way, winning both motos. Caption taken straight from Ake's website. A different bike but still appears to be a monoshock with Maico forks.
 

                                                                        
The Maico or Kramer framed OW26 at a pre season International in England in early '73.

[Davey Crocket]

I'm talking about the one oldyzman put the link up too....I know the Ake built the bike you put up that that "thing" for sale is a fake...home made like some of those phase 3 Falcons getting around. Look at your picture (even has those horrible thermaflows on it), then look at the "replica".....Go the Bunnies.....still dont like your chances in the State of Origin or the Bledisloe.

[firko]

                                                                      
                                                       Ake in 1974..the bike looks more Yamaha by now but still with Maico forks.

[paul]

you sure the last photo has maico forks

[firko]

I agree John that the bike in the Clay Setzer website is more than a bit dodgy but it's a fact that Ake did use a Kramer frame in 1973 because he hated the stock YZ360A frame's handling. I will admit that I'd never seen photos of it before but it's been written about in (I think) Torsten Hallmans book or possibly Frank Mellings legendary classic on motocross suspension development (and other points) 'The Big Leap'.
What about the other statement you made but have conveniently sidestepped .... "thats a 75 model and it does look like a monoshock bitza ?" A little 'mea culpa' humility would be a nice touch on this sunny Saturday morning .

you sure the last photo has maico forks

No Paul, but they're closer to Maico than anything Yamaha produced at the time. By then he'd been in enough shit with the factory and had began to toe the line a bit, those forks could be KYB or custom forks made to replicate his beloved Maicos forks. It's worth spending a couple of hours researching Ake Jonsson's post Husqvarna race career....he was very prone to fluck with his bikes to achieve what he thought the bikes needed to win. It's ironic that his stay at Yamaha was only three years before he was back at Maico for two years and then his final year in GPs on....guess what? Kramer . Ake's my all time favourite GP rider because he did it his way. His 1972 Trans AMA clean sweep was devestatingly brutal.

[jerry]

Issue 12 vmx mag has article on ? the bike in question. J

[Davey Crocket]

OW25/26= 1975......OW12/13= 1974......thats what I was referring too.....oldmate is way out of touch if he thinks thats a OW26....look up Terry Goods site....MXWORKSBIKES...I have a set of OW25/26 forks that have the external springs...and a proper mag front hub....and a few more bits.....now Mr "mea culpa" back at ya....and what about your sidestep?   State of Origin....Bledisloe?...wheres JohnnyO when you need him?

[EML]

Ake's my all time favourite GP rider because he did it his way. His 1972 Trans AMA clean sweep was devestatingly brutal

Right at a time when motocross was really coming on song. He would have to have been one of the "inventors" of the modern motocrosser for sure.

[firko]

Forget the OW reference Davey, you're correct of course. What  I'm referring to is your 1975 reference when it was clearly 1973........(Jeez, I'm morphing into Nathan...scratching at straws to prove that I'm right )

[Davey Crocket]

"Senior Nathan"?

[KB171]

A coupla pics of  Akes Yamaico from his book.

[motomaniac]

                                                                     
                                                       Ake in 1974..the bike looks more Yamaha by now but still with Maico forks.

those are not maico forks , they are the maico copies that the japs ended up building for him.

[albrid-3]

There is a ow26 here in Australia, I would think that those bikes where 75 to 76 factory models, as Per Klitland and Mike Landman were racing that bike.

[jerry]

Oh yeah. Same frame number as well. J

[albrid-3]

 This paragraph was taken off Live wire .
He has been through all models, virtually, and knows more than a few tricks about each one. Also, Mike has raced the works machines, the OW26 400. He inherited the original OW brought out in 1976 for Per Klitland and then Milledge got him a new one for 1977.

[firko]

In this Cycle Illustrated interview Ake talks about the problems he had with the Yamaha and how he used the twin shock for the first part of the 73 season before moving over to the "Tilkens" rear suspension later in the season.
                                                                   

The ex Per Klitland OW26 is owned by Robbie Dick who, last time I spoke to him was still chasing parts to finish it. Yamaha imported the OW26 for Per Klitland to race the 1975 Mr Motocross series and he hated it from the gitgo. Per told me that the chassis was crap and he didn't like the on/off switch power delivery, much preferring to ride a basically stock MX400B. It's interesting to note that Per, like Ake moved from Maico to Yamaha and they both had the same opinion of the OW. I've heard that Mike Landman wasn't all that taken with OW26 either after taking possession of it after Per permanently moved over to an MX-B.    http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=11721.0

[motomaniac]

There is a ow26 here in Australia, I would think that those bikes where 75 to 76 factory models, as Per Klitland and Mike Landman were racing that bike.

yes there is

[firko]

....it aint a OW26 as thats a 75 model  

Here's Ake's 1975 OW26 and Jim Weinert on one, circa 1975.
                                                                      
                                                           http://www.vintageworksbikes.com/1975WorksYZ.html
                                                                       

[oldyzman]

Look at the rake on that bike in the black and white photo above. Looks like a chopper!
Brett

[jerry]

Heh Firko check out the fork legs on your photo and the ones on the Vintage Works offering. J

[firko]

Heh Firko check out the fork legs on your photo and the ones on the Vintage Works offering. J

Yeah Jerry, the very same type. It starts to make the original Kramer framed bike to look to be a bit mix'n'match of OW26 parts. Note the stock forks on Weinerts bike.

                                                                                      
                                                                                    

[oldyzman]

Any one know how much its on the market for...
Really makes me wonder, i would love to be a fly on the wall when these works bikes are selling.
Brett

[Davey Crocket]

Those forks on the Maico have been made to look like the OW26 ones.....the machining is very poor and Yamaha didnt use leading axle KYB's untill the later part of 75, the first part they where normal (abiet with external fork springs like the real OW has....thats why the boots are huge....oldmate didnt quite get it)....that Maico has a modified YZB tank on it. The jammers bike looks like it has stock YZB forks on it (34mm) as the OW ones where much bigger where the seals go....maybe they destroyed a set or didnt like em?

[rob]

Yamaico site updated to OW13, plus new info added.

[albrid-3]

So, The OW13 twin shock is the bike forsale not the OW26

[firko]

        It appears that the bike might not be as big a scam as you think Davey Crocket.