OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => Maico => Topic started by: MauriceR on November 19, 2013, 08:55:09 am
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I have heard this before and Super Hunky actually said it in a story at some time but I have never seen one or met anyone that has ever seen one.
Has anyone ever seen a 3 speed 501 ?
Quote from Super Hunky s article
"A bit of history is in order. When the first 501 Maicos hit these shores, they were equipped with three-speed trannies , because they had so much horsepower. Huh?
That`s right. They had so much grunt, snap and power that for motocross, a three-speed was all that was needed. Wait a minute! They had a measly 37 horsepower or so, right?"
Link to the full article that it is in
http://articles.superhunky.com/4/321
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Thoroughly enjoyable read ;)
Sort of makes me want to relinquish the self imposed ban,,,,and by another bike ::)
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Go on Mick you can do it
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Maybe one day Bazza ::) but the truth is I already have enough bikes and projects
(http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv132/mc125mick/1383732_10151729224575949_241092989_zps59b9191c.jpg~original)
::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
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Hunky's yarn backs up stories told to me by Blair Harley and a bloke I once met in the USA (Rob,Rod???). I met the Yank while sitting in the bleachers at an Ascot flat track where he and his wife were sitting next to us. We started talking about our own racing experiences and he told me that he was building a 501 Maico powered short tracker. After the races he invited us back to his house in Hermosa Beach for coffee and to see his bike stash. He had quite a lot of good stuff including a 32 Ford roadster hot rod, Triumph flat trackers and desert racer 'sleds' and a couple of Maico motocrossers. The pride of joy however, was his under construction 501 short tracker which was featured a standard frame fitted with Ceriani forks which bought the steering rake into the needed 26 degrees, 19" wheels and re positioned right side footpeg. The engine however was what I remember most. It was up on the bench and I recall him telling me that it put out 60+hp on CR Axtell's engine dyno. What I recall most was the monster 44mm Lectron flat slide carb sitting on a longish inlet manifold. He'd got those HP figures with a stock pipe but at the time he was getting someone to build him a new 'mid range' pipe.
For whatever reason, I never saw the bloke ever again and I often wonder how his tracker performed. On paper the bike should have been a ripper but it never showed up in any results to my knowledge. It's always been a question mark to me that while Maicos made such great short circuit bikes here in Australia, they were almost non existent on American dirt tracks.
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By the way......I've never heard of a 3 speed 501 ???
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I had a 73 400 maico three speed at one time! it had 1st, 3rd and 4th. So yes maico had a three speed and if I rode it much longer I think it would have turned into a two speed. DG
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I would think if they were using 3 speeds in other bikes there'd sure to be a few 3 speed Maico's?
After riding an AW440 for my first time a couple of weeks ago, I'd agree that the power spread would be wide enough BUT the vibration in the higher revs would rule-out any benefits of a 3 speed 501.
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I would think if they were using 3 speeds in other bikes there'd sure to be a few 3 speed Maico's?
After riding an AW440 for my first time a couple of weeks ago, I'd agree that the power spread would be wide enough BUT the vibration in the higher revs would rule-out any benefits of a 3 speed 501.
I have never owned or ridden a 501. The earlier full cheek crank 440's are notorious for their vibration woes, easily fixed though, even without going to crank balancing specialist.
The 501 crank has LARGE cheeks with a much much smaller stroke than all the other open class Maicos.
Just those two prerequisites alone make for a much more harmonious outcome.
By the way......I've never heard of a 3 speed 501 ???
Neither have I.
I wonder if its just a case of "It only needs three gears" because most of them are actually wide ratio trannies with the power delivery having a very wide spread.
I know from racing and vinduroing the 84 XR500re, that it only needs three gears, just like the Beezza's.
In fact in the Spare XR's diet the first things gone are 4th and 5th gears and components and I am going down one tooth or two on the rear depending on the track.
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I would think if they were using 3 speeds in other bikes there'd sure to be a few 3 speed Maico's?
Maico used the same parts for as many models as possible to simplify tooling and to keep costs at a minimum so if they did make a 3 speed 501 it went against factory policy. All 4 speed model Maicos from 250 to 501 used the same transmission.. As much as I hate to contradict Hunky, I'm 99.9% sure the 3 speed 501 never happened. Perhaps it was, as Micky D wrote that with so much grunt, first gear became irrelevant and all Hunk remembers is using second, third and top.
