How He MODERNIZED this Maico 490!
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- Опубликовано: 16 окт 2024
- Here is why you never want to underestimate an old man with a Maico 490 as we take you to the World Vet Motocross championship at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, Ca where we find Alan Bott Trying to pull the holeshot on his 1981 Maico 490 against some modern four stroke dirt bikes. We will also catch up with Gary Kortz to find out how he modernized and upgraded his 1981 Maico 490 that former motocross champion Grant Langston rides. Enjoy and share with a friend who loves Maico dirt bikes! #dirtbike #motocross #maico
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At 14 years old my dad bought me a brand new 79 Maico 440 Magnum. My friends were scared of that bike, but I always loved my Maico!!!
1978 and 79 Maico Chassis turned better than anything on the market and were also super stable in the rough!
father of the year award
In 1981 my dad asked me what bike I wanted. I blurted out make a 490. My previous bike was a MAICO 250 which I later stuffed a 440 motor in. Long story. But I bought a basket case AW 440, that just happened to be Tommy Crofts previous practice bike. When that thing shook itself to death I bought a 1979 400 Maico that I raced until 1981 when the MegaI II came out. NEEDLESS TO SAY MY STARTS IMPROVED! Not to mention my overall results❤. IT had a Works Performance Suspension that handled like a Cadillac, and when I geared up for Grand Prixs at Indian Dunes would top out around 90 MPH. No brag , just fact!
WILD JESSE JAMES
Indian Dunes...just 1 of many examples highlighting California's corrupt collaboration of cohort's implementing stringent rules and regulation to "keep the public safe" while ensuring (can be confused with insurance) the big money investors pay their dues to our elected officials and keep the "wheel bearings" of that tyrantical hub of stopping power well greased!
Dude that was a scary bike to ride back in the day, You really had to be a man to handle that thing much less kick start it . IMPRESSIVE !!
Damn that is one fine Maico! Old 2 strokes, na matter how old, the big hore 2 strokes will always outpull and outlive all the 450s!
My buddy's dad left him a collection of Maico's, he had a dealership, 3 Maico's never started, 501/250/125, and many vintage Maico Race bikes, Parts, even a pair of boots from Adolf Weil, with a buckle torn off by Rodger DeCoster, true story, his dad was from Germany, he knew and helped out the pro Maico riders when they came to the USA, he is interested in offers, probably for a package of all, I owned 2, 400 Maico's,
i would love to see some pics if you can
The sheer brutality of that exhaust note. Takes me back to my racing days in the 70s and 80s. My cousin, who raced pro in SoCal, had a similarly vicious White-Power sponsored Honda CR500. I rode it once, took one jump, and handed it back to him and said "You keep it, this would kill me."
My dream Maico is putting the 81' 490 motor in a 79' frame. I always thought my 79' 440 bike handled better than my 81' 490.
The 79 certainly turned better and was ultra stable in the rough. The 81 chassis was, from a geometry standpoint, designed for the GP courses and didn't perform to its potential on tight or hard packed tracks.
My 81 Maico 400 was my favorite MX bike
The 1981 Maico Mega 2 400 is completely underated and under valued in the shadow of the mighty 490. The 400's power development is akin to a super torquey 250 with a low speed grunt that could make a trials bike blush in embarrassment. You will rarely pull a hole shot but if the track is muddy, tight or hard pack it shines! The best quality of the 400 is it's compliant nature in the hands of mere mortals with an average to good skill set or an aged skeletal structure and fast twitch muscle fibers that don't twitch so quickly anymore... LoL 🤣
I remember seeing this bike at the race track back in the day what a beast
I saw it in the 80's , rider Schmitz , during an international MX race and it's the most impressive souvenir of pure power when he grabbed the holeshot and wheelied all the straight track after the first turn !!! Carved for ever in the rock of my memory!!!
Thank's a lot!!🙏😀🙏
Richard from France👍😎🇫🇷🏁
that is herbert schmitz usa ride .he would go over in the winter and race over there
Allan is one of the top Twinshock riders here in the UK and without doubt a top class racer and is super quick on these old school German Maico’s . . but nice video and a great tribute to Allan’s skills.
Dad bought a Maico 400 brand new and dominated in SoCal until he hyper extended his knee at Escape Country.
