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Jerry G.... c:aIIs hie Cycle Ne. . project bike e e.tfomla hot rod. but _'re inclined to nlckneme It "Underdog." S ~ rudlly IIVlIllebie PlIrt8lnow that firry
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By Jerry Greer
Photos by Charles Morey
10
I wanted to build a National Championship TT bike using something
different for a motor. Got tired of hearing the four-stroke thumpers
being touted as the only way to gas it up to the front of a National. I
wanted to do something about it, but what?
The motorcycle enthusiast magazines were breathing heavy about
big-bore two-stroke motocrossers, and Maico's 490 rocket was constantly floating to the top of the reviews. I didn't care about suspension
or how the bike pulverized benns; I was interested only in the engines.
I wanted to hear about slammer horsepower, light weight, tons of
torque and availability.
Boy, did the magazines have me pumpedl Motorcyclist Magazine
said "Only minutes of riding time elapsed before the first startling
find; the Maico was a guided missile, unquestionably the fastest production motocrosser of all time ..... " Had me drooling.
Then Dirt Bike Magazine jacked me three more inches off the
ground when they titled their story "Thunderball." Then those offthe-wall crazies subheaded the article "Big inches, raw power and a
controlled state of fear." Whoaa babyl Couldn't wait to grab onel
Whaml MotoCToss Action jumped in with their test. Titled "A
motor and a half," it pressed its point hard: "Maico puts their
awesome ponies into the ground ... hooked up and pulling, which is
from dead bottom all the way to a decent top .... No one will beat a
Mega 2 to the first turn.... There is so much earth shaking
horsepower on tap that it can be dialed from mild to wild ... best open
class engine ever made." Unanimous. All the magazines clearly said
"Maico."
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