OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => Maico => Topic started by: holeshot buddy on October 11, 2008, 08:55:55 pm
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81 490 maicos holey grail to some people
are they overrated :-\
they didnt seem to do much back then when new :o
now days they are billet this and that bling everything
and most guys riding them, a large percentage are very good riders
so this makes them look good anyway
there is no doubt the motors are fast
but how would a 490 standard go against a yz465 standard
with same riders on both bikes and not a drag race
but around a proper motocross track
what are your thoughts ???
just thought i would stir the pot ;D ;D
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Well, The Yamies won world championships, AMA championships and Aussie championships by the score, The Germans however were lucky to finnish a race :-\
Good excuse for coming nowhere I'd say... ;D
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This 490 thing really must get up your nose, no shot, maybe because you are sick of looking at the rear guard of one( on the first lap at least, before it has disappeared from sight), haven't we been through this one already? You really need to ride one to realize the error of your ways.
Your turn John!!!
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This has been flogged to death. Does it really matter?
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alright i will shut up
didnt actually say they were bad ::)
did i
just a comparison ;D
and it has been a while ;D ;D
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you like to fuel the fire Hey Russ :D
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I will say this: In late 1989 at a local track( about 5mi from where I live now) there was a local racer who did suspension work Still winning open expert on his 81 490 Maico. Kevin Stillwell I think he was. Anyway, bike was stock except for suspension-even the stock Bing carby, in fact it was ratty.
Still, he not only won, but holeshot against the local young hotshoe on his 89 KX500( which I know for sure is Waaayy faster than the 490). It was obvious that Kevin was hooking up all of the power-all around the track. To be fair, he had raced that bike almost nonstop since 81-so he was familiar with it. Months later, Kevin was racing a 90KX500( must have waited for the 90 model with USD forks)-and was not able to duplicate his sucess as on the Maico.
Now, do I think an 81 490 is better than a 90 KX500? No way, even though Kevin was clearly about 40 at the time it was abvious that the 490 just really "fit" him-and he was very comfortable on it. So, is the 81 490 Maico the best bike of all time?
I think not, the best bike of all time may not yet be built-or even designed. Further, if one had to be chosen from say 68 to present-the 74 CR125 Elsie would be the more obvious candidate-literally dominating the 125 classes( and even 100 classes when sleeved down) overnight..and it was cheap and easily available.
Perhaps it is reasonable to say that the 81 490 was one of the best open class(500 cc class) bikes ever-or even arguably the best.
Compare with the YZ465? The YZ is much cheaper, reed valve-easier to start, easier power for the novice-and at the time much more available. Yes, of course Maico did not win these championships. One wonders if Maico had such a great bike ten years earlier, perhaps they could have...but history is history..coulda should woulda. I think the Maicos are popular now since they seem more exotic than a YZ or RM. Many want a bike now that they couldn't have then-as a result it is my experience that currently, Maico parts are much more expensive, but also much more available. Personally, I would take the RV 83 490 Maico and race in the later class. Seems like everybody has an 81 490 now. But for the AHRMA GP 500 class ( pre-linkage etc) the YZ465 is a great bike, though I would go with the RM400, Hunkavarnish CR 430, KTM 420, or Monty 414 myself.
Now my fingers are as tired as my meager mind ;D ;D
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I had an '81 490 and it was a great bike. Fast, easy enough to ride but a little hard to live with. Hard to start, heavy clutch which needed constant attention and ate kick starters for lunch. The Husky's I've had and have now, are every bit as good (better really) and much easier to live with. They just don't have the legend status or cult like following.
Cheers,
K
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in the 80's I raced against a bloke call mad dog Miller, he rode a 490 and he was fast but could not stop or turn the bike so he always over shot turns and went wide on all the rutts. So for every 5 lap race he rode 5.5 Ha Ha
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I was talking to a brother in arms and basically we are racers first, collectors second. If they weren't any good or there was a better bike, we would be racing them. That is how i buy my race bikes, best of era. As far as im concerned , its the shit. Reliable as any other out there, stops well due to better pads and better leverage on the lever and clutch as well as i have a clutch lever with a better pull as well. I might not be completely accurate but the nay sayers all seem to have never ridden one maybe? And bigk, you're in denial
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Well said Brad, couldn't agree more. I ride one because they're the gear in the evo class, not for any other reason and i've ridden everything else.
