Best Handling Maico?

[Tahitian_Red]

I hear people say that the 78 Maico MC was the best handler.  A lot of folks put together "Frankenbikes" using the 78 frame with 80-81 parts added.  Is it really the best?

[paul]

so ive been told  red  i will tell ya in a few weeks

[mxmaniac]

Dad has an 81 490 and also a 79 magnum with 490 engine, At the moment the 81 is miles ahead, but if the suspension was the same on both bikes, the 79 would be better as its a smaller bike i reckon.

[firko]

When the great Geoff Ballard talks Maicos I listen. Nobody had more international success on red Maicos than he did. Geoff reckons the '78/79 Magnum was the best handler of them all, and even reckons that the 38mm forks were the best that Maico made.

If you are looking at "the best handling bike in its era" there is nothing that comes close to a '74 Maico in the pre 75 era. It's the bike that started the suspension revolution. There is no such thing as a bad handling Maico and even the much hated 1980 model was as good (and better than most) as anything else on the market but is rated comparitively poorly when compared to the Magnum it replaced and the legendary '81 model which followed.

[husky61]

Enduro , would be the 79 model

Moto cross , would be the 81 model