The 1981 Maico Mega 400 was a completely underrated machine as it runs like a super tourqey 250 and is far more competitive in the mud, hard pack and a tight track. It is also far more compliant to mere mortals with an average skill set.
I came outta a 465 Yamaha and finally bought a Maico! 490 1981 - The Yamma was quick but I can’t remember a single Moto where I didn’t get the hole shot for 2 years racing… what memories!
Bott got the holeshot! 👍 well, almost 😁 great episode 🏁
I was 16 when I took possession of my AW400 78/9 model , last of the metal tank. Beautifully balanced for an old powerful bike.
Loving the Wulfsport gear worn by your man. Their head quarters are just 20 miles or so from me 😀 Also just happen to be Maico dealers, the recreation ones of those Mega 2's any way. Bill Browns Motorcycles Workington Cumbria UK. They're Legends round here 😎
yes thanks i bring it over to the states bill helps me out in the uk too .they are a great family
Had two 490's magic so forgiving they taught so much first Maico a 250 magnum I was sold
I bought a 82 ,490 4speed.
Beast. I was 17.
I can rip 3rd gear hole shot.
Great video Jack!
I was fortunate to have a dad that loved racing. One nite after a few beers yesterday what kind of bike do you want? I blurted out Maico 490! I had heard about the new 490 from reading model crash, action in 1980 knew it was good . Little did I know, it was one of the best bikes of all time! My best friend Matt Johnson worked at Works Performance in So Cal and they were contracted to upgrade the suspension to the advertised 12 inches Wich made the thing ride like a Cadillac! I raced it for a couple of years , including Mammoth Mountain in “81” where I got knocked down in the first turn doing tank slapping into the dirt! I managed to get up and remount, with a major shot, adrenaline finish in the top 10. My friend Matt also I don’t make a 490
I loved my Maico !! Sooooo fast .Great resto !!
I raced Maico in South Africa in the early eighties. Great bikes. 👍
1976 AW440! Loved it
Brilliant bike it certainly superb love them wish I could find another one
ha thanks for the footage .i have 2 in the states and 3 in the uk and building 1 for spain so to practice in the winter.i have plenty of footage from glen helen ,mammoth and the day in the dirt under alan bott on youtube
What an amazing video... I found it by accident. I remember Alan Bott at Cuerdon Park back in the early 80s...he was on a KX 250 back then (a twin shock if I remember correctly!!)
EY Up Botty you are now famous !!! 😜
yes that would of been 79 amca meerting i got 3rd that day @@nigelshepherd8248
ha waker for ever young sir@@kwaker450f
My brother won the track championship on a bike like this 2 years in a row at a track in Alabama in the early 80’s. The third year they said if you wanted to race for the championship you had to be on one of the Japanese 4. He would smoke them every week
The best!, I dont know what happened with Maico, this 1981 was incredible, I saw running, the MC 250, was fantastic.
I'd ❤ a 490 81 Maico... Raced high-school mx Syringa Spa, South Africa on a RM 125 Suzuki in 77. Moved to Iran and saw Maico climb the mountains Teheran.
I have one trying to get it running, new piston and ring I’m thinking my ignition took a crap, back to the bank, I’ll get it running
hi james where are you from
I live in Maryland just south of Baltimore,no shops out here for Maicos or any vintage bikes
can you send me pic of carb plus intake ok
@@thealanbottsorry I didn’t realize someone got back to me about my 490 maico, you said you wanted a picture of my carb and intake ,I can’t send pictures on utube comments, can you send me an email address or phone number I could text to , thanks, jim, my bike is a 1981 490 all stock motor with new piston and top end was done at my local machine shop, the ignition is stock motoplat I’m thinking went bad, I tried spraying gas in the cylinder and can’t get it to even fart , I have a weak spark, this all happened all at once, I was at Buddy Creek vintage race and just stopped and wouldn’t start that’s when I had the top end done, any help I would appreciate, I’m 67 and would like to get out there a few more times, thanks
This took me back to the starting lines of the early eighties ( forward gates of course) I could almost smell the bel ray, Castrol R and yamalube watching this. I remember the “ European” bikes being so strange with there kickstarts and drives on the wrong side but you were cool as hell to be on one …You know… it’s just my opinion but I believe the decline of local motocross really began when motorcycles got away from simple air cooled two stroke, twin shocks and all the affordability we enjoyed then. Buying a new bike every so many years and racing it every weekend was within reach of many people not to mention There was a healthy aftermarket industry built around all the upgrades you could do to your machine.