MAICO 501
PURPOSE: Racing
PRICE (Suggested Retail): $1,598
DISPLACEMENT: 501cc
ENGINE TYPE: Piston-port two-cycle
LUBRICATION: Pre-mix
IGNITION: Flywheel magneto
TRANSMISSION: 4-speed, left side shift, avail, wide ratio also
CLAIMED HORSEPOWER: 54 @ N/A rpm
CLAIMED WEIGHT: 238 pounds
WHEELBASE: 55.5 inches
GROUND CLEARANCE: N/A
FRAME: Double downtube, full cradle
FRONT SUSPENSION: Telescopic forks/Maico
REAR SUSPENSION: Swingarm w/Giriing shocks
FRONT TIRE: 3.00x21 knobby
REAR TIRE: 4.00x18 knobby
WHEELS: Steel
FUEL CAPACITY: 2.5 gallons
INSTRUMENTATION: None
COUNTRY OF MANUFACTURE: Germany
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I remember watching the short lived (it was banned...) Maico 501 speedway solo at Brooklyn . Now that would have been a single speed.....
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I remember watching the short lived (it was banned...) Maico 501 speedway solo at Brooklyn . Now that would have been a single speed.....
Do recall why it was banned Tim?
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Do recall why it was banned Tim?
No engine breaking I'd presume. There was a 380 Greeves speedway bike racing at the Sydney Showground for a while (Bruce Croxon?) but it too was outlawed after complaints from other riders.
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Noise,Two stroke , brutal virtually uncontrollable power and well as you know speedway would be the most regulated/ set rules form of motorcycle racing.
and it shit all over the two valve four strokers!!!!!! ;)
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This is a rumor that keeps popping up in North America and I can pretty safely say Hunky is dreaming but thought I would get some opinions from down under
Here are pics of motor serial #501001 installed in frame #005 and it is definitely a 4 speed and by all accounts should be the first production 501 motor ever built by Maico
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y426/Maurice3743/maico001_zps37dd539b.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Maurice3743/media/maico001_zps37dd539b.jpg.html)
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y426/Maurice3743/maico002_zps3d4283ba.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Maurice3743/media/maico002_zps3d4283ba.jpg.html)
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y426/Maurice3743/maico004_zpsa2ed86d6.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Maurice3743/media/maico004_zpsa2ed86d6.jpg.html)
(http://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y426/Maurice3743/maico003_zpsd7acb2d8.jpg) (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Maurice3743/media/maico003_zpsd7acb2d8.jpg.html)
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beautiful Maurice, thanks for posting.
Hey Tim,
and it shit all over the two valve four strokers!!!!!! ;)
thanks mate, that was exactly what I was wanting to here ;D ;D ;D 8)
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Here's a pair of barn find 501's that have been for sale in Sydney for years. I offered 3k for just one of them but it wasn't enough, the seller thinks he's got a couple of mobile superannuation schemes and I'm not going to contribute to his retirement with any more than 3k for a basket case. Owning a 501 isn't that important to me.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/firko2158/MAICO501pair_zpsf703d8bd.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/firko2158/MAICO501pair_zpsf703d8bd.jpg.html)
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Some one should tell him ;D
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Owning a 501 isn't that important to me.
I would rather hang off a well sorted 250/350/400 or a sexy bit of booty.
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I would rather hang off a well sorted 250/350/400 or a sexy bit of booty
I'm with you Mick, I'd rather a 350.....they're rarer and are an infinitely better race bike. But what a great piece of teutonic artwork those 501 engines are.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/firko2159/maico501siege_zps6554e77a.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/firko2159/maico501siege_zps6554e77a.jpg.html)
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it appears to be true,the test says 3 speed. g
(http://[URL=http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/gbankier/media/501001_zpsee094d2a.jpg.html][img width=582 height=800]http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a561/gbankier/501001_zpsee094d2a.jpg)[/URL](http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a561/gbankier/501001_zpsee094d2a.jpg) (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/gbankier/media/501001_zpsee094d2a.jpg.html)(http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a561/gbankier/501002_zpse276ba6c.jpg)[/URL[URL=http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/gbankier/media/501004_zps0c774781.jpg.html](http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a561/gbankier/501004_zps0c774781.jpg) (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/gbankier/media/501002_zpse276ba6c.jpg.html)](http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a561/gbankier/501003_zps504be3f2.jpg) (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/gbankier/media/501003_zps504be3f2.jpg.html)[/img]
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(http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv132/mc125mick/f2fae75d-407f-45bf-88e4-fe3876f3ac09_zps725e556d.jpg~original)
(http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv132/mc125mick/7cddb300-5a5d-45c1-91ee-f2e9387ce7a8_zps9b5269f0.jpg~original)
Well there you go, but never ever part of Maico's production range. Thanks g465b.
Ummm, after reading that, better add a ride on such a beast to the bucket list after all.
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This forum is the best.....No matter how much we think we know there's always something new to learn ;D. I've never heard of the 3 speed 501 despite doing a fair bit of research for my VMX article on them. As I wrote in an earlier post, you can bet that Maico went with the 4 speed to keep production costs down to a respectable level as the 250/350/360/400/440/501 all use the same gearbox ratios.....in fact they use the very same gearbox parts. The only differences in Maico boxes was when they changed the dog arrangement when they went from the square barrel to the radial engine. I don't know if the 501 box changed with the others in 1973 . A one model 3 speed would have been an unnecessary extra expense. Thanks for digging up that obscure article Grant.
the square barrel in the 1971 pamphlet is a 250.
