Is this the Greatest Dirt Bike of All Time?! | 1981 Maico 490 Mega 2
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2021
- Some people say that the 1981 Maico 490 Mega 2 is the greatest dirt bike of all time, or at the very least they say that this beast was the best open class two stroke motocross machine of it's day. But is it as good as they say?
In this video we are teaming up and going Twin shock racing with Brad O'Leary, Bill Brown and Pete Mathia to find out what it feels like to tame this German Brute and work out once and for all whether this is the best MX bike ever made....
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That was fantastic. I couldn’t believe how smooth and fast they were. Hard to believe these bikes are 40 years old.
Thanks for watching. They do sound really smooth don't they.
I've actually had the privilege to ride the Maico 490 around 1983-84. My feet fit on the pegs as I was always short so I rode away, it's like trying to tame a lightning bolt!!
2 strokes 4 life!!
Can’t beat that 2 stroke power and sound, the smell of that 2 stroke exhaust is intoxicating, I’ve been a fan of 2 strokes since I was a kid
Long live the kings of motocross
The Maico 490 mega 2
Awesome video,ive been lucky enough to have grown up around maico’s,my Dad and I restored a 1969 250 square barrel and a 1972 501 square barrel and a 75 250 radial when I was a kid and I also have a 81’ gs400 and a 82’ mc490 alpha1,they have their quirks but they are definitely way ahead of their time,Dad past away afew years ago and I’m keeping his memory alive with the my old Maicos,some of my best memories of him is us working on them.
Thanks Justin, what a great comment. Love how your keeping your Dad's memory alive.
Blown away at how fast that old iron actually is. So stoked that it's still being raced 40 years later!!!
I remember back in the day that, as kids, we used to drool over these bikes. 😂
I reckon they are still drool worthy to this day...thanks for watching Glen :D
I drooled over one on the starting line once, after the race I pushed him back in the pits with my 82 Cr450r after he broke 2nd or 3rd ⚙ gear...from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸🤠
@@billallen4793 😂😂I had a CR450 I swapped a HI fi music centre for it, I reckon about 1983 the guy I got it off had won the British championship on it I should think he never got off it it was rinced ie very well used. That was still a great bike although she was worn out she never missed a beat that's testament to Honda build quality 😂🤙🇬🇧
@@peterbalac1915 all my big bore Honda's were indestructible, just don't run without oil! My cousin had a dt175 Yamaha and he seized up my cr250r once, he thought it was oil injected like his Yamaha was. $110.00 buck's for a piston, rings, and a stone hone, and I was back riding in 2hrs total time lost. Imagine trying to rebuild one of these 450 4 strikers on $110.00 dollars and 2hrs time...from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸🤠
@@peterbalac1915 did you have a hard time starting them [450-480] with the left kicker? I never did, but it's about the only negative I've heard about them. Well, that and too much power, word's that NEVER came from my 👄 mouth...lol...from Wyoming USA 🇺🇸🤠
Max, I'm sitting in my van in Devon, Thorpey's Evo day in morning and you've stirred some memories here mate!-once again! I won an ACU race on an Alpha490 in'83 at 21yrs old, it took until '89 I reckon when anyone produced a bike anywhere near as complete- Big red, but no where near as smooth as a 490 Maico. Pete Mathia has been around forever, I raced against him in a 20 min Cheshire ctr championship race in '87- got a start on him, knew it was him ' cos he was the only lad there on a Blue '86 490. I had my tongue hanging out riding out of my skin on an '87 500 Ktm for bragging rights, he just sat on my arse end and waited for me to wear myself out & dropped me on the last lap like a rock.He gave me a nod & a wink the next time I saw him later that year. I was 23 then- full of beans, he must have been 30 ish back then. I'll never forget that. That's why he is the over 60s champ. Wont be able to sleep now, you've done it to me again! Like you did with big red!! Ace video ! Sorry for being so long winded!
That so awesome mate, i hope you enjoyed the day down there. Tell the boys i said hello!
