Darrell Schulz raced 1979 Wheelsmith Maico

The Rock
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The Rock
Edited Date/Time 2/19/2016 5:22am
My 1979 Wheelsmith 450 Maico was based on that bike. bobbym questioned the year Darrell rode for Wheelsmith and turns out he was correct and I was wrong. I thought Darrell rode for them in 79 but Darrell confirmed via FB it was 1978.
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newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 12:30pm
7/15/2014 12:30pm
79 had the ugly tank. Well, ugly for a Maico.....

Now this my friends is a good looking Maico.

The Shop

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Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 7/15/2014 12:44pm
7/15/2014 12:44pm
You have not rode motocross till you ride a maico! Beautifull bikes
newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 12:51pm
7/15/2014 12:51pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 12:51pm
Then you might like this one I built. So many little details that had to be spot on. Check those welds my nephew laid down on the swing arm.







robkinuk
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robkinuk 7/15/2014 2:22pm
7/15/2014 2:22pm

The late Adolf Weil and his 77 Trans AMA mount.








Maico Illustration I did, posters available www.robkinsey.com




At Thirsk Yorkshire meeting back in 1981 re-fueling my 490cc.

The Rock
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The Rock 7/15/2014 2:28pm
7/15/2014 2:28pm
Check out the inner tube rubber band on Weil's rear brake. Standard issue mod for Maicos.
robkinuk
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robkinuk 7/15/2014 2:40pm
7/15/2014 2:40pm
The Rock wrote:
Check out the inner tube rubber band on Weil's rear brake. Standard issue mod for Maicos.
Also the guide wires on his front fender, super works mud set-up!
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Spartacus 7/15/2014 2:49pm
7/15/2014 2:49pm
Big Lenny wrote:
This does it for me Neww... [img]http://www.theworldofmotorcycles.com/vintagebike-images/maico_501_1972_sm.jpeg[/img]
This does it for me Neww...

501

Game over.
newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 2:53pm
7/15/2014 2:53pm
Big Lenny wrote:
This does it for me Neww... [img]http://www.theworldofmotorcycles.com/vintagebike-images/maico_501_1972_sm.jpeg[/img]
This does it for me Neww...

Spartacus wrote:
501

Game over.
Yeah, 31 hp on the dyno as delivered.....Huh
BobbyM
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BobbyM 7/15/2014 3:17pm
7/15/2014 3:17pm
Yup...shu never rode for WS maico
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Brent 7/15/2014 3:42pm
7/15/2014 3:42pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 3:44pm
I thought Wheelsmith only hired the locals?


check this nugget out. I was always Yamaha back then and never gave two craps about Maico, but they had the potential to be what KTM is now.

http://articles.superhunky.com/4/75
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Huckster 7/15/2014 3:50pm
7/15/2014 3:50pm
Big Lenny wrote:
Sweet... [img]http://www.maicoonly.co.uk/images/detailed/1/IMG_8459.jpg[/img]
Sweet...

WOW!!!
The Rock
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The Rock 7/15/2014 4:04pm
7/15/2014 4:04pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 4:05pm
BobbyM wrote:
Yup...shu never rode for WS maico
Why?

Per Darrell:

I went on the road my Dad/mechanic for the '78 500 Nats. After racing Magoo and I at Escape Country on his RC250 Bad Brad said '250 Maicos don't run like that in Europe'. Greg at Wheelsmith was damn good
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Graybeard 7/15/2014 4:08pm
7/15/2014 4:08pm
Buddy of mine just picked up a Wheelsmith Maico 250, I think a 1980, and she still rips. Its funny how you can jump on one and immediately feel comfortable....man I love Maicos!

Pit Row

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davistld01
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davistld01 7/15/2014 4:21pm
7/15/2014 4:21pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 4:33pm


Sexiest motocross bikes...ever.

Although I think this is probably closer to the Wheelsmith Maico 400's that Shultz & Mosier rode...

Bigfoot
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Bigfoot 7/15/2014 4:33pm
7/15/2014 4:33pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 5:20pm
I'm not sure that Darrel really rode for Wheelsmith or if it was more like he rode for the Maico importer and had some support in Wheelsmith parts and probably had his engine tweaked a bit by Wheelsmith (porting, pipe, reed valve, carb?) At the time Wheelsmith was the sort of unofficial US development arm of Maico. They made parts to improve performance and reliability of Maicos and sometimes got advance samples of production parts and some works parts and the like from Germany.

