Author Topic: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250  (Read 5659 times)

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Offline Slakewell

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What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« on: October 20, 2013, 05:50:14 pm »
I would love to have tried a Rotax Can Ham in a Maico or a YZ A motor in a Maico.
Current bikes. KTM MC 250 77 Husky CR 360 77, Husky 82 420 Auto Bitsa XR 200 project. Dont need a pickle just need to ride my motorcickle

Offline bazza

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2013, 06:27:38 pm »
loved my maico with XL motorsport motor
Once you go black  you will never go back - allblacks
Maico - B44 -1976 CR250- 66 Mustang YZF450,RM250
Embrace patina

Offline Iain Cameron

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2013, 07:14:44 pm »
I have seen the YZa in a Maico some where in a mag from 73\74 looked like a well put together bike too , Had the maico on the forks turned down from memory .This is one of my dream hot rods a GMC 74.5 Frame RT2MX motor . Iain
« Last Edit: October 20, 2013, 07:16:31 pm by iainyz »
Yamaha tragic ; dt1, rt1, dt2, rt2, dt2mx , rt2mx , mx250, mx360,sc500, 74dt125, yzx125, yzc250, yzc400, yzd250, yzd400, yzh250, yzh80 , dt100 , xr75 ko xr80 03 , it175 82 . Not a member of any club

Offline 09.0

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #3 on: October 20, 2013, 07:29:11 pm »
This thread has already been done. Husky500evo has a canam/ maico hybrid project. 

Offline Husky500evo

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2013, 08:02:52 am »
http://forum.ozvmx.com/index.php?topic=6496.msg62667#msg62667
Went back through some old posts and found that the images had disappeared because of the demise of Village Photos. So I loaded the original pics onto Photobucket and added them to the old threads. Surprising how fast time flies and how much work commitments interfere with your hobbies, as it's been a long time since this project started. I can't claim to have done any of the work though, other than gather up the parts and send them down to GMC at Broadford , Mexico. The frame and motor have now travelled more kilometres up and down Australia than the Leyland brothers, because I keep getting Geoff to make changes or make new bits for it. Also farmed out the motor to Can Am guru Paul (CanAM370) for a freshen up, as a combination of too little spare time and laziness have stopped me from doing it myself. I was hoping to pick up the frame, motor and pipe at CD10, but apathy in NSW put a stop to that event. Anyway, once I get it home it should just now be a matter of bolting it all together.
http://forum.ozvmx.com/index.php?topic=20695.msg206857#msg206857
« Last Edit: October 27, 2013, 08:09:08 am by Husky500evo »

Offline Husky500evo

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2013, 08:32:48 am »

Started off with a butchered '73 MC250 frame, because it would be sacrilege to use a good original Maico frame for a hybrid. I managed to locate 2 of these modified frames, so I can't remember if this was the one that got used for the Rotax project ( the other one got repaired to take a '74 Maico 440 motor that I have ready to go).

This is the GMC '74 Maico frame update kit, that can be used to bring a '73 frame up to '74 specs or repair a modified early frame. Geoff must really curse me sometimes though, as both the frames that I sent him were probably almost past the point of no return.

Since this pic was taken, Geoff has fabricated me an airbox and shortened up the stinger section of the pipe to have the muffler under the seat.
« Last Edit: October 27, 2013, 08:48:31 am by Husky500evo »

Offline firko

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2013, 09:33:23 am »
That's going to be a very cool bike Mark. The combination of the best 250 motor in the best pre 1975 rolling stock has long been my and many others dream project. I can even remember a conversation with Rick Doughty back in 1992 where he told me he considered it to be the makings for the 'perfect' pre 75 250. One of the main objections people throw at us special builders is that we ruin a good bike to make our dream bike but you've followed the politically correct route and used a frame that had already been ruined by someone else back in the day. No true enthusiast would modify a restorable bike to produce such a beast. I love that work of art pipe too, our old mate in Broadford does a pretty handy job ;D.....brilliant. I don't for one minute want to put my ideas onto your bike Mark but I reckon the Maico alloy tank would look cool painted white with the distinctive early Can-Am graphics ;). Are you coming down for the Nats?
'68 Yamaha DT1 enduro, '69 Yamaha 'DT1 from Hell' '69 DT1'Dunger from Hell, '69 Cheney Yamaha 360, 70 Maico 350 (2 off), '68 Hindall Ducati 250, Hindall RT2MX, Hindall YZ250a , Cycle Factory RT2MX flat tracker, Yamaha 1T250J, Maico 250 trials, '71, Boyd and Stellings TM400, Shell OW72,750 Yamaha

Offline Slakewell

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2013, 09:44:12 am »
Thanks for sharing such a cool project.
Current bikes. KTM MC 250 77 Husky CR 360 77, Husky 82 420 Auto Bitsa XR 200 project. Dont need a pickle just need to ride my motorcickle

Offline Husky500evo

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2013, 10:07:28 am »
I love that work of art pipe too, our old mate in Broadford does a pretty handy job ;D.....brilliant. I don't for one minute want to put my ideas onto your bike Mark but I reckon the Maico alloy tank would look cool painted white with the distinctive early Can-Am graphics ;). Are you coming down for the Nats?
      I have to agree on GMC's artwork. Some people pay large sums of money for paintings or other artwork, but I much prefer looking at something that I consider art and that performs a function as well. I am always open to ideas and might put some thought into a white tank with Can Am graphics. I was going to go with the polished tank and get some custom graphics made up like the original Maico ones, only spelt differently to read "Maitax" (being half Maico, half Rotax).
      I would like to come down to the Nats, but my work roster gets in the way once again. I was recently retrenched from my job, but hired back two weeks later as a casual in the same role (and on a lot less money). I now am not entitled to annual or sick leave and it is frowned upon to take time off, so I am feeling like a slave at the moment. But at least I still have a job, when a lot of other people in my line of work do not. So it might be time to look for another jobsite that has a better (week on/ week off) roster, so at least I would have a 50/50 chance of making it to bike meetings.

Offline GD66

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #9 on: October 27, 2013, 12:29:26 pm »
I am always open to ideas and might put some thought into a white tank with Can Am graphics.



Wow, that would look very smart !
Nostalgia's not what it used to be....

Offline Husky500evo

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Re: What engine/frame configuration would be best Pre 75 250
« Reply #10 on: October 27, 2013, 01:30:10 pm »

Another couple of mods that I got GMC to do on the frame, the second time it visited his shop, was the wrap around the headstock gusset (something that Wheelsmith did back in the day) and the conversion to accept tapered roller steering head bearings. The only drawback with the gusset plate , is that it covers the factory frame number. So Geoff restamped the original number onto the gusset. It doesn't look as pretty now , because it got wet on the way home and ended up with some surface rust.