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It all comes back to riding one. I've never ridden a bike with such perfect balance. I'm a fat old slowpoke getting very close to 60 but when I ride a 490 Maico I feel invincible. The '81 490 brings out the best in any rider.
The reason Maico didn't fare so well in various motocross championships is all about money and priorities. BY 1981 the big four Japanese factories were pumping millions of dollars into their race teams and that included signing the best riders they could get. Small factories like Maico just plain couldn't compete financially with the Japanese and therefore couldn't afford riders of a high enough calibre to win the championship. A good example is that Graeme Noyce was winning GPs on Maicos and was the up an coming 500 class gun in 1979/80. Honda spotted that and bought out his contract. He won the next World 500 title on a Honda RC450 which was remarkably similar in geometry to his previous Maico Magnum.
However, an area where the big four hadn't infiltrated with their big dollars was the international enduro scene. Maico signed the best enduro riders in the world including our own Jeff Ballard and blitzed the open class enduro , not only in Europe but in the USA and Australia. Have a look at the ISDE results for '81 and see what the fast guys were riding. Maicos dominated like no other make. There wasn't a lot of 465 IT Yamahas, PE Suzukis or XR Hondas showing up in the results.
* I have to add that I agree with James. The '83 SC500 Maico is an infinitely better bike than the '81 490 but it's the '81 that has the mystique. I sold my '83 500 to a mate who also races a CR500 Honda and he was shocked to find that the bog stock air cooled Maico was as quick as his ported and trick piped 92 model CR500.
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Nup, never been to Egypt Brad, let alone had a swim in the big river.
Cheers,
K
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:D
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Interesting the point firko made about why Maico never won a World tilte, was whiling away some hours over the w/end watching the '82 Luxembourg 500 gp on vid I happened to notice the amount of production/privateer Maicos filling the minor places behind the Jap factory/works bikes. Seemed to be the choice of privateers.
The best evo motor is a xt550....flog a 490 maico any day of the week. ;)
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Have you been staining timber or something Brendan? I think you have been inhaling the fumes!
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Nothing like the smell of freshly cut C.C.A. timber in the morning Brad ;)
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Slapshot don't i cause enough shit without you stirring it up? you know the kraut lovers hate it when we pit their groovinmaachinens against the YZ's. I think you like shakin the hornets nest more than me ...
Brad yes you would be fast on one too. i recon a good test would be to get Brad or someone with good experience on the same track and alternate bikes and time them (once the bikes have been setup correctly for them to see what the differences are, I recon the difference would not be worth the extra $4000 buying price... But it is exotic and thats what atracts people. I still miss mine but my IZ is still beeaautiful
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ok fella's!
i'm going to offer to settle this once and for all.
give me a Maico 490,
and give me a YZ465
same track, same day, and i'll give all you open class guru's my honest, unbiased opinion after 5 laps on each bike. ;D
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official vmx factory test pilot Vandy
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hey vandy have you ever ridden anything that big before ;D
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I would really like to see VMX magazine do an open evo shootout like they did with the evo 250's in issue number 31 . I enjoyed reading that article , but was disappointed that the two bikes that could have possibly challenged the '81 Maico ,( being the '83 CR250 Husky & Can Am MX6 ) , were not present in the test . I suppose that you can only get what is available at the time though . I know that VMX is not a magazine that is supposed to do bike tests , as all of this would have been done before back in the day . But the evo class is a bit out of the ordinary because you are comparing bikes from different years in a lot of cases . This type of shootout would probably not have been done before . I would also suggest that the test riders used to evaluate the bikes be former legends & maybe a current A grade young gun for a modern perspective . The bikes would also have to be good examples of the model , well set up for racing & should be allowed to have modern updated parts that are easily available & legal for the class .
Maybe I am just dreaming , but I would love to see the likes of Glen Bell , Steve Gall , Anthony Gunter , Geoff Ballard ( & maybe even Graham Noyce & Neil Hudson , as I hear rumours that they may be potential visitors to CD6 ) give their opinions & comparisons on the likes of the '81 Maico 490 , YZ465H , '83/4 CR500 Husky , '82 CR430 Husky , KTM 495 , Can Am 400 MX6 , RM400T & Montesa 414 on a good big-bore track like Conondale . I am sure that the owners of these bikes would let them be ridden , knowing they were in safe , experienced hands .
