'86 Maico

vmx3
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vmx3
Edited Date/Time 10/22/2018 7:10pm
I picked this up the other day, I've wanted one forever and found it after it had been sitting for 12 years, it's all there and pretty original for the most part, it just needs a good scrub and a going through.
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Rocky739
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Rocky739 10/18/2018 5:50am
10/18/2018 5:50am
Wow! A rare bird for sure!!! Probably only a handful of blue ones ever made much less stateside... Can't wait to see it cleaned up and on the track.
txjcfsr
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txjcfsr 10/18/2018 7:17am
10/18/2018 7:17am
Here is my 86 air cooled 490.

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Hasletjoe
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Hasletjoe 10/18/2018 10:04am
10/18/2018 10:04am
VMX3, I think those are illegal in Indiana. Maybe we should move it South to Texas for a while for safe keeping? Just being friendly mind ya!

Way cool for sure!

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Sully
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Sully 10/18/2018 5:02pm
10/18/2018 5:02pm
I'm (somewhat) familiar with Maico's M Star, but what's the GM Star? I don't think I've ever seen that designation.
vmx3
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vmx3 10/18/2018 10:18pm
10/18/2018 10:18pm
Rocky739 wrote:
Wow! A rare bird for sure!!! Probably only a handful of blue ones ever made much less stateside... Can't wait to see it cleaned up and...
Wow! A rare bird for sure!!! Probably only a handful of blue ones ever made much less stateside... Can't wait to see it cleaned up and on the track.
They were blue in Europe for 86 bud red everywhere else, but yeah I don't think there were too many made.
vmx3
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vmx3 10/18/2018 10:18pm
10/18/2018 10:18pm
Hasletjoe wrote:
VMX3, I think those are illegal in Indiana. Maybe we should move it South to Texas for a while for safe keeping? Just being friendly mind...
VMX3, I think those are illegal in Indiana. Maybe we should move it South to Texas for a while for safe keeping? Just being friendly mind ya!

Way cool for sure!

haha
vmx3
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vmx3 10/18/2018 10:20pm
10/18/2018 10:20pm
CDswinehart wrote:
Nice find Roar! Teutonic blessings upon you...
Thanks Swiney
vmx3
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vmx3 10/18/2018 10:26pm
10/18/2018 10:26pm
Sully wrote:
I'm (somewhat) familiar with Maico's M Star, but what's the GM Star? I don't think I've ever seen that designation.
They were M-Stars in the US but still Maicos in Europe, the bike is actually a Maico GM Star 250 that is what the designation was in 86, they changed it to Grand Prix to 250 & 500 in 87.

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Sully
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Sully 10/18/2018 10:30pm
10/18/2018 10:30pm
Sully wrote:
I'm (somewhat) familiar with Maico's M Star, but what's the GM Star? I don't think I've ever seen that designation.
vmx3 wrote:
They were M-Stars in the US but still Maicos in Europe, the bike is actually a Maico GM Star 250 that is what the designation was...
They were M-Stars in the US but still Maicos in Europe, the bike is actually a Maico GM Star 250 that is what the designation was in 86, they changed it to Grand Prix to 250 & 500 in 87.

Thanks, I never knew that. I always thought M Star was the same thing as the RM/CR/KX/YZ designation.
vmx3
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vmx3 10/18/2018 10:39pm
10/18/2018 10:39pm
Sully wrote:
Thanks, I never knew that. I always thought M Star was the same thing as the RM/CR/KX/YZ designation.
No worries, they seemed to have a lot going on back then and seemed to be trying different things, I guess the end was in sight and they kept trying to reinvent things.
txjcfsr
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txjcfsr 10/19/2018 12:08am
10/19/2018 12:08am
My 86 model 490 is a "SC" model - Scrambler.
txjcfsr
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txjcfsr 10/19/2018 12:10am
10/19/2018 12:10am
Also, I have been able to get any part that I needed from Koestler in Germany. The shipping time is less than some of the US based vendors, service is excellent and an engine from a 2018 model will bolt into the 1986 frame. Great bike!
vmx3
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vmx3 10/19/2018 8:52am
10/19/2018 8:52am
txjcfsr wrote:
My 86 model 490 is a "SC" model - Scrambler.
I don't think they sold those in Europe
vmx3
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vmx3 10/19/2018 8:53am
10/19/2018 8:53am
txjcfsr wrote:
Also, I have been able to get any part that I needed from Koestler in Germany. The shipping time is less than some of the US...
Also, I have been able to get any part that I needed from Koestler in Germany. The shipping time is less than some of the US based vendors, service is excellent and an engine from a 2018 model will bolt into the 1986 frame. Great bike!
I have a source here for all the motor and chassis parts but I saw that Koestler has plastic and graphics for it.
wpark89
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wpark89 10/19/2018 10:35am
10/19/2018 10:35am
Nice find Rory.

I have an Italian mag with a test on the ‘85


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vmx3
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vmx3 10/19/2018 6:36pm
10/19/2018 6:36pm
wpark89 wrote:
Nice find Rory. I have an Italian mag with a test on the ‘85 [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/10/19/296890/s1200_2F69C32F_6551_4FB6_B107_3651CEFABFB6.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/10/19/296891/s1200_08C9D611_A807_4E9E_BA9A_4CFA0B3D4245.jpg[/img]
Nice find Rory.

I have an Italian mag with a test on the ‘85


Cool, I have the first 2 magazines that I ever bought with my pocket money from 86 and they have tests on the 86 250 & 500 and that was when I decided that one day I wanted to have a blue Maico, I had the brochure on my wall too but I can't find that anywhere.

Pit Row

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smx94
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smx94 10/21/2018 12:27pm
10/21/2018 12:27pm
.worse bike i ever had. 86 gm500. Mine was only a year old.might have some pics somewhere.
motogeeze
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Orleans FR
motogeeze 10/22/2018 7:10pm
10/22/2018 7:10pm
Nice find, I had a red 86 mstar500 back then from Pro Cycle in Snellville Ga cause H&H had stopped selling Maicos that year and went exclusively to KTM.Great bike with strong smooth motor and of course the handling.Watch the rear master cylinder as it wears out internally and was made by Maico rather than outsourced, swapped mine out for a Nissin and had no more probs. Unusual to find a blue one of that year as they were red here in the US as Mstars and blue in Europe as Maicos due to a copyright argument between the Maisch siblings to the rights to the Maico name. Apparently there were some put together out of whatever parts they had left there at the end before they went under and reemerged out of Holland and were all blue at that time.I also have one of the blue 250's from 93, amazingly good bike even now. Good luck and have fun with your "new" steed!
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