Pete Math has been around the block ain't he, i bet there's not many people he hasn't raced lol Thanks as always for the support buddy
@@999lazer Cheers Max, I'm very shagged out now!- Wot an ace day, feel so much more confident - glad I watched your DT evo day vid. 😀 Dts got a book coming out, I told him, he could count on you for support. Sounds exciting.
Bill Brown and Pete Mathia, legends! 👍🏻👍🏻
They really are! Gentleman and legends of the game
Yes, it absolutely was back in the day. There was one guy that had his bike when I was growing up and he ripped it up more than anyone else and that bike was amazing. It did hill climbs that no one else could and even did the hill climb sideways. This bike has been the most impressive dirtbike I’ve ever witnessed in my life
Thanks for the video! Raced this bike in New England for 2 years in 1981-2. So many great things about it - Looks - Motor - Reliable - Handling. Brakes absolutely sucked. Frame and swingarm cracked in multiple places... but I weighed 220 lbs and 6-3 tall. Despised the left kick start and the Bing carb. Greatest dirt bike of all time...No. But Maico did a hell of a job!
I was 14 and lived in a small town in Tennessee and there was a dealer that carried them. Now the owner of the shop and maybe 6 others raced them at the local motocross track ( Muddy Creek raceway in Blountville Tennessee) . They were some awesome pieces of art.
Thanks for watching John. I hope the video brought back some happy memories! :D
Still one of the best sounding bikes ever as well, these bikes got even better with the Ohlins upgraded kits.
Look forward to part 2, Opferman Motors has documents and knows allot about the history of Maico more importantly probably the most detailed knowledge of the family breakup between Otto and Willys kids who were involved in the company when Willy Ottos brother died, the feud these 2 siblings caused for control of the company is what destroyed the brand, so hope you delve into that, why MStar came to pass in the US etc etc.
490 Mega2 will always be one of my fav bikes, and Bob was dead right the power delivery due to the primary gears being chain driven vs what everyone uses to this day cut gears, which are cheaper to manufacture zero maintenance. Cheers for bringing this to the channel Max 🤙
Thanks for watching Mav! :D I've watched Opferman's vids about the history, it truly is a wild tale, so much so that i just have to make a video about it all aswell! Thanks for the support as always mate
@@999lazer Awesome mate, keep up the great work, love what ya doing 🤙
My first bike was a 1970 Husky 400. The smell of Castrol bean oil and the sound of this powerful two-stroke are parts of my greatest memories. I wish that I still had that old bike from Valerians in WLA.
if 47.2 hp on the chassis dyno, then assuming the usual 15% drivetrain loss, that would be 54.3 hp at the flywheel.
Bloody great video max, a great mix of nostalgia and racing and interviews with greats of MX ,the bikes were fantastic 40 year old beasts, biggest improvement in modern bikes is suspension. Love your videos never know what video will be but guarantee it is going to be top quality, Max you're the best never stop making these amazing videos. All the best pal.
I like to keep you guessing Kevin ;-D I agree biggest improvements have been suspension and brakes of course, these old bikes don't like slowing down! lol thanks for the support as always mate
I grew up watching Bob and Roger race at Unadilla. I remember the old Maco,. I think Goat rode one.
I remember Brad.
Quality content mate....lying here unwell in bed after some very unsettling news yesterday and this content managed to take my mind off my worries for a while.
Well made and about a great bike too. I have ridden the Cr500 and owned a Kx500 when I was just 14 but I don't think I ever got to ride the Maico myself. Obviously I've read and watched a lot about then over the years, this was a great tribute to a great engineered bike.
Thanks.
