Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

.......- raJI:Y:""::~;: ~=~;:= TIIae'. DeC 1'1 die. . 0 - el II bailt iu r...-tiaa __ mabdle.... tridlar ......,.... Ii..• . .rta.....•. . TlleWD .. _ _ai dle _ ... ....·-n 1'Pfi__ II "I1IIae ._~ ca1a~ lift ~ _~l:8ti_ . . . . .eaat if cbe__· UW ... indlefGlb.... IIeaer acdaa in aD Shocks don't come this way. They do exhibit fairly good habits, though. By Tom Mueller Times are going to be tough for the serious motocrosser this year. With travel expenses going sky high a rider needs a bike he can buy, race, and win on without adding a bunch of accessory parts or extras. Maico has come to the rescue of the . .h am~teur or pnvateer pro Wlt theIr new mega 2 250 and 490. The bikes come with what it takes to step into the winner's circle. Once set up for personal preference all that is needed is maintenance. The big change for the 250 in '81 is the reed-valved engine for a more responsive, controllable powerband. Maico was working with the reedvalved engine a year before its release and race tested' the motor in the Trans-USA Support class before putting it on the production line. The six reed fiber pedals keep power strong and useable after the engine wears and tolerances aren't as close as when the engine was new. The flow system on the inlet manifold has been changed for better low end response. It provides instant storage of a fuel! gas mixture for relief for the reed valve, in short a charging effect. Fins on the 250's cylinder are redesigned for better cooling. They're thicker at the cylinder wall and get progressively thinner toward the outer edges. The 490 engine has larger transfer and exhaust ports and a larger inlet manifold. Coupled with a 40 millimeter carburetor, power characteristics are tuned for more controllable riding in all. situations. The 490 was recently dynoed and put 49.64 horsepower to the rear wheel at 7000 rpm. The primary drive chain in both engines is actually two single chains, which provides longer life than three row or double row chains used in the past. Excluding the motors the 250 and 490 are identical. The rear suspension is again handled by Corte Cosso shocks, this year rebuildable with piggyback reservoirs instead of last year's reservoir units. Our shocks were for the GP type of power Maicos deliver, designated 2-H. Shocks for deep sand, 8-E, or for enduro use, 5-G, are also available. The difference between the shocks is the rebound and compression damping' is on a different curve for each variety. We received our bikes with 170 p.s.i. of pressure in the shocks and left them that way. The back end offers twelve and a half inches of travel. Twelve and a half inches of travel is inside a lightweight aluminum fork slider. Fork lengthhas been reduced to offer a lower handlebar height for better steering. The large volume air/oil fork produces many tuning options. Maico altered their bike's profile in '81. The steering head angle has been changed to 28l-2 degrees, the frame has been lowered 50 millimeters, the swingarm is 40 millimeters longer, and the seat has been redesigned. The bike now sits more level, steers better, and doesn't push the rider down onto the tank like last year's model. A more effective rear fender has been added, and all plastic parts are impregnated in red. The paint came off last year's Maicos. Odds and ends include a stronger spoke lacing pattern, countersunk rear wheel sprocket. a Magura straight pull throttle, gas petcock with reserve, and side covers that don't need to be removed to get at shocks and air box. The air box has a new funnel type design for quicker draining and a quick release air cleaner. New GP style footpegs are easy on and off. Rear wheel is.a quick on and off assembly, and the rear brake lever pivot ratio has been changed for better braking. Once we had the bikes rolling two problems came up. After a few minutes of riding on the 490 the countershaft sprocket cover was gone, broken off at the screws. We were informed in most cases the cover is removed, because it either clogs up with mud or could break the case if the chain lets go. The cover broke because the chain expands on the sprocket when the gas is off. which the cover can't accomodate. The other problem concerned the 250. Our tester came in after one lap with the gearbox locked in first gear. A screw was hitting on the shifting mechanism inside the right side cover, leaving the tranny inoperative. Selvaraj Narayana. Maico's National Service and Technical Manager, had our rider back out on the track in five minutes. To get a good overall impression of both bikes we needed a range o.r riders, so we contacted an amateur who enters occasional events and a Nationally ranked pro. Here's what they came up with after some time on the bikes. -.l1Ie__ II' ·n. _ _ lei , . tIRe _ ue Ia........ _ ., Wore llauaiJlc olf. A w--.idl pipe.. 110 TIle . . ita ~ « • __ m ~ wida dle iDeo ....._ Jeai-.dIe cub (iDd. . . . ca. . cbe pel . . . . . . . aIaD be caba ~ of. bat _ cbe . . . cbe portiag fI •_ a. hie power. DOt ~ peal power. The !!II .... .-e fIII'U ... WIt!' iela it c:aneatly aperiJDentu., wirh ltiffeftDt ~fanndaI.weD. reeda. ADd that'. rally .baa& it faI' .J'aDior.... ID'tImed:iafe.1eftl riden. Proa will aadoa.blally laaYe their 0*8 ~ for rear aalp""i_. bat othen mould haft 110 JtI'ObIecbe IIIIICk pigybKk-leaelfoil Cone aIide) it Dal_ die JilL ..mr. 0-0.. 1'01' their Irikea -"iDs oat 110 cbe 1&........ W dg abo _ _ other~.Sun ri-. ue laced up 110 dle IIOdt widlalleryl·. Pro WheeJI lit for Ibo..er"-" that Iat 1IDlIIer Nati...ku puDiah_to _ ueaplk ia _ _ die tn • • • fal'1Ieaer._ I'eIiabIe IIaiftI ... a chIrdl cbe _ _ ~ aIis 110 paD. FIUIly. dley'11driD'" die m. .... - . ... 1Ianel/ din cat _ limn. elf cbe bac:l 1IlIIa1 ., tIaree pou" f _ dle • of.. . . .1IaIne. ~ a ..... weD th. Jln_t hiM .... nfiDe iL.1i ita price _ dae ctiffehill'--= I.. ....•••••••• ,. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.••••••• $15 I. ~AK:=5=t... ~ ~ iI tIDwa) $18 t.. . ( 5. Amateur impression After our amateu: hOPIX;d off the also delivered from the fork assembly. 250, his first lmpresslOn was IS~~~~~~~~~;;~;;;;:::;;;;;;~~;:;:;;;;~;;:;;::~~!~!!!J ~~bl~ . ~~ _ !1!i~~~~e! .. ~~~. iI,!qr~ •••••

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