maico 500??

[TRI Z Racer]

hey all, today i picked up a maico 500 dirtbike, its a 2 stroke and is supposedly 61hp. I picked it up for 300 bucks from a guy i work with, i had thoughs of maybe transplanting the engine and making a drag trike. the bike itself is in good shape with some wear and tear. Have any of you had any experience with this motor or ever seen one in another chassis. Ill get some pics up tomorrow. thanks

[Bigbore]

Dirt Wheels.

Around '82. A Maico 490 in a '81 - '82 style frame made by Franks. White plastic. Cool... but a real monster. I'll look later for the article and see if I can post it. It would be hard to fit in a '83 - '84 frame but not impossible. I don't think you could get it into a '85 style frame.

[Mobular]

Those were a brutally tough Open class machine way back. I'm sure that they'd still be a handfull!

[TRI Z Racer]

i wouldnt be against using the existing frame and redoing the swinger with an 84 R style carrier and some different tripples. like billy did with the leagers kit

[250RNUT]

trade ya a tri-z project for it

[TRI Z Racer]

whats your tri z project contain

[peeweesp]

have any pictures of it?

[250RNUT]

It contains most of a tri-z with a bucket of parts on the side. It needs a cylinder re-sleeve or replacement,seat cover,kicker,1 rad shroud, top end is off and needs some other tlc

[TRI Z Racer]

here are some pics of it, i just cleaned the carb and put a plug in her. like i said shes rough around the edges. Id really like to put it in a drag project or in a small frame like a 200x. it would be a rocket

[peeweesp]

looks pretty nice, THey are pretty rare bikes dont see many of them still around.

[MTS]

If you make that into a trike i would slap you, ill trade you a Tri-z Project if thats what your lookin fore, needs quite a bit of worl but has some cash droped on the motor allredy....

[Yamahammer490]

That looks like an M-Star. I'd bet it's around a 1986-87 model. Maico went belly-up in the 1985 timeframe and came back as "M-Star" with a bunch of rebranded maico parts.

I wouldn't make a trike out of yours. You may view it as a weird German bike that will be hard to find parts for, but a collector will pay good money for it.

[TimSr]

That looks like an M-Star. I'd bet it's around a 1986-87 model. Maico went belly-up in the 1985 timeframe and came back as "M-Star" with a bunch of rebranded maico parts.

I wouldn't make a trike out of yours. You may view it as a weird German bike that will be hard to find parts for, but a collector will pay good money for it.

It would be nuts to make a project out of that because of its rarity, and its collector value. For what you could get out of that, you could probably buy three big bore Japanese motors (for which you could easily get parts) and still have beer money left over.

[BigGreenMachine]

That would make a sick oldschool SUPERMOTARD bike!!!!!

[Rm250RF900R]

Yeah I would not won't to mess with that bike.

[TRI Z Racer]

i said i had thought about converting it, my brother and i were both talking last night and we are definately keeping it a bike. The recent posts have just reaffirmed my decision. i have no idea what year it is, i can get some more pics if you guys want. maybe one of you can help me out identifiying it.

[Darius1502]

Does it run? If so clean it up and re-sell it. If you need new parts you will have a tough time getting them. Just ride for a bit and then cash out.

[TRI Z Racer]

thing runs great and the motor is mint, where is the best place to sell it, ebay? whats this bike worth, i take its kinda rare?

[peeweesp]

i would say it is a bit rare dont see many maicos around anymore.

[TRI Z Racer]

i actually got to see what the bike was made of this afternoon, all i can say is wow!! Its got TONS of power. I wasnt expecting half of it. She really rips. I wish i could find some new plastics for it, if i could the bike would look 10 times better!

[Maico]

i actually got to see what the bike was made of this afternoon, all i can say is wow!! Its got TONS of power. I wasnt expecting half of it. She really rips. I wish i could find some new plastics for it, if i could the bike would look 10 times better!

Nice bike. Drum brakes or disc?? If you still have it,I can hook you up with a few places that have everything you need for that bike.

[ride_red_95]

you should just keep it a bike, that would be so much fun

[atc250r]

Hey guys,

I have a picture of that Maico 490 that Mr. Franks built. If anyone is interested I may be able to post it. He built 2 for the factory before they went broke and the bikes disappeared.

Mike

[Maico]

By all means Mike...Post 'em!!

[atc250r]

I'll see what I can do!

[Maico]

Is this NOT the sexiest Maico you've ever seen??

[Tecate250]

Screw that.
Build a trike out of it. or at least modify a frame to unbolt it.
Maico did make triks so why not a 500. I hate the right hand kick but not like you need to put your foot down. Did maico use there own motors? And where were they be sold? I have heard many odd ball trikes and dirt bikes came through halifax port. Like a taurus atc. Might look into maico.