1983 CR-480. Lighter, reliable, shifted, same grunt, designed to handle like the Maico (and did).
Definitely, i had a 77 maico , then a 78 cr250 which was a great bike .i got a 83 cr 480 next and it was my favorite bike i ever owned
My dad asked me one night," what bike do you wany" I didn't hesitate and blurted out Maico 490 Mega2! The next day we drove to the nearest dealer that hedonein stock, like a hour away and purchased my dream bike! At the time, early 1981 I he'd no idea how great it was. Maico had advertised it as having 12 inches of travel, only with the stock Olins it came with in California, it only had around eleven. The dealership contracted Works Performance Co. to make it right, wherein the replaced the shock with an upgraded unit and extended the fork shaft about an inch with new valving! The bike went from being good to a Cadillac over night. It helped the my best friend and racing buddy Matt, had a Mega2 also and he just happened to be a technician at Works Performance 🤠
Wish I still had it, regret selling it. Wild Jesse James
Incredible footage and commentary Max, the best!!!
Thanks Ken, Hope you guys have an awesome Xmas:)
Cornered like no other open class bike on the track and the suspension was second to none.
I raced 250 expert class on a new KX250 each year. Had a local motorcycle dealer as a sponsor. They would hop each bike up and it was great. Then a good friend bought “this” bike in 1980 but, it was the 1981. I took that for a decent length time in the track and I returned to the pit totally scared $hitless. That was the most awesome bike I had ever ridden. I even got to ride Mike Bell’s factory Yamaha and that Maico topped that in wonderment. Great bike that is for sure! 🤙🤙🤙
Great video. The guys are so interesting. Love that track, looks so easy and fun to ride. Can't believe Pete is still at it!!
Beautiful, old-school motocross bikes and action. Great stuff - thanks for uploading!
I had a 79 RM100 in 81 and used to ride locally around my town, a friends brother had a Maico, I think it was a 440? When he would ride out there with us the ground shook and we were pelted with roost, the best of times back then. The sport was fun and a way of life to many of us
Gotta love getting hit with a bunch of dirt, mud, and rocks!!!
I had a 1978 Maico 400. Still had it in 2012 and rode with 2 other guys that were on KTM 450 EXCs. We were evenly matched on the slow single track stuff. But get on the faster 3rd-4th gear and up trails and they couldn't keep up. Not even keep me in sight. I was not secs but many mins ahead. The Maico just steers better and it's 20 lbs lighter. One thing people forget is Maico engines were typically under square with 13:1 compression. Most two strokes are over square with 8-9:1 compression. This make the Maico a low reving hi torque motor. Gives it predictable power that gets put to the ground. One of the bad moves I made was selling that bike. If I kept it, it would have been my primary ride and I was getting nervous about parts. But it never broke or failed me in any way. But now I have a KTM 450 EXC that I got plated so I ride it to and from. No more loading in the truck. I couldn't do that with the Maico. But I miss that bike tremendously!!!
Brilliant video and content, Max your just getting better all the time best Chanel by far for me personally 👌 I thought Lee mack had an entry then I realised it was Brad O'Leary great ride smooth as silk. Nice to listen to what Bill had to say world of knowledge very interesting man, and Pete great rider back in the day and STILL riding!! Happy memories flooded back being up against the mighty Maico's they went like a rocket and sounded awesome, thanks bud highlight of my day respect 🤙
Peter, it's comments like this that really make my day. Thanks for the support mate :D
Great work, Max. I had goosebumps and was sweating through the whole time.
Great Video, I have had a 81 and a 82 Alpha and once sorted the 82 was just as good in every way. The 490 engine is just pure magic
Great footage👍🏻I love all those old open bikes big time✌️
Thanks buddy, they're special bikes for sure. The power delivery seems silky smooth on them!
well done ,great video. Brad o'leary is very fast and very humble.
Thanks Al! Brad is a true gent, i hope to film some more with him this year :D
Great edit Max! Really great piece on Maico, every day is a learning day 🤓
Simply awesome bikes. I was 12 and remember all the dirt bike magazines. It was a dream bike then as it is now.
Best show on 2 wheels
Great video, thoroughly enjoyed this one, thanks 👍🏻
The '81 Maico 490 was the last of the old gunfighters that could call you out onto the town square at high noon and make it stick..🙂
I like this channel, especially the vintage bikes.
thank you for bring old memorie
Very great video dear Friends, thanks!!
