Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125815
N The new 250 radUd is really a good looking competition machine with its red fiberglass fenders, tank, redesigned air box and the frame which now comes painted silver. The Ake Jonsson replica sadde is too high for the average rider. I ... '" !!! ..; .?: .., " ~ Z W ...J CJ > CJ The bike is a very controllable slider through flq.t comers, but it's just as comfortable using a berm if it's there. Th e new radial cylinder and head help to dissipate heat quickly. A new nine port design in the barrel really makes tlte 250 strong. The Honda Elsinore was the only other 250 we've ridden tMt is faster tMn the Maico, but not by much. , by Jim Gianatsis photos by Clara Scotto and Gianatsis M aico's new 250 motocrosser is comprised of the latest tricks that denote evolutionary change in a European motocross machine. Instead of redesigning a new model bike each year from the ground up, Maico is one of the seemingly few manufacturers that makes changes only for the sake of improving a bike if the improvements are considered necessary. Our thanks to J&R Cycle Specialities of Pensacola, Florida, for allowing us to test their only 250 radial, one of the tirst batch of 23 just shipped over to the states from the Black Forest. Maico has always been reknowned for building one of the best handling and most predictab'" motocross bikes around. Last year's bikes were no exception, and the new radial 2 50, along with the radial 400 which carried A k e J onllon to h is impressive Trans-AMA Series win, and the 50 I still share the same frame and suspension components this year. It's the new radial head which sets the 1973 model 250 off u a new bike and gives you the rust idea of what to expect within. Inside the radial engine is a new nine ported cylinder which has the intake P0rls staggered similarly to Honda's new Elsinore. The result of this porting is one of the strongest and most controIJab.., motocross engines we have ever ridden. The power is hard to believe the first time you ride it because it will pull strongly from anywhere in the rpm range. You quickly realize why the 250 radial only needs a four speed gearbox, and even then, during most of our testing, we hardly ever got the chance to put it in fourth. The bike could have been geared lower for our particular test track but we didn't feel it was necessary. We kind of favor Japanese carburetors but the 250 came with a 36mm Bing center float that worked perfectly. Proper use of the tickler lever would get the radial to start on the first kick every time when it was cold. When it was warm just a heavy prod on the kick lever would get her popping. We experienced no problems with it trying to load up when the engine was being lugged, and even when we fell off the bike it continued to run. Ignition is by an external rotor magneto which has the points exposed similarly to a CZ. A transistor ignition might be kinda neat these days but the magneto unit did work well. Of course waterproormg the side case is important to reliable operation. While the engine felt strong and smooth we didn't think it wu all that fut until we started running it against some of the other bikes that were out at our test track. It was here we discovered that neck snapping power isn't the ticket, but that getting the power to the ground is and that's where the 250 radial really shone by dusting off all the trick 250 and Open class bikes that were around. The only bike that was equal and perhaps just a tad stronger was Honda's new Elsinore which seemed to pull it equally out of the hole on the starting line and keep pace with it down the straight. By the end of the straight. when the Maico was hitting fourth gear and the Honda tifth, the Honda would be anywhere from even to no more than a length in front of the Maico. The head gasket leaked on us a couple of times during the test and we had to stop and retorque the head. This problem seems to be pretty common on all Maicos during the break in period when the top end is seating in. It was just a mild bother pulling off the two bolts that hold on the lightweight seat and fiberglass tank to get at the head bolts for retorquing. The second day we rode the bike we had no problem with it leaking. One of the most notable changes on the bike, other than the engine, is the new conical front brake hub. This new lightweight alloy unit along with its rear brake now gives the 250 the stopping power it has sadly been missing in the put. Feel on both the front and rear unjts is good; they're smoothly MAleo 250 RADIAL