MAICO Pre-60 Alloy Oval Barrel Blizzard Project.

[firko]

If I had of known how to and thought shipping might be reasonable? I probably would have just tryed to buy Ola's bike. Would have beeen a buzz just to service add fuel and mud I reckon

Mick.....Jim and I used Chas Mortimer http://www.chasmortimer.co.uk/ to bring our stuff in from the UK. Jonesy used him to bring in a CCM and an ESO scrambler from Sweden, his trucks cover all of Europe and although it seemed to take forever to get here compared to our stuff from the USA, we were all pretty pleased with his door to door service. They take care of all of the little bullshit things that usually make it hard to get stuff from Europe.

[Mick D]

If I had of known how to and thought shipping might be reasonable? I probably would have just tryed to buy Ola's bike. Would have beeen a buzz just to service add fuel and mud I reckon

Mick.....Jim and I used Chas Mortimer http://www.chasmortimer.co.uk/ to bring our stuff in from the UK. Jonesy used him to bring in a CCM and an ESO scrambler from Sweden, his trucks cover all of Europe and although it seemed to take forever to get here compared to our stuff from the USA, we were all pretty pleased with his door to door service. They take care of all of the little bullshit things that usually make it hard to get stuff from Europe.

Thanks Firko, good knowledge for down the track maybe, but that's it, no more for a while, until I half the heard. And getting the 360 Oval from the US in boxes was a stress I don't want again for a while

[Mick D]

I'm a bit opposite to you in my old Maico endevours Mick. I'll build the Maico Metisse hot rod for motocross....mainly because it's something I've wanted to build for years. For Dirt track however because its so rare I'll do my little KR250 strictly by the book, hence me needing a genuine tank and a pipe to copy. What's the score with the rims on my KR by the way? They're alloy (Akront???) and appear to be the originals, The little hubs appear to be off the 175 or early 250 Blizzard.

 I ran into Blair Harley the other day and we started talking about oval and square Maicos. He remembered seeing some motoball bikes destined for America at the factory in the late 60's, the odds are high that one was probably mine. Old Blair's getting on but he's still got a lot of Maico memories. He reckons the 350 was the best square barrel by far. He probably says that because they wouldn't have existed without his great influence at the factory but I agree with him. He was stoked to hear that I was converting my 360 to 350 as he hates 360 "shakers".

I'm going to prepare my 350 squarie for him to ride at CD10.

See I think Metisses belong, and who wouldn't like or want one? not many I bet!

Heres the thing I reckon with the KR. (in the mean-time), Clean up that rare Ducati tank, stick it on ebay Global for some more fun tickets. That 360 side port exhaust will drop straight into a freshly rattle-canned KR frame for a legal pre65 slider. Stick any suitable seat and tank on it for the time being. Make a low-drop pipe up. Clean those original factory optioned alloy rimmed wheels up (not sure if the little rear 125 moped hub will stand up to the 360 donk though). Couple of cables and a fuel line and Bob's your uncle. It would be a quick build, a chance to sniff the 360 and build the original KR engine as you get around to it.

[firko]

You actually read my mind but I've got a backlog of Yamahas to finish first     Another oval racer
                                                                                 

[Mick D]

Ps; when you finish the KR engine I am pretty sure we can verify that you will have a legal pre60 IRON BARREL slider.

Pss; Those little moped hubs can easily be verified as being as around for ever, for all intensive pre60 etc purposes(I have tons of proof, they are everywhere, in nearly every book I have got).

Psss; I don't know who made those rims yet(I have one, need to get the tyre off and see if any thing is written inside) , but they seem to have been around Europe as an option prior to 1960. One of the rules that I refer to a need of "update" when we find more indisputable proof.

Pssss; That email from Jim McCabe, in sound mind is awesome, thank you for sharing that.

 

[albrid-3]

While it's a tad too modified for our pre 60 class (and pre 65) I still love Karl Landrus's 1957 250 oval Maico
                                                                          

My Favourite Maico, I would be happy to ride this bike in pre70.

[paul]

1800.00

this bike is for sale pm for details
dragged it home  its a 250 buy the id plate apparently it a new engine .ive got the seat base 

sold

[firko]

My Favourite Maico, I would be happy to ride this bike in pre70

You and me both Dave but I don't think the scrutineers would let us. It's a pre 60 class bike that's legal only for pre 75..........a shame really.

getting the 360 Oval from the US in boxes was a stress I don't want again for a while

All of my bikes come in boxes Mick, the more I bring in the less I stress. It's all about finding a shipper you can trust. My Shell Yamaha OW72 flat tracker is on its way in 14 separate boxes.

[Mick D]

I should start a thread on the 64 Alloy oval barrel 360, But in the mean time here is the 1963 Alloy Oval Barrel 250 Moto


I have to go through the rest of my books and stuff, but I am thinking that KR of yours could be a rare little pre60? Does it have anything on the ID plate?

[Mick D]

Actually that 1963 bike pictured there has those Alloy rims in question fitted as well and I have other pictures of them fitted prior to 1965. So as far as I am concerned they were most definitely around pre65. So in any mans language, they are legal for use in pre65. Time to go and pop that tyre of the 1957 wheel/rim I think.

[firko]

Does it have anything on the ID plate?

In typical Maico fashion the plate has 247cc and no date whatsoever. I'm not sure it'd fit into pre 60 but I'm sure it'd slot into pre 65. Blair told me they were made the only on order from motoball teams or individual competitors, they weren't a showroom model per se. I seem to think that it was Frank Cooper who imported a few into the USA for short track competition in the mid to late sixties. I think he ordered the engines in a higher state of tune that the softish motoball setup. The bike is extremely light, methinks the frame could well be chro-mo. I will probably have it ready next year. It'll be a cool partner to my rigid Tom Cates framed 305 Honda flat tracker. I don't want to start it or the oval Metisse projects until the Hindall and Cheney Yamaha 360's are fully built and sorted. They're not that far off now though. I've put the KR in storage until it's time comes up on the production line.

[firko]

                           

[Mick D]

oK ok OK,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Those rims,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it seems in 1930 there was professional cyclist dude in Germany called Karl Altenberger, who started making his own aluminum competition  bicycle parts.



Apparently he registered a factory for the manufacture of such products in 1940, and when on to produce competition alloy rims for racing motorcycles as well. That is a very early frame that Paul got me, complete with the rear wheel(and it is the earlier small axle rear wheel/hub/brake plate and sprocket carrier job) . It is fitted with one of those rims. Not enough as proof. Although I am confident that three will be proof around somewhere.   

[firko]

That's what my rims should be too Mick, they look identical....they're nothing like mud catcher Akronts or Borranis and if they are in fact Altenberger rims we've got something rare and exotic! I'll have to go and have a lookee at mine over he weekend (in storage). Do you have a pair of bolt on cross brace handlebars for your bike?

[Brian Watson]

Mark, if the wheels / rims are as per the brochure..you're going to have fun finding tyres.. 16 inch..??!!