Yep I believe what the ole man had said about the inertia... That definitely was a game changer. I've had the chance to ride a 1981 ,20 plus years ago and it was a wild ride. Much different power than my 86 yz490. Great video
81 was a great production year! Just my factory right knee keeps blowing out.. Wish I could fit a modern one on this chassis! :D
That sucks dude, hope you get it sorted and get out ripping again soon!
My love of bikes is because of sitting on the tank of my dad's 500 2 stroke maico when I was 3/4. That sound brought back some memories!
That's awesome, glad to hear it Daniel. Thanks for watching mate
O'Leary's pass for 2nd in the 3rd moto was just textbook perfect.
I had to subscribe after watching this, I have a 82 490gs which I will restore and register for on road evilness. Awesome content.
Great video,great racing and great to learn some history of the bike to👍
Thanks for watching Ben :D
Just found this channel brings back a lot of memories it's a shame I won't be able to ride one ever again costs to much if someone back in the day said they be going for thousands of pounds I would of laughed my head off
Welcome Jason! :D It's crazy what some of these old bikes are worth nowadays... Thanks for watching dude, hope to see you again :) Max
Flipping brilliant episode 👍
Thanks for watching dude :D
Awesome video.
Great vid max cheers!
Thanks for watching Tim!
Yes it is! I have got two of them and they are still great!
Hell yeah! Enjoy them Morena :D
I really got into that, it was cool racing and those old boys wernt playing around.
It's hard to believe they were racing 40 year old bikes really! Thanks for watching dude
Fantastic video great viewing! I had Mega 2 in LOW class clubman, and stupidly sold it and bought a 81 YZ465H BIG mistake anyway great vid guys
That remount at 7:48 is outstanding.
It was masterful wasn't it lol
I have one of these and it is a beast.
This is true motocross...man, machine!
The stuff that dreams are made of!
Thanks for the great job on this!
One week till MidOhio Vintage Days!
LET'S GO!!!
Thanks for watching Dave :D
I'm pretty sure it's pronounced like the word Kaiser, like My-Co, as opposed to May co
Also, I've ridden one of these and it was phenomenal
Superb content max!!! 1st class racing and pure 2stroke spirit im a honda man myself but those MAICO'S were the fcukin Nutts! Man!, proper good bike's my fave was the ALPHA ONE 👊.
👊✊💨💨💨
Thanks Andy mate! i would say that i was a Honda man myself as well, but i can really see why so many people are so passionate about the Maico's! Great bikes indeed. Thanks for the support as always dude
@@999lazer max have you ever ridden 1 of the big bore MAICO'S? My m8 owned a 1982 ALPHA 1! HOLY TOLEDO it was fast, but kinda manageable if you get my drift, an dont even talk to me about the left hand kick-start 🤣 what a hoot. Take care buddy👍
#MEGALODON
👊✊💨💨💨
Great video
43+ years ago ISDT rider Billy Uhl had a 490 he used to race at the local MX track in Boise for fun and practice. He put a 17 inch rear wheel on the bike and the fattest knobby I’d ever seen. You did not want to be directly behind him when he his the gas. 😂
Hi max wat great fun video made my evening great the old mxers are great riders and bikes bill pete i rember them back in there prime racing days ohh im getting old hahaha the track is lovely one where abouts is it please maye look forward to next video mate
Bill and Pete were so cool to chat with, they had stories that could fill ten videos! Thanks for the support as always mate
That's the real unicorn of bikes.
Thanks for watching Michael!
The open class KTMs and Husqvarnas never had primary chain drives. I believe in engine / transmission gyroscopic affect. It makes perfect sense. Harley XR 750s have ruled flat tracks with antique engineering probably because of the primary drives. That must be why shaft driven bikes are such a drool on the street.
The 78/79 models enjoyed way more success at the pro level in the US.