But to answer Holeshot Buddy's original post , why not just ask someone like Andrew Bailey , who was a top A grader , state champion & Mister Motocross series rider back in the day on YZ465s . He now rides an '81 Maico 490 , I am told . I think that he would be a good judge of both bikes . As to E74s post , I think that titles don't count for much at all when comparing makes of bikes . Because Roger DeCoster won 3 consecutive 500cc world titles from '71 to '73 for Suzuki , didn't mean that the TM400 Suzuki was any good . Also the '81 Honda CR450 was a heap of shit , even after Honda won 3 titles in a row from '79 in the 500 class .
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have i ever ridden anything that big before he asks...
why of course i have holeshot :)
rode a 465h back in the day, a kx50083 back in the day, and a... well, um? i? hmmm,
does my RT1 in this day count?
well ok, so these days i prefer the might of my little 125a model but i'm good to go i tell ya!
and if we use moto GP as an example, the 125 riders usually make the best open class pilots right! ;)
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trouble with andrew is he gets his bikes given to him now (maico 490)
i would prefer someone like glen bell to give an unbiased opinion
its a good idea mark but it will probably never happen :-\
hey vandy when i rode wombats 125 they said hold it flat on the start line
and dump clutch ???
yeah that would work good on a 500 ;D ;D ;D
and i like your choice of past 500s 8)
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I usually agree with most things that Big K has to say , but in this case I think that he is off the mark . l would have to say that I am a huge Husky fan , as my forum name would obviously suggest , but there is no way that I would say that a Husky is a better all-round bike in the evo class than an '81 Maico 490 . I have owned & raced Husky 390s , 430s & 500s ( & still do ) , as well as '81 Maicos . On some tracks , especially if they are fast , sandy & rough , the Husky may have an advantage due to it's better stability , reed valve cylinder & rear suspension , but generally the Maico is a better bike as it turns better , feels lighter , is more neutral in the air when flying off jumps & has better forks . I also don't understand all this talk about the Maico being hard to start , as my 490s start more easily than any other open class bike that I have ever owned . They have a decompression lever & if you use it & prime the Bing carb till fuel runs out the overflow tubes , it will normally start within 1 to 2 kicks every time . On the other hand , I have had trouble in the past with my Huskys breaking kickstart pawls & have seen YZ465s kick back & break the right hand side crankcase . The Husky also gives very few revolutions of the motor with each stroke of the kickstarter , so if you have a weak spark they are very hard to start ( especially the 500 ) .
I am happy that the Yamaha guys think that the YZ465H is a better bike , as they are really handicapping themselves by riding one & I need all the help that I can get as I am not that good of a rider :D . The best thing about the Yamaha is the forks & front brake , as they are the benchmark for the evo class . Husky forks are crap & always have been . They work ok in sand & that is about it . I have ridden an '84 500 Maico & although it had more power , I still preferred the '81 490 as a package .
As far as people saying that this subject has been flogged to death , I would rather read about it any day rather than poxy 100cc ag bikes & TS Suzukis ( or politics , religion & guns for that matter ) , as this forum is called OZVMX & not OZVCC ( OZ vintage chook chasers ) . The 500cc class was always the premier class in motocross & should have stayed that way .
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I haven't ridden a 490, but I'm sure they're over-rated.
Really, given the hype around them, they'd have to be better than economics, religion, sex and every other bike ever built, all rolled into one.
Which bikes win races?
Can't recall the last time I saw a 490 Maico win a race, but I've seen plenty of Evo Hondas, Huskys and Yamahas win races... If the Maico can live up to 10% of the hype, then we'd still be seeing plenty of them on the podium.
At the end of the day, a good race bike needs to be affordable, reliable and fast, not just fast.
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Here in the U.S. (Underworld of Satan) the fastest bikes are the '84 YZ250 and the '83 CR250. If it's only big-bores on the track it always seems to come down to the '81 Maico 490's and the '83 CR480's.
The fastest riders can win on any well setup bike. They flow with the bike and impose their will on it when needed. So, all the little things that bother us mortals on certain models do not seem to affect them.
;)
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So Rusty,
Regarding the photo above did you :
(a) Mean to do that 8) 8)
(b) Shit yourself and have to DNF with embarrassment ;D ;D
(c) Pull the clutch in, take a breath, and the let the barstard out again ;) ;)
I should have made it a poll, but I was too lazy ::)
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Nathan , if you can't recall the last time you saw an '81 Maico 490 win a race , then you need to get out more ;) . The current National open evo champion ( & pre '85 open as well ) rides a Maico 490 . Every race meeting that I go to , that has a big bore evolution class , always has at least a couple of Maico 490s running up at the pointy end of the field . You mention evo Hondas , but if we are talking open evo class , then the only legal Hondas are XL500 powered or Mugen 360s & you won't see many of them on the podium ( in my part of the country anyway ) .
