In 1972 Maico importer Blair Harley imported a second hand but very trick 250 square barrel Maico for then Danish racer Per Klitland. Per won a lot of races on it including the Grand National at Christmas Hills, Victoria until the new radial models were released and the bike was sold. The next owner, Dave Cuneen won a lot of dirt track races on it and was the bike that got him into A grade. The bike then went to Chris Ellis who placed in an Aussie dirt track title on it before selling it to "some mate from up the road".
15 years went by and VMX was underway and one day I happened to buy a bunch of rooted and rusty old Maico stuff from a mate of a mate. Among that stuff was the easily recognised but rusted solid squarie engine, butchered frame and distinctive alloy tank from the Klitland/Cunneen/Ellis bike. I picked the eyes out of the stuff and sold the rest off at swap meets. One thing I threw out was the rusted solid squarie crank which I figured had been butchered and beyond help as the flywheels had been drilled like swiss cheese and filled with epoxy and some weird billet rod fitted hung off it. The barrel was rooted and over maximum but had some nice porting so I kept it and still have it in my stash.
Two years ago, while chatting to Per Klitland in the car on the way to CD4 he informed me that the bike had in fact been Adolph Weils actual works GP bike from 1970 and had an engine full of factory tricks..hence the swiss chees crank and billet rod. At the time there wasn't any importance thrown at the bike, as Per said "it was an obsolete old square barrel, everyone wanted the trick new radial model".
So there you have it, I had most of an actual works bike in my hands and had let it all go for six pack money, my "wish I'd never sold" bike. That's probably as close as I'll ever get to anything even close to a works bike again.