I have a nice 1980 Maico MC440. The biggest from Maico before the 490 came in -81. And it is even "road legal".
my friend got into a bit of trouble one time when he stole an 18 wheeler and backed it up to galaxy cycles and cleaned out to whole building of bikes and parts ..it was over a month before they caught up to him as he was racing out in the southwest ..this time his dad had to spend some money to keep him out a jail and bought the 1st maico importer franchise and was the maico factory rep and brad lake became maico's first USA factory rider and soon went to the top 5 in the nation ..brad comes to me one day and says we got to think of something to discourage anyone from buying these things as I Don t need no competition in in the top 5 and if the fast guys got wind of how easy it is my factory ride would be gone..and brag had just got some kind of a prototype to the later wr 400 radial head first time for all plastic finders but with an aluminum tig welded werks fuel tank that maico gave brag to race ..when we pulled in late as unusual we were mobbed with people checking out brads new toy ...so brad pushes this werks maico up to the gates and says " thanks guys for waiting oh by the way who s turn is it to win today ..oh that's right its my turn "...gates drop and its no contest.... and that alone when everyone seen and knew there is no way sorta makes it easy to motor anyone ...so brads like think of something as brad did not give a shit if he ever sold one as that would be the end if anyone was faster and could have on these dirt missiles so I'm thinking how about you start a rumor as bad news true or not spreads fast ..so I said to brad how about maico breako ...brad say perfect and the rest is history ..it spread like fire and brad never had to battle another maico at the nationals and the competition he did have paid no attention until brad was roosting them all at Pontiac Michigan
Thats not true
Maicos are rare birbs around my area.
I would love to add several of them to my collection, and the 490 is my brother's (a 2x cancer survivor) dream bike.
After researching the history of the company in the states i'm not surprised they are rare air over there. Luckily we have people like Bill Brown here who have kept the brand alive and kicking for the past 20 years! :D Oh man, hopefully we can one day get your brother a quick spin on a 490! Thanks for watching as always Doc
Yes Max! Great episode buddy. Who are you going to get to rag the sh#t out of the big 700? We’ll looking forward to seeing that beast flat out.
Keep em coming dude.👊👊👊
Thanks Matt! We've got a short list of volunteers so far ;-D Won't be long now!
In 1987 I was 6yrs old and I remember sitting on one of these in my best friends barn just pretending to tear up the track.
I've had 2 Maico,s an 1982 250 and a 1984 490 and thay where both great bike,s . if I had the money I'd definitely buy another maico there just such good bikes
As Bill said in the video, once you ride a Maico you'll always want to go back to one. Thanks for watching David :D
First of all the track was beautiful. I'd do well there. Second, If Super Hunky said it, It must be true. No power 'curve'.
Power EVERYWHERE.
Maico Brako my dad's Maico 490 made so much H.P. it would rip the clutch basket all apart, thing was the coolest bike ever.
In short, yes it is, although I have had an 81 and an 82 and I will argue that once I got it dialed in I believe the 82 was as good as the 81.
The 1981 maico 490 is by far the most desirable twin shock motocross bike made. The amount of aftermarket support for these bikes proves that.
eyup max rode one of these fantastic machines as i remember no choke you primed them a very light forgiving machine did a bit of green laning it never complained wish i still had it , i wos gutted when i found out they didnt make them any more lookin forward to you vid on its history
Thanks for watching dude! Man, how many bikes are there that we wish we still had, there's always one that got away!
@@999lazer a few more than that in my case loooooool
Dude I was at Farliegh king of the castle last weekend and so many bike like this.
Would have been so cool to see you there
Thanks for watching Oliver! I was on the verge of coming down to Farleigh but i had a few too many edits to finish off over the weekend, looked like a great event as well!
I wonder what would happen if some bright fabricator put the Mega 2 engine into a modern frame?
It would take a hell of a lot of work (chain on wrong side, pipe routing, airbox) and cost a holy fortune - but that engine in a modern frame - I think it would be the ultimate two stroke!
