From the Classifieds: 1981 Maico 490 Mega 2

The 1981 Maico 490 Mega 2 is a bike that marked the end of an era. It was lauded for its power and handling, and is today considered an iconic model in motocross history. But it was also a last hurrah from the German company and, indeed, European manufacturers in general (well, for the 20th century at least).

As a last-ditch attempt by Maico to fight back against the dominance of Japanese manufacturers in world motocross, the 490 Mega 2 was called ‘the finest, fastest, best handling open-class motocrosser ever’ by American journalist Rick Sieman at the time.

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The last great Maico

Sadly, despite critical acclaim, the 490 Mega 2 was arguably the last great Maico. The 1981 490 Mega 2 featured twin-shocks, but from 1982, Maico switched to single-shocks, a Japanese innovation that had become the preferred set-up for competitive motocross. Maico couldn’t replicate the quality of the Japanese products and the brand lost its flair.

The company filed for bankruptcy in 1983, and by 1986 it had closed its doors. Meanwhile, the Japanese manufacturers continued to dominate motocross both on the track, and on showroom floors across the globe.

European affair

Motocross was once a European affair, with British brands like BSA, AJS and Greeves, and European marques such as Monark, Husqvarna, Jawa and CZ, all dominating the early years of the Motocross World Championship. Up until 1970, only Britain, Germany, Sweden and Czechoslovakia could lay claim to championship-winning marques.

But Joel Robert’s 1970 250cc World Championship aboard a Suzuki kick-started wild change, as the Japanese manufacturers went on a dominant run. Between 1971, when Rodger de Coster won his first 500cc title aboard a Suzuki, and 1993, the Japanese makes won all but one 500cc title. The outlier was Heikki Mikkola’s victory in 1974 with Husqvarna.

Speed demon

The Maico 490 Mega 2 didn’t win a world title and it didn’t save Maico, but it won a lot of hearts with blistering horsepower for the time. The company claimed 53hp at the crankshaft, which isn’t that far from the output of modern production motocross machines.

The engine was a 488cc single-cylinder, piston-port two-stroke, and was coupled with a 40mm carburettor and a five-speed transmission. It had a seat height of 960mm, a ground clearance of 372mm and a wheelbase of 1528mm. Incredibly, the bike only weighed 106kgs with half a tank of fuel. The fuel tank held 9.5L.

For suspension, the 1981 Maico 490 Mega 2 used a 42mm tube fork with air assist on the front and twin Corte & Cosso shocks on the rear. Travel was 310mm both front and rear.

Hot property

Vintage Maico models are highly sought after these days, and the 490 is definitely one of the hottest. Walk around the pits at a VMX event, and the Maico 490 Mega 2 will be one of the biggest head-turners.

This listing on bikesales.com.au features a 1981 Maico 490 Mega 2, as well as a 1983 Maico 250. The seller is looking to sell the bikes as a pair for $18,000.

Both machines appear to have been rejuvenated, with both bikes featuring Ohlin’s dual shocks. There are other aftermarket additions too. For example, the 490 has a headlight - something that isn't standard for a motocross bike.

The seller, who is based in NSW, says both bikes are in good condition, but are currently non-operational, having sat unused for a number of years. Check out the listing for the 1981 Maico 490 Mega 2 HERE.