Nice Maico 490 Mega 2.

[09.0]

Do they need to be void of personality ?  To reflect their owner? Others don't want to be boring as bat shit. Maybe remove the tank stickers and be even more plain.
There's always each to their own.

[09.0]

Only a 250 but still about as far as you can get from a bog standard cookie cutter same same '81 Maico.
Next you will be telling us we should all tuck ourselves to the right 'cause thats how you do it.

[maico police]

A Monster energy sticker or two.

[Marc.com]

A Monster energy sticker or two.

'No Fear' stickers may be more appropriate, Wulfsport UK do a range of new Maico 490s that come with all the pimp my ride stuff added.

These old air hammers scare me to death

[firko]

You guys amaze me. There was a really nice 1980 440 on eBay last week and it didn't even get a mention here. 

Ross it's probably because the 1980 model, along with '75 and '82 models, is the bastard son of the Maico range. Nobody really cares too much about them.

[maico police]

Bastard Son or not it was a pretty unique bike and I thought (was told here) that it wasn't necessarily about how good performance wise the bike was. Anyway......

How do you save yourself if you're being attacked by a Mega 2 owner?


Throw something shiny up a tree. 

[09.0]

This is where you spice up your bland life by getting on here and stirring the pot.
You missed the mark a bit. A rockstar sticker is more topical.

[KTMaico]

For my 2c, if you want a straight from the factory look standard bike, great. If you want a tricked and pimped bike that looks like a Philipines taxi great. Your money, your bike, your taste rules. It about what makes you happy, if someone else does not like your Bling bike they can buy one of their own and do whatever. I just think it is great that we have a lot of these bikes (60's, 70's, and 80's) out there still. If it was not for the owners of these bikes hard work and money they would just be memories and photographs in old magazines.

Kevin

[2 shocks]

For my 2c, if you want a straight from the factory look standard bike, great. If you want a tricked and pimped bike that looks like a Philipines taxi great. Your money, your bike, your taste rules. It about what makes you happy, if someone else does not like your Bling bike they can buy one of their own and do whatever. I just think it is great that we have a lot of these bikes (60's, 70's, and 80's) out there still. If it was not for the owners of these bikes hard work and money they would just be memories and photographs in old magazines.

Very well thought out reply. agree entirely. A wise old man told me many years ago, "Never argue with Experts or Idiots" 

[firko]

You guys amaze me. There was a really nice 1980 440 on eBay last week and it didn't even get a mention here.   

I'll bite....I didn't even know about the 1980 440 eBay listing until Ross's mention prompted me to go looking for it. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1980-MAICO-MC440-RACE-BIKE-/130832922070?pt=AU_Motorcycles&hash=item1e763ff5d6.
It's a nice, mildly blinged up version of an unpopular model Maico. Whether it's a "genuine Wheelsmith Maico" is debatable but even if it is, the 8k+ price tag's way too much money for a model that isn't all that good or popular. I've got enough odds and sods to build one stored away down on the farm and may one day, who knows? There's not many of them around.
                                                                         

[Marc.com]

If you want a tricked and pimped bike that looks like a Philipines taxi great.

Yeah nice reply Kevin, but you really need to get the frame Nickel plated before it really looks like a Phillipino taxi 

Anywaz regardless at 10K is it just my imagination or are MC490s still going up in price?

[paul]

the 80 model looks to have a 81 swing arm /dont know how that would affect the frame  geometry  ? // considering the 80 forks are different to 81

[smed]

It's the same seller of both bikes

[HL500]

I brought my 79 Honda CR250R from him on ebay a couple of weeks ago.  He does have a number of bikes for sale including a couple more CR250's.  His name is Brad and I think he also imports muscle cars.

He was very informative and pleasent to deal with.  A big advantage to West Aussies is that he will deliver the bikes 150kms to Brisbane and ship them to us for $500.

Regards

John

[firko]

I remember how tall the seat hight is on this model, I'm 5'10" and I needed a milk crate to help me get on the bloody thing. The 80 model is a decent enough bike but it's mostly overlooked because it squeezes in between two brilliant models, the '79 Magnum and the '81 Mega 2. 

As far as bling goes, I don't give a tinkers cuss* what one does to ones bike. If you want to paint it beige or fit a small block Chevy engine, knock yourself out my friend, there just aren't enough barrier jumpers in our sport .  I made my swingarm comment in my initial post (no unecessary bling or alloy swingarm..Yay!!! ) because it's unusual to see an '81 Maico without one of those Thor replica swingarms. That doesn't mean I don't approve of them, I've got one myself FFS . Shiny bikes inject a bit of colour and interest into a sea of bog stock plastic blandness. I'm so bored by stock I'm even considering converting my restored DT1 Enduro into a DT1MX using my beloved GYT stash.

*One of my dear old departed Nan's favourite sayings.