Take a look at two of my 1978 shots of Schultz at Sears Point and of Jeff Jennings at Indian Dunes. Schultz has no Wheelsmith logos on his bike or clothing while JJ is clearly a Wheelsmith rider. JJ got his bikes direct from Wheelsmith, not Maico. Also notice that Schultz’s bike has a different front hub and fork lowers and that the tank graphics that were production in ’79 and that his frame has the loop over the rear fender that didn’t see production until ’79 – all signs of direct factory support.

This is all deduction of course, only Schultz, JJ, Greg Smith or Wayne Mooradian could say for sure.


tp4
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tp4 7/15/2014 6:09pm
7/15/2014 6:09pm
all most certain Darrell never rode for wheelsmith...for sure jeff jennings..a couple other locals...they handled terrific.
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bigmaico 7/15/2014 6:25pm
7/15/2014 6:25pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 6:26pm


One of the 490's I've built, some day mine will look as good as this one!
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Racer92 7/15/2014 6:46pm
7/15/2014 6:46pm
Howard I remember that bike at Rio and just had to get a pic with it, you are indeed a Maico guru !



(BTW, your 490 aint no slouch either)
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TG130 7/15/2014 10:56pm
7/15/2014 10:56pm
Just looked through my program for the 1978 Sears Point Trans AMA, which Darrell won. His sponsors are listed as Maico and Hi Point Racing.
The Rock
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The Rock 7/16/2014 12:24am
7/16/2014 12:24am
Bigfoot wrote:
I'm not sure that Darrel really rode for Wheelsmith or if it was more like he rode for the Maico importer and had some support in...
I'm not sure that Darrel really rode for Wheelsmith or if it was more like he rode for the Maico importer and had some support in Wheelsmith parts and probably had his engine tweaked a bit by Wheelsmith (porting, pipe, reed valve, carb?) At the time Wheelsmith was the sort of unofficial US development arm of Maico. They made parts to improve performance and reliability of Maicos and sometimes got advance samples of production parts and some works parts and the like from Germany.

Take a look at two of my 1978 shots of Schultz at Sears Point and of Jeff Jennings at Indian Dunes. Schultz has no Wheelsmith logos on his bike or clothing while JJ is clearly a Wheelsmith rider. JJ got his bikes direct from Wheelsmith, not Maico. Also notice that Schultz’s bike has a different front hub and fork lowers and that the tank graphics that were production in ’79 and that his frame has the loop over the rear fender that didn’t see production until ’79 – all signs of direct factory support.

This is all deduction of course, only Schultz, JJ, Greg Smith or Wayne Mooradian could say for sure.


Wheelsmith was the funnel the factory Maico race bikes went through before being raced in the US. Nobody knew how to set up a Maico like Greg Smith and know one was more aware of that than the Maico factory.

Excellent point about Darrell not riding for Wheelsmith but perhaps more so riding Wheelsmith equipment.

This thread has answered the question why my 79 450 looked just like Darrell's 78 race bike RE: Also notice that Schultz’s bike has a different front hub and fork lowers and that the tank graphics that were production in ’79 and that his frame has the loop over the rear fender that didn’t see production until ’79 – all signs of direct factory support

In the picture above of Darrell I don't believe he is running the Thor swingarm my bike had....or maybe he is and it was just painted red.
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Vet57 7/16/2014 6:09am
7/16/2014 6:09am Edited Date/Time 7/16/2014 6:10am
Brent wrote:
I thought Wheelsmith only hired the locals? check this nugget out. I was always Yamaha back then and never gave two craps about Maico, but they...
I thought Wheelsmith only hired the locals?


check this nugget out. I was always Yamaha back then and never gave two craps about Maico, but they had the potential to be what KTM is now.

http://articles.superhunky.com/4/75
Gaylon Mosier...?
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Has~Been 7/16/2014 6:59am
7/16/2014 6:59am
davistld01 wrote:
[IMG]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd299/davistld01/Mitrion20maico_400_zpsba2ab1fc.jpg[/IMG] Sexiest motocross bikes...ever. Although I think this is probably closer to the Wheelsmith Maico 400's that Shultz & Mosier rode... [IMG]http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd299/davistld01/1973-wheelsmith-maico-400_zpsb932d69d.jpg[/IMG]


Sexiest motocross bikes...ever.

Although I think this is probably closer to the Wheelsmith Maico 400's that Shultz & Mosier rode...








Never had one back in the day...but I dig em now...










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