[Maico]

Screw that.
Build a trike out of it. or at least modify a frame to unbolt it.
Maico did make triks so why not a 500. I hate the right hand kick but not like you need to put your foot down. Did maico use there own motors? And where were they be sold? I have heard many odd ball trikes and dirt bikes came through halifax port. Like a taurus atc. Might look into maico.

In all my years of riding/racing dirt bikes and ATV's...I've never seen a Maico trike. They never made 1. Maico used there own motors....the original company was in Germany. They also kicked on the left. All Maicos did and still do till this day.

[Tecate250]

I thought I seen a pic of 1 some where. i only remember stuff reguarding trikes and this post caught my eye, thats all. But It would be a 1 of a kind.

[EvilMooseofDoom]

Every Maico I have had experience with was pretty much an unreliable and cranky old goat with brutal power....when they ran. I have heard the old term "Maico Breako" on more than one occasion from guys who have owned them.....just clean it up, and sell it while it is still nice...before something breaks that you can't replace in a hurry.

[Bryan Raffa]

maico trike...never.... hummmmmm..

[Maico]

maico trike...never.... hummmmmm..

Custom built. Forks are '77-'83, motor looks to be a '78-'83 250 reed. Of all the years I've owned Maicos and of all the Maico websites out there on the web,this trike has never showed up. There's no info on it either on any of the sites. I've got pics of side-car racers that used Maico engines too.

[Bryan Raffa]

oh yes custom built for shure! hey what kind of hp on thoes 250?

[atc250r]

The trike pictured is the Maico 490 built by Kelvin Franks. He built a 250 prototype for the factory as well. Had intended to make more but the factory went broke and he has no idea where they went. A user on this site claims to have them, but I haven't heard back.

[edog]

Is this NOT the sexiest Maico you've ever seen??


That is cool as cat poop in the Artic.

[Lomax]

The trike pictured is the Maico 490 built by Kelvin Franks. He built a 250 prototype for the factory as well. Had intended to make more but the factory went broke and he has no idea where they went. A user on this site claims to have them, but I haven't heard back.

sadly, they were probably destroyed along with everything else. Be cool to try and make another one though..

[rot box]

I have an 82 Maico 490 Alpha 1, and it's rare, but what you have is something that few people have even heard of! Built around the time when Maico became M-star.

For my 2-cents I agree with most that It should stay together, and complete. That bike is worth a LOT of $$$$ to the right person, and if you really want a drag bike there are a million other engines that are super easy to get parts for that have more power.

Chopping that bike up would be like taking the engine out of a Detamaso Pantera because its powerfull, and leaving the rest of the car to rot!

Nice bike with LOTS of potential thanks for the pics!

[Maico]

I have an 82 Maico 490 Alpha 1, and it's rare, but what you have is something that few people have even heard of! Built around the time when Maico became M-star.

For my 2-cents I agree with most that It should stay together, and complete. That bike is worth a LOT of $$$$ to the right person, and if you really want a drag bike there are a million other engines that are super easy to get parts for that have more power.

Chopping that bike up would be like taking the engine out of a Detamaso Pantera because its powerfull, and leaving the rest of the car to rot!

Nice bike with LOTS of potential thanks for the pics!

Rot Box....post some pics of that Alpha 1. Which rear shock is on yours...Cortte Cossa,White power or Ohlins ?? Is she a runner??

[rot box]

Rot Box....post some pics of that Alpha 1. Which rear shock is on yours...Cortte Cossa,White power or Ohlins ?? Is she a runner??

I wish I could post pics, but my camera is a pile :rolleyes: As far as my rear shock it's not an Ohlins or WP for sure so it must be one of the first two honestly I don't know :confused: . I acuired the bike trough a friend of mine that got it from his neighbor as a gift....What a gift! unfortunatly he didn't know anything about the bike and ended up breaking the chain on the clutch, and taking half the motor with it. Though out time parts started missing and the outdoors really took their toll on it untill I got it. I have only restored Hondas (Mostly 81-84 big bores) but I live a block away from Northern CZ & Maico. They have everything I need to get it how it should be, but I just don't have the time right now. If it where a year older I'd have the golden goose aka Maga 1, but the Alpha's are still popular and I really can't wait to get started on it.

[Maico]

It's more than likely a Corte Cosso shock. They were notorious for binding and snapping the shaft. Only year for that shock. In '83, they went to the Ohlins. You've seen what happens when primary chains get neglected,huh ?? It'll take out the case,clutch and a few other expensive parts too. If you ever decide to part with it,let me know. Post pics if you can..somehow,someway.