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Hey Nathan, if ya want a good look at the arse end of an overated Maico 490 from start gate to chequers.. come to victoria for a Maico lesson and bring ya anti roost ned kelly suit.. :D :D :D
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Were Maico's good? I remember being at Jilliby for the International in 1977, a relatively unknown Neil Hudson came out and demolished everyone present, including Gally, Gunter, Gaston Rahier , he rode rings around them. I think Maico's problem was money, they could not afford the best riders.
Don't forget if you wanted to win in those days ( GP's) you had to pass Decoster and Mikkola etc. That's like trying to get past Bubba and RC today
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Nathan come to Qld mate and bring your choice of evo open class bike and you'll soon find out if a 490 Maico is over rated.
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(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll133/mxmaniac05/tassie08048.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll133/mxmaniac05/tassie08120.jpg)
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll133/mxmaniac05/tassie08070.jpg)
mmmmmm..... gold!
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actually yz250h in that photo at conondale i holeshoted and won the race
even beat a 490 maico ;D notice the finger on the clutch pure skill ;D ;D
this overated post is great working well ;D
i will say one thing that i have already said
most 490 maico riders are good riders always at the pointy end :'(
my point is they could be there on another evo open class bike as well
so to say they won this and that means jack shit when you are talking about the bike ::)
i know qld and vic have good maico riders 8)
its like any bike put a good rider on it and it will look great ;D ;D ;D ;D
it ran last time i started it ;D :D
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At my club we have a guy on a 81 yz 250 H that beats a guy on a 81 yz 250 H in EVO 250 class... same result in post classic 125
But in EVO open the winner of EVO 250 and 125 ( on his 250 ) always gets beaten by the other guy when he rides his 81 MAICO 490
Results speak louder than words
But then again how much further would he win by if he rode my YZ 465....haha
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Rusty I knew it was answer (a) - you meant to do that.
I just wanted to make sure ;)
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I didn't actually mean to upset you, ladies!
Can't actually recall seeing one at a race meet, or even ridden by anyone good (except Ballard), so it doesn't matter how fast/slow/over-rated/under-rated they are: If they aint gettin' used, then they're over-rated...
To bastardise the old saying: To finish first, first you must enter the bloody event. ;)
Maybe NSW is just allergic to 'em?
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You can't have been to many race meetings. Roy Gay was winning on a 490 for most of the previous 10 years. You should venture out more often.
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And if Roy wasn't winning, Andrew Olfield was, also 490 mounted. Both riders dominated on Maicos for at least 10 years.
Sorry Nathan but it's a fact.
By the way, did any body else see Roy on 'A Current Affair' the other night? Seems he got ripped off in some scam.
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yeah i saw him on a current affair, there is
only 1 roy gay cant remember what it was about
maybe he sold a dodgy bike ;D ;D ;D
must admit he was quick on the 490 though :'(
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OK, so two bikes that haven't been raced at a vintage meet in at least three years, and one of those was ridden by a bloke that everyone knows was/is an exceptional rider and would have been quick on a PW80...
Still reckon they can't be that amazing, otherwise at least some of the NSW blokes who are taking their racing seriously would be riding 'em.
The question was whether they were "over-rated". Not even I'm silly enough to try to claim that they're a crappy bike or anything... The mythical status needed to be based in reality, for sure.
But if you believe half of what's been said about them, then a 490 would be able to take a gumby like me to national champion speed in half a lap. ::) ;D
Crap bike: Nope.
Good bike: Yep.
Over-rated: Must be.
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Nathan...At Classic Dirt 6, you're cordially invited to ride my '81 490 and '83 500. I don't actually own either of these bikes any more but both current owners have given the idea the green light. Only after riding them will you be experienced enough to comment that they are over rated. Until then, I feel you're being guided by your natural resistance to hype and not by your own 'seat of the pants' experience. If you want, you're also welcome to ride my 350 squarie and see why RT1 Yamahas don't cut it in pre 70.
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Um, OK - that'd be awesome! Thanks! :)
A big part of my thinking involves the 125 Elsinore: They're widely accpeted as being THE ONLY serious contender among the pre-75 125s, and they're still everywhere (despite being nearly a decade older).