I remember the Maico well and the Mc440 was a better balanced bike on sand and tight tracks with few problems but when the 490 came out lots of gearbox problems as I seen a new one come in on the back of a van with the gearbox shafts hanging out of the cases and had only been run in but yes power was better and in many ways better for grass tracks and more open tracks.
Mark Hinkle from Michigan was lightning fast on his Maico 490
Best sounding 2 stroke hands down.
So back in the older days of motorcross were the jumps ablut the asame size as todays?
I have a 1981 490 and it use to start on no more than 4-5 kicks then all of a sudden it stopped and won’t start I’ve been doing everything, next is going to be the ignition, what ignition do you recommend, I can’t get any help with this
hay big Maxie nice vid ,never mind the age of the bikes how good are the old guy,s riding them,
and like there in there 20s impressive for the age in both accounts cheers mate,
Thanks Rumpel, the guys certainly knew how to twist the throttle! The racing was pretty epic to watch. Incredible really for 40 year old bikes.
@@999lazer aged like fine wine
That was one of the best breakdown stories videos of the 81 490 it was just great, I raced in the 70s 80s and early 90s and I have a 91 490 twin shock to this date and I still have my 74 400 Maico, just love the Maico and the 490 twin shock is the best bike for open class all around once you get used to riding the bike with very little breaks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Had a 81 bored 60 over, would go like hell in a straight line but didn’t like the jumps, called it a widow maker for a reason, that thing didn’t want to start even with the compression release pulled, almost killed the next driver 3:18
Only bike I ever rode that actually scared the shit out of me...
I remember in the 70’s that Maico was a Bovril bike, my new 79’ 440 was ridiculed ‘Maico Breako! ‘ they used to say. Best handling and easiest bike to ride IMO👌🏻😎 won’t mention the clutch and Bing carb 🤭
JUST FOR THE NOISE ALONE AWESOME ❤
All the northern California pros rode Maico 490s in 1981.
I can’t remember the exact year but the Maico Sand Spider wasn’t anything to turn ur head at either it also was a BAD ASS !!!!!!!!!
Insanium unobtanium ⚡🤘⚡
Me n mate got one orange we were 16 ish was a monster I crashed prob 15 times a day easy - we shortly went to RD350s GPZ600s n a few Z1000s - just lookin at RDs would love to get a nice one
Yes they were! Totally qwesome!
Yes, the better and the finest bike!
YES IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the piston ported engines had a smooth power pre 1983. the 1983 490 bikes reed valves, 4 speed box, primary gears where crap,
A lot of the so-called 1981 Maicos you see doing serious racing these days are not exactly what they seem. Look at the intake on any 490. If it's round, practically just a hose, that'll be a stock 81/82 cylinder. But if you see a big square reed block, that's an 83/84 cylinder, which was WAY more powerful than the 81 (but less linear and "Maico-ish"). The 81 is a total sweetheart to ride, but won't drag race with CR500s and is the Devil's own job to start. The 83 is much more likely to kill you, but will happily keep up with ANY dirt bike engine ever made and is really quite easy to start. And of course, Maicos being what they are, it's quite easy to put the 83 cylinder on basically any big-bore Maico you like. 78+ all day for sure, but probably any of them going back to the short travel days, if you really insist on being killed.
There's also lots of work you can do to improve the suspension. Cartridge emulators in the forks and modern aftermarket shocks are popular. But check out the number 242 madlad at 19:00 with the cheeky 49mm late-90s Suzuki fork swap.
I have 2 Maico 490s for sale.
They turn like no other bike.
I love the exstented 490 they looked yes tall
No compression release what a monster
Was the Mega 2 the same thing as a Sand Spider? The early eighties bikes had good suspension.
Yes
ok for comparison I had an 1981 pontiac t1000 sport. A hatchback car in the states. Pontiac claimed almost 80hp . When i put mine on a dyno for shits and giggles it made 23hp. Regular car reviews put a chevette (same car different name) and it had 26 hp.so you could put this engine in a chevette and double the hp