The Rise and Fall of Maico!

If you raced in the 70's and early 80's you saw plenty of Maicos. The German open class racers were considered among the best if not the best stock bike you could ride. In the early days there were lots of jokes about Maicos breaking but if you knew what to watch for they were solid machines. The starting line at the Nationals were usually filled with privateers riding Maicos. I owned several and consider the 1981 Maico 490 the best MX bike ever made. Sadly the brand could not sustain itself and fell by the wayside.

Here is a brief history.