Sighting a big Maico, in contrast, is a rare event.
And I know the obvious counter argument: "But a lot more people bought CR125s in 1974 than Maico 490s in 1981".
Which is pretty much exactly what I'm saying. ;)
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Hey Mark if i bag a 490 can i ride them 2 also...haha
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Sighting a big Maico, in contrast, is a rare event.
Yeah, but not in Qld Nathan; we got shitloads!
One of my first impressions upon discovering VMX was "where did all these Maicos come from?"
We've discussed this elsewhere - back in the day they were a pretty rare beast (at least in SE Qld).
I was amazed at the numbers.
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Maico's Overated ??? Back in the day, I was somewhere near the front riding Yamaha's in C grade and decided to get a Maico from Keith Stacker in Melbourne, a 76 AW Maico. All of a sudden, I started winning races ??? The Maicos inspired confidence, sometimes you would come in from a race or practice & say to yourself, how come I didnt fall off, some of the situations you can get into on a Maico really defy the law of gravity, and I have ridden Montessa's, Suzuki's, Honda's,Yamaha's, KTM's, & no other bike gives you the same feeling of stability. My son Shaun rides my 490 Maico, he has been a good Open A Grade MX'r for quite a few years & he agrees that even the modern bikes dont give you the same confident feeling. One trate of the Maico which stands out in my mind, is the ability of the machine to change lines thru a cnr if need be. I think the basic geometry is spot on & the power delivery is very user friendly. The whinge about the heavy clutch is unwarranted, if you know how to rout the cable correctly & setup the lever arm, you will have a 2 finger clutch. The front brake again, very easy to fix, ask any fast Maico rider.
Mr Maico #54 Ken Baker (Vic)
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I can remember fields of six or seven or even more 490 Maicos five years ago in NSW but they do seem to have thinned out in recent times. It took a good rider to knock over Roy or Andrew Oldfield. I have a fondness for 465 Yamahas but reluctantly have to admit that those big red Maicos really are terrific bikes to ride. A ride on a big Maico is a very convincing experience. Sure they are way over hyped but there is a definite basis to that hype.
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Must be some sort of 'cycle' thing Nathan. The guys are right, a few years ago there were 490s everywhere. Nowadays it seems to be big Hondas. I remember that RM400s were all the go in VIPER around the late 90s, then all of a sudden it seemed HL500s were very popular. These things come and go. But I echo the comments about Roy and Andrew. They were good to watch in the early HEAVEN years.
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Are you talking about the bike Paul ? ;D
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just to revisit an old thread ;D
did anyone see the first consolation race at the 09 Conondale Nationals?
where a {wait for it} 1973 Yamaha MX250 held off a 81 Maygo 490 for nearly the whole race... 8)
twas one of my favourite moments as a spectator at the Nats ;D :D :) ;) 8)
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I've heard that the MX250 in question had rubber mounted bar clamps so the poor old maico really didn't have much of a chance
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I've heard that the MX250 in question had rubber mounted bar clamps so the poor old maico really didn't have much of a chance
(http://i323.photobucket.com/albums/nn458/mx250syd/funnies/ROTFLMAO.gif) To be topical. ;) ;D
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:D
you guys !
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I will say this: In late 1989 at a local track( about 5mi from where I live now) there was a local racer who did suspension work Still winning open expert on his 81 490 Maico. Kevin Stillwell I think he was. Anyway, bike was stock except for suspension-even the stock Bing carby, in fact it was ratty.
Still, he not only won, but holeshot against the local young hotshoe on his 89 KX500( which I know for sure is Waaayy faster than the 490). It was obvious that Kevin was hooking up all of the power-all around the track. To be fair, he had raced that bike almost nonstop since 81-so he was familiar with it. Months later, Kevin was racing a 90KX500( must have waited for the 90 model with USD forks)-and was not able to duplicate his sucess as on the Maico.
Kevin Stillwell in Burleson, Texas? He use to do all my suspension work back in the mid/late 80's.
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Yes, Kevin Stillwell. I now live in Burleson, Texas! .Sadly, the track is run seldom these days. Cam are you a fellow Texan?
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Yes, Kevin Stillwell. I now live in Burleson, Texas! .Sadly, the track is run seldom these days. Cam are you a fellow Texan?
