Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

rebound damping, only six notches off the furthest of th e 60 options. The shock had been on the 25th setting when the dealers rode it . The chai n was lubed a nd our im , pr~ssionists were ready to , rid e in the raI D. Gassin' it ' The first item wh ich was p ut to th e test on th e new Ma ico was its ability to get power to the grou nd. T he steady rain m ad e our test course slip pery a nd tricky th rou gh the tu rns , but the Alpha I respon d ed well. More power than our rid ers could use was prod uced, power that ca me on th ro ug h accelera tion with littl e use of the clutc h needed. The nine extra pounds the '82 model weighs over the '81 m ea nt little as ou r ma ch ine picked up once again that weight in mud , b ut bot h our riders - who were fa mili ar with th e '81 model - felt the '82 had a ligh ter feel 'tha n before. Lofting the fro nt end over rough terrain seemed ' easier than ever. mostly due to the fact Maico kept the weight whi ch was added centralized , keeping handling neutral. One of our riders has raced in both pro and amateur competition; and related that the '82 would now run heads-up in' amateur racing, especially Superci-oss where Maicos have been underpowered in years past. A pro would probably have to perform some modifications to stay in the hunt, but the Alpha's powerplant is now to the point of providing the bas ics for the serious top level rider. In the handling department everything went well . The bike felt somewhat stiff through the first part of the day, producing a slight hopping effect when under heavy braking. Out of rough comers the rear end stuck to the ground. Second gear was the trick , and accompanied with a flick of the clutch and a bit of weight tr ansfer to the rear of the seat one had to watch that the bik e d idn't loop out. The full floa ting rear brake, which was added due to the suspension change, gave you exactly what you needed - the harder you pushed the more stopping power you got. As with previous models, the brake pedal is flat , lacks traction , and needs to hav e a few teet h welded on. Last year d ie rear brake rod ra n on the outside of the frame, and a rider' s boo t heel bent th e rod. This yea r the rod runs inside the frame, which keeps it clear of the rider but vulnerable to the ch ain if it should derail. Once the sti ffness wen t out of the front end it, responded as well as the rear. The bushing in the top of the fork sliders has been lengthened for '82, from 14 to 20 mill imeters, so now the bushings take the wear instead of the alumi nu m. Our only suggestion for th e front end would be more cable ties to keep the front brake cable in place, ou t of the way of the tire . • ., Sloppy conditions took 'their to ll on the bike in the form of a thrown chain, and once everything was back together the chain threw off again . The cause of th e problem seemed to be the ch~in was run too loosely at first , and then the rear sprocket's teeth were bent in the second d erailment. The Maico's new cosmetics look great , but won 't stay around for long. The tank decals lose adhesion and go away , but the bold lettering on the seat seemed up to the task. The gas cap goes on and comes off easily and doesn't leak . We'd dump the grips and levers, op ting for shorty levers and gri ps according to personal preference. Alpha alterations A full day of riding is fine . but rea lly not quite enough to make a judgm ent on the mach in e. We kept track of a few of the Alphas t hrough thei r first month of competit ive use to come up with some extra info. The biggest prob lem to crop up on the Alphas was the air box - th e , correc t air flow ISn't possible with th e cu rrent d esign . T o correct the situation eigh t on e-half inc h holes were drilled into the top right ha nd side of th e box. which solves one probl em a nd creates a nother ,- water proofi ng . T he rea r ti re t hrows water up under th e number plate an d onto th e air box , so a piece of plastic between th e ai rbox a nd frame on the exhaust pipe side m ust be added . The plastic is silicone sealed to the air box and ca ble tied to the fra me . Stock suspension in t hev rca r was adequa te . b ut Ma ico riders a t " the Florida Winter ,AMA MX Series ex perimented with Oh lins and Whitt' Power shocks and Thor alum in um swinga rrns. Results speak for themselves, so her e they are. In one; case a former AMA pro rider picked up his bike on a Thursday and raced it for the first time the next day . That ride, and also - the next three, were winning ones in A class amateur competition. The bike was left stock except for the airbox modification; the onl y other prepa· ration needed was the adjustment of suspension. Summary 1982 will be a season of transition for Maic o, on e in which thei r new single shock suspension bikes will be . put to th e test, and on e in which their 250 will once again try to prove its wort h against the Japanese machines. Maico has bui lt a strong re putation o n thei r big bore . as it has proved to Specifications Engine be on e of th e best wea po ns a privat eer ca n have on th e Nat ional ci rcui t. Now th e 250 will try to make its m a rk, We'll rate it as a solid race machine , free of boost boxes , power valves and water hoses. What you get is an easily maintained _bike which will set you apart from the crowd, especiall y in the 250cc class. Along with an uncluttered bike comes suspension and handling which revert back to the basics. Reliability tha t has been proven on European courses is also part of the package. If your personality correlates with a workable machine which gets the job done without a bunch of extras, try the Alpha 1 on for size. You and Maico in '82 might be the no-nonsense team that'll give the competition fits . • Reed valve intake two-stroke Displacement . . . . . . • . . . . . .'..... •. . . •. •. ...........'••.•.. 247cc Bore &- stroke . . . , . . . . . . . . 67 x 70rnm Compression ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:1 Horsepower 40 @ 8.000 rpm (claimed) Pointless thyristor. Motoplat Ignition Transmission Dog shifting flV.Speed gearbox Chassis..... Double loop chromemoly tubing. center shock frame Front suspension .. .. Hydraulic telescopic fork with 42mm tubes, .. 12.2 in. travel Alpha Control. swlngarm mounted Rear suspension ;' , Cort.Cosso shock•.12.8 In. travel Length. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . .. 86.22in. 50.78 in. Height Width . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .- . . . . . . : 33.5 in. Wheelbase , 59.46 In. Seat height . . . . . . , . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . 37.8 in. 14.64 in. Ground cleerance Dry weight 2271bs. (claimecQ Suggested retail price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . .. . ... .•. . $2.5.tO ·13

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