That old school 2 smoke will outlast all them nasty ticking time bombs. Long live 2 stroke bikes.
the maico with partidge forks LOL and the reed valve those rims looks nice talon hubs wow
Those 60+ year old old men are so cute "racing their dirtbikes " If they get finished early enough they can make the early bird special for dinner at 1:30pm at the Golden Buffet.
I had a maico 501 when I was a youngster…. it was POS in my opinion. And heavy as hell
whats pos
piece of stinky😂😂
Best handling bikes EVER!
I think that was a 3rd gear start? Anyway, I had a new 1980 440 and all it needed was Olin shocks (Stockers blew in one season), throw the Bing Carb for a Mikuni, stronger front brake and a lighter clutch pull
Cool !
I bought clapped out 1975 Maico 400....old race practice race bike from Carlos Serrano a local Tucson motorcross star....bike still hauled ass...
I had one it’s bad ass
Yeah it has all the parts on it but there is a split pin missing from the front brake arm !! do you not have scrutineering in the USA
no they dont but i cant remember being checked in the uk now a days.
Well I do not think Grant would be too happy with the front brake cable becoming disconnected during a race@@pembertontyres3164 , just saying!
That's like the 70s Cheryl Tiegs Poster of Motocross
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Sounds like it’s running Rich.
only when cold but beleave me the piston colour says its perfect plus the best part is its even running castrol oil too
If any manufacturer would make an air-cooled lightweight bike with disk brakes, it would sell like hotcakes. Especially for the enduro rider. You don't need 40-50 horsepower like the complex water-cooled bikes.
I see that you punched a bunch of holes in the gas tank decal. If you don't the bubble up and come loose.
I'm 62, I'd take a Maico over a modern bike, any day hands down!
78" & 82" 250"s what sound " the smell of castrol" a 78 motor can be fitted in a 82" by notching out the swing arm & weld , if you had too" life of torque would spray trail mix roosting wheelies bruurrt"'barely cracking the throttle"
Still bad ass😊
If you want would have said the word "modern" one more time, I would reported this video.
Maico, pronounced My-coe, NOT May coe. I worked at the Maico importer in Detroit, Gray International, parts manager...Middle '60's
all the pros use a tire 1 race or lap someone give Bott some tires if he is fast with that tire he can really roll with an edgy one
and as far a competition most the time it isnt the bike its the rider -in the 60 plus class you could win
The 490 at times 3rd gear starts dig a trench and go a friendly giant
Those V force reeds are worth nothing, actually looses low end power. Could use a flat side carb also..
so what ? we are mf old
Maaco Breako
they are like a good lady they need love and attention and then they will give you the best ride of your life lol
Maico Breako didn't start until the '82 models came out. The parts responsible were exploding rear hubs (poor quality castings), transmission gears that broke off teeth (newly contracted heat treatment facility), Corte & Cosso shocks that broke their shafts (a poor quality shock to begin with but misalignment of the upper shock mount in the company's frame fixture set it all up for failure anyway.) 1981 was the last good year then Maico went into a downward spiral aggravated by the Maisch brothers increasing hatred of one another and all of the backstabbing...another thing that didn't help their reputation was when Hans Maisch, then a 250 factory racer jumped the gate at Grand Prix and won the last moto, his trophy and championship results were supposed to be taken away by the FIM and given to Jim Pomeroy on the Bultaco who actually won the race fair and square (without jumping the gate.) Hans left early with the trophy and never returned it to Jim even after the FIM repeatedly requested he do so 😠
yes you are died right sir it was such a shame but that why i race the 81 bike the top of the the best then it went all down hill.
I still Kick myself for selling my Cherry 79 400 a Few Years ago, Fortunately I Still have a 82.5 Husky Silver Streak, 83 KTM 495 , 83 RM500 and 82 Husky 430 and 77 RM 125B all Blinged Out and 06 Hannah YZ 250 Tribute