Nice Monaro
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Yes, pic of a GTS350 -1970 I think. Wonder what it costs to port one to the US?
I think I saw a basically rusted hulk minus everything go over five figures...makes Maicos seem low $ by comparision.
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Yes, pic of a GTS350 -1970 I think. Wonder what it costs to port one to the US?
I think I saw a basically rusted hulk minus everything go over five figures...makes Maicos seem low $ by comparision.
I've seen them go for big bucks at Shannons a few years back - GT351, xu1's slr's Monaros they are all ridiculous $ now.
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I've heard that the MX250 in question had rubber mounted bar clamps so the poor old maico really didn't have much of a chance
Thats illegal! Tell the guy to go back to solid mounts with protapers or else!
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Yes, Kevin Stillwell. I now live in Burleson, Texas! .Sadly, the track is run seldom these days. Cam are you a fellow Texan?
Small world. Yes, I live in Colleyville. The TVRC is having a non-points warm up race for their fall series at Burleson on September 13th. I'll be there debuting my new '82 RM250. Will you be there?
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did anyone see the first consolation race at the 09 Conondale Nationals?
where a {wait for it} 1973 Yamaha MX250 held off a 81 Maygo 490 for nearly the whole race... 8)
Why would anyone be surprised at that, the MX250 is the motorcycle of the gods. I mean the 490 is a great bike to ride but I wouldn't swap the MX for it.
(http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/marcFX_photo/P2210013.jpg)
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THE GOD OF SAKI HAS CLOUDED YOUR VISION
(http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo263/ozmaico/IMGP1826.jpg)
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btw are those spokes rusty
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btw are those spokes rusty
Oh the shame .... I have had a new set of spokes sitting waiting for the last year.... BTW Paul if you wanted to swap that red bike of yours with maybe a cash difference you may be able to twist my arm. Look nice next to the Hl500.
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MARK IF YOU ARE SERIOUS THEN I WILL THINK ON IT ,IS YOURS A REAL HL OR A COPY
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SHIT MARK I JUST REMEMBERED I OWNED A REAL ONE. ;D NICE PROFAB HL 500 TROUBLE IS IT WAS TO SLOW COMPARED TO THE 490 MAICO
(http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo263/ozmaico/IMGP1004.jpg)
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NO COMPARISON IT WAS LIKE RIDEING A DRAFT HORSE COMPARED TO A 490 LOL GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PROJECTS ::)
(http://i382.photobucket.com/albums/oo263/ozmaico/IMGP1296.jpg)
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mate there is some confusion I was offering the MX 250 as heard they can blow off a Maico ;D
My GMC HL owes too much to ever be for sale ::) BTW your HL was one of the nicest ones I have seen.
anyway next year I will probably buy Maico 490 myself, it has an iconic status like RH250s and Rickmans.
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....and TM 400's.......
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Yes, Kevin Stillwell. I now live in Burleson, Texas! .Sadly, the track is run seldom these days. Cam are you a fellow Texan?
Small world. Yes, I live in Colleyville. The TVRC is having a non-points warm up race for their fall series at Burleson on September 13th. I'll be there debuting my new '82 RM250. Will you be there?
Yes, looks like my 81250 Honda won't be ready yet(* playing with Aw Maico stuff)-but will be there.
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Small world. Yes, I live in Colleyville. The TVRC is having a non-points warm up race for their fall series at Burleson on September 13th. I'll be there debuting my new '82 RM250. Will you be there?
Yes, looks like my 81250 Honda won't be ready yet(* playing with Aw Maico stuff)-but will be there.
I'm planning on going to Jack Thompson's party the night before. If you don't hit the party swing by at Burleson and introduce yourself. Here's my ride so you'll know what to look for.
(http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i60/clpotter/RMpics002.jpg)
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So back to the story I don't think the 490 Maico is in the least over rated as a twin shock open class bike and a bargain for what it is.
Its competitors were blown away way back when and nothing much has changed.
There will always be that defining moment when someone produces a bike that raises the bar. RM125X springs to mind.
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Marc, perhaps we could agree that even though it is an outstanding bikes-and that it's iconic status is deserved, that it is possibly now the status quo, or even a status symbol in its class. Given the YZ465, RM400, KTM420, Husky 430, and 500-it may well be the top of it's class...but it seems at least here in the US that the typical bucks up Maico owner has a74.5 GP and then an 81 490. The square barrels , and AWs are few-as are the IMO superor for linkage class 83-84 Maicos.