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MOOREBANK SCRAMBLES EARLY 70'S. Kenny Bushnell on a MAICO,riding number 101, on the back wheel only through the sand section and leaning to steer it through. Where or what happened to him?
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Kenny Bushnell on a MAICO,riding number 101, on the back wheel only through the sand section and leaning to steer it through. Where or what happened to him?
See reply 16 above.....he's still got them.
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I remember watching the short lived (it was banned...) Maico 501 speedway solo at Brooklyn . Now that would have been a single speed.....
forken hell who was the big balled crazy who rode that Tim, that would have been something to see.
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Rode Brooklyn from 75, can't ever remember seeing a Maico out there. Only 501 around in those days was a Maico antig ridden by a bloke from the Hartwell Club, which he rode frequently at Granite Park at Seymour. Had a P.Crump and D. Kennedy round me up in a handicap event one night and I dare say Tim the big Maico would have been lapped by those 2 even on the old 2 valves.
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Was 13 to 15 years old so slightly prior to 75 Rosco, Searching an old black and white photo and Speedway News paper article for you to view when/if I can locate them.
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This appears high in a Google search if anyone can locate the full item.
MAICO 501 - OzVMX
ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=4189.10;wap2
Nov 2, 2008 - MAICO 501. << < (3/3). paul: ... the 501 maico dont they ... 501 engines were briefly tried as a full on solo speedway powerplant here in Australia . I remember
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Hey Tim, brain finally kicked into gear late last night, Mick Tankard was the slider rider I saw with the 501, had been a pretty good B grader in his day so he may have been the one trying his hand at speedway. It was quite late in his career I came across him as a junior
Rosco86
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Cool article, makes sense a friend in California told me he raced a pre production 3 speed 501 sometime in 1969.
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Very cool response to this subject on my ebay posting for the 501 from Pat DeBenedetti
Good thing I got the correct info from this website and G46B for posting that article
From: maicocmc6
To: coastal3743
Subject: Other: maicocmc6 sent a message about Other Makes : MC501 #261339060816
Sent Date: Nov-27-13 19:13:40 PST
Dear coastal3743,
Very nice bike, I just wan't to comment on your answer Re:3 or 4 speed , you are correct as I was one of the riders to race the 3 speed bike in the support class at sadleback. Clutch was slipping , got second overall ,Bruce Baron won .Maybe 1970. Ake Johnsonn won the primere class. Great bike then and now. Good luck on the auction. Pat DeBenedetti
- maicocmc6
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Cool article, makes sense a friend in California told me he raced a pre production 3 speed 501 sometime in 1969.
Could be... in winter 1968 Maico tested an 480ccm Prototype in Laubus-Eschbach....
In 1998 or so, i found one and a half 3-Speed transmission in a Maico-Dealer's stock in Leverkusen/Germany and bought ist.
It fits in the normal 4-speed case with the 4-speed shiftingplate. The gearwheels were much thicker than on the 4 speed trans and the shifting forks were also very rigid ;) I gave it later to a friend of mine who has a 501 .... Maybe i'll take some pictures of the parts when i'll see him again, unfortunately he is living 450 Km from me :P
In the same dealers stock i also found the 5-speed prototype transmission, that fits in a modified 4-speed case !
The Dealer has bought the whole Maico parts of the former Maico-Builder "Merkle". So there were much old NOS parts from the former Maico-Factory included ;D
Unfortunately some 5-speed parts were missing/demaged and the case was lost.... But i still have it :)
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Cool article, makes sense a friend in California told me he raced a pre production 3 speed 501 sometime in 1969.
Could be... in winter 1968 Maico tested an 480ccm Prototype in Laubus-Eschbach....
In 1998 or so, i found one and a half 3-Speed transmission in a Maico-Dealer's stock in Leverkusen/Germany and bought ist.
It fits in the normal 4-speed case with the 4-speed shiftingplate. The gearwheels were much thicker than on the 4 speed trans and the shifting forks were also very rigid ;) I gave it later to a friend of mine who has a 501 .... Maybe i'll take some pictures of the parts when i'll see him again, unfortunately he is living 450 Km from me :P
In the same dealers stock i also found the 5-speed prototype transmission, that fits in a modified 4-speed case !
The Dealer has bought the whole Maico parts of the former Maico-Builder "Merkle". So there were much old NOS parts from the former Maico-Factory included ;D
Unfortunately some 5-speed parts were missing/demaged and the case was lost.... But i still have it :)
I am overwhelmed at the moment :'( shucks :'(
I built a lot of my Maicos on the coffee table when I was a young bloke, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am currently surrounding myself in a Maico themed Aladins Cave. But you have been to the Holy Grail? I need a tissue :'( hang in there Micka