Maico 490

bigmaico
Posts
970
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Kingwood, TX US
8/9/2008 2:32pm Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 8:58am
Found a good deal on one in texas!

Sounds like he had some other vintage bikes too! from what I was told by a friend

http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/788878188.html
|
motogrady
Posts
3931
Joined
1/27/2008
Location
WV US
8/9/2008 3:23pm


Freakin handfull there.

3 grand?
goat breker
Posts
106
Joined
6/18/2008
Location
San Diego, CA US
8/9/2008 6:06pm
motogrady wrote:


Freakin handfull there.

3 grand?
It might be a typo. 3k?? lmao. If it was the classic 81 with the 81 motor, but its not. was the 81 the scary fast one or the 83? cant remember, but it wastn the 82. 3k, dreamingggggg
bigmaico
Posts
970
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Kingwood, TX US
8/9/2008 6:51pm
The 83's is the reed valve rocket ship!

The 82' motor is just like the 81' except it had a little better porting from the factory!

It's a good deal for $3200! It just doesn't have any bling on it like the Ohlins or the trick aluminum parts which would make it sell for more!

I seen 81' 490 go from 3K to almost 8K on Evil-Bay.

newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
8/9/2008 6:54pm
Sent it to a friend of mine, he's about 4 grand into building a motor for his Maico right now! So Howard, was the 82 motor a reed valve? Does Todd Tracy still have that mutant Maico he built? That was the coolest Maico I've ever seen with the modern waterpumper motor and aircooled reed valve top end. Linkage year frame with twin shocks. Sweet bike and he could go like stink.

The Shop

newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
8/9/2008 6:55pm
Never mind, too slow. You already answered the reed question.
bultokid
Posts
2089
Joined
8/13/2007
Location
Houston, TX US
8/9/2008 7:13pm
Joe, Todd sold it couple years back , got a CRF450 rode it twice then decided to hang 'em up. But he just picked up a '90 CR500 to run in the +40 and Disco class and even though he very rarely rides he still hauls the mail. We rode 290 couple weeks back and he says he going to run the first round at 3P GP but now that it's changed to Highlands we'll see. BTW I picked up a nice '79 CR250 and man those bad boys are light years ahead of my beloved Spanish evo bikes.
newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
8/9/2008 7:16pm
I bet he got a bit more than $3200.00 for his! I'm itching to ride, going to be at the first race unless something big comes up.
bultokid
Posts
2089
Joined
8/13/2007
Location
Houston, TX US
8/9/2008 7:45pm Edited Date/Time 8/9/2008 7:52pm
he got $3500 for it as he just wanted to get rid of it as like my brothers (they both got them from Mulders in Germany) they had some "issues" BUT when they were on man you talk about a pure rocketship. I missed the entire spring series which sucked but I'll be at Highlands
andymoto
Posts
4771
Joined
11/28/2007
Location
Carmichael, CA US
8/9/2008 10:57pm
First/last yr of that horrible linkage system, did Maico motors, at least the 250 have a reed block; don't think the 490 did till following yr. when the linkage problem got sorted out.

A good friend of mine ported a '81 490 cylinder that Dave Coupe rode for a practice and it scared the pants off of him.....those '81 490s IMO were awful good motors without reeds and plenty powerful stock. A few diehard Maico evo riders use the '81 490 motors.

No Maico expert here however. Bultacos.....yeah; kinda.....hehehe.

motogeeze
Posts
236
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Orleans FR
8/10/2008 1:52pm
The 81 /82 490 were the same motor except for the intake on the 82 which was offset to clear the single shock, the offset piece could be removed and the 82 cylinder used on the 81 frame. In 83 the motor was completely redesigned with gear primary drive rather than chain , different cases and trans , reed valve cylinder and much improved shock linkage setup. They were available as a standard MX model with a 4 speed or the Sand Spider model which boasted a 5 speed trans. However some funny business with the quality control of heat treating of certain gears and shafts in the transmissions led to many failures and warranty claims which coupled with the abysmal reputation of the poorly designed suspension on the 82 model sped the marque into untimely financial misfortune.
yota
Posts
1427
Joined
6/23/2008
Location
Crystal River, FL US
8/12/2008 2:43pm
here's mine, fun bike.
goat breker
Posts
106
Joined
6/18/2008
Location
San Diego, CA US
8/13/2008 10:55am
so if the 83 is the rocket ship, the mags called it the scariest 500 engine around...but having ridien the 85 cr 500 and 85 kx 500 and the 87 cr 500, how fast can that old air cooled thing be vs. those 2 stroke monsters??? those cr's were smoking fast
yota
Posts
1427
Joined
6/23/2008
Location
Crystal River, FL US
8/13/2008 12:08pm Edited Date/Time 8/13/2008 12:10pm
I've been on an 83 490, seemed the same as my 81 by seat of pants dyno. Also ridden KX and Cr 500's. One of my Buds ride is an alum framed CR500, he rode my 81 and said it was "a real stump puller". The torque is extreme, there is no explosive hit like a lot of 500's, just massive pull and scary fast acceleration. With the works Racer shocks the suspension is like butta except in our biggest sand whoops (central Florida) the forks are too soft. I am considering the Race Tech emulators for the forks, just for the mega whoops.
yota
Posts
1427
Joined
6/23/2008
Location
Crystal River, FL US
8/13/2008 12:10pm
motogeeze
Posts
236
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Orleans FR
8/13/2008 2:39pm
Maico big bores have always been known for broad , smooth power and the 83 had that in droves even more so than the much acclaimed 81 piston port model and thanks to the reed valve and different cylinder and head more off the bottom and more overrun on top. I dont recall a mag test stating it was a "scary" fast motor, usually that was applied to the 495 KTM of that year and even the earlier CR's and KX's were known for more of a light switch powerband. Honda detuned the CR for several years in order to make it more rider friendly.
dcw
Posts
1
Joined
9/7/2008
Location
Vader, WA US
9/7/2008 2:04pm
Is that the same Todd Tracey that used to race a small oval track at the Stateline in Idaho, between Spokane and Couer D' Alene?
croom mx
Posts
1964
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
miami, FL US
9/8/2008 8:42am
I rode a few Maicos they were smoother than the CR500 but didnt have the shear power. It was actually easier to ride. I mainly raced a RM465 which after tuning the suspension and power band I could beat Maicos or Hondas. On Open class 2 strokes they all have plenty of power, the rider is the main factor with these bikes.
mayzo
Posts
331
Joined
10/13/2008
Location
AU
10/15/2008 4:23am
A thing of beauty, although the CR500 or KX500 may have been faster they don't look like a Maico. I remember getting pelted with rocks and clumps of dirt the size of a small nation way back then by a 490 I've wanted one ever since.
bigmaico
Posts
970
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Kingwood, TX US
10/16/2008 5:55pm Edited Date/Time 4/16/2016 8:52pm
mayzo wrote:
A thing of beauty, although the CR500 or KX500 may have been faster they don't look like a Maico. I remember getting pelted with rocks and...
A thing of beauty, although the CR500 or KX500 may have been faster they don't look like a Maico. I remember getting pelted with rocks and clumps of dirt the size of a small nation way back then by a 490 I've wanted one ever since.
Mayzo:


It's still for sale! I just saw the owner last Sunday @ Rio Bravo & he still has it. he dosen't like e-bay for some reason?


I have his contact number if you intrested.


Howard

Post a reply to: Maico 490

The Latest