Also, I am a Maico rider-and enthusiast so, perhaps to those who are not-it is much like the 73-74 CR250M Elsinore to us -belly buttons-everybody's got one.
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Also, I am a Maico rider-and enthusiast so, perhaps to those who are not-it is much like the 73-74 CR250M Elsinore to us -belly buttons-everybody's got one.
I believe the correct expression is "like assholes eveyone has em" relax its an Aussie forum you won't offend anyone.
Anyway I have CR250M as well
(http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg71/marcFX_photo/DSCF8437.jpg)
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I remember seeing a pic of a Mega 2 back in 1981 or there-abouts. Around these parts I'd never seen one. I thought they were pretty hot. For years I did. Long before I knew anything about the VMX movement. I also thought that they'd be pretty rare. Especially here in Australia. So it was quite suprising once entering the sport, to see them popping up all over the place! :o. "How can this be so?" I asked. "Well young man, a lot of these Mega 2's are actually Gs's".
I'm told it's easy to make one look the same. It'd be hard for someone with an untrained eye to pick one.
This put a thought into my tiny brain.......
How pissed off would I be if I owned an actual Mega 2 490 and there's all these wanna-be 490's parading around as the real thing! >:( :'(
And then to top it off people start putting all these weird colour schemes on them and stuff!
(Thank god no ones knocking out pretend 414's...... :P)
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How pissed off would I be if I owned an actual Mega 2 490 and there's all these wanna-be 490's parading around as the real thing! >:( :'(
And then to top it off people start putting all these weird colour schemes on them and stuff!
(Thank god no ones knocking out pretend 414's...... :P)
Guess some people get more pissed off than others, as long as you are not trying to pass a GS off as an MC on ebay then no harm done.
One up side to replicas or fakers as you prefer is it spawns a whole aftermarket industry that helps also to support the original bikes. Makes life easier to keep original bikes going if there is enough demand for spares for the hard to get parts to be replicated.
The 490 is pretty bike, was fast in its day and still is..... hell i would like one in any color.
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as long as you are not trying to pass a GS off as an MC on ebay then no harm done.
No. That's never happened.
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cant believe my old post has resurfaced :o
(firko must be happy) ;D ;D
how many 490 maicos were at the nats
i reckon more than there was in aus
back then ::)
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i reckon more than there was in aus
back then ::)
Aussie is this black hole sucking them in from all over, bet there are a lot more in NZ than there ever was back in the day ;D But all to the good, some of us can finally afford one.
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I must say this -anyone who was racing in the uk in the mid 70s -about 83 will testify that in the open class - Maico was the weapon of choice unless you got sponsered on another brand 30 out of 40 starters on them .....Anyone who could afford one had one because they were so much better to ride than anything else you could buy . On our rough slippery uk tracks Jap 500s were not very good , until after maico had folded .
Ride a 79 Maico or 81 and you would be suprised just how good they are ?
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I own & ride one & I must agree with all the others who have ridden one that the do instill confidence as did my last maico ( 75 250 ) There a good stable fast bike make no mistake. I did read somewhere that one of the gun yamaha riders from the early eightys not sure if it was Hanna anyway who ever it was got to ride Rick Doerty's 490 maico & he said that if he rode that bike in it's time he would'nt want to get back on his yamaha raedinto that what you will but I know as long as I'm involved in the sport I'll be keeping mine, just a pity I couldn't ride it as fast as I would like to Cheers Lou
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I remember someone talking about either the crankshaft centerline or the primary drive shaft centerline being in the optimum position relative to the balance point of the bike ????? Can anyone offer anything on this theory ?
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cant believe my old post has resurfaced
(firko must be happy)
Always happy to see the red bikes getting a mention 8).
I just read back over the previous posts to see if I'd had a dummy spit or something nasty to say but found nothing except Nathans claim that he'd hardly ever seen them at the races. I think the shitload of them at the Nats may now have filled the lads quota.
Even though I still love the big Maicos and feel that my KTM 525 V Maico 490 piece in ADB back in 2002 added to the hype, I'm a bit over the 490 Maico lovefest. They are great bikes, possibly the best privateer bike ever made but some folks are hyping the riding of a 490 Maico as the motocross equivalent to a threeway sex toy romp with Halle Berry and Pammy Anderson :-\ ! Come on chaps. We know the big red Germans are cool bikes but let's not go overboard trying to convince the unconvincable.