It’s almost painful the way you line up to get smacked.
DIRE WARNINGS AND THINGS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW
If you choose to email a question to this forum, then you must conduct yourself accordingly. Therefore, the following rules are in order:
1. Do not write your email to me IN CAPS. If you do so, I will print out your question and do terrible things to it.
2. Do not request a personal email response. Since I get thousands of questions each month, trying to answer them all would cut deeply into my leisure time, which I value more than your current state of confusion.
3. Try to spell at least in a semi-correct fashion. If you choose to mangle the English language, expect no mercy from this quarter. You might be mocked severely.
4. Do not ask for me to send you copies of my many manuals and literature. I am not in the library business, nor do I want to spend the bulk of my day at the copy machine just because you’re too lazy to ask your dealer, or look around a bit.
5. Don’t bother me with truly stupid questions, like how to get 50 more horsepower for a buck and a half
6. Now that you know the rules, think carefully and have at it!
Oh yes I’ll leave your email unedited, for what it’s worth.
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SUBJECT: EARLY MAICO GEOMETRY
Rick:
I’m looking for chassis geometry specs for 1972-1973 Maicos. Could you help me out? Send me in the right direction? Thanks for your time.
Sincerely,
Mitch Cowart
Your best bet is to get a 1973 Maico and measure everything yourself. A word of caution: the wheelbase will vary from 55 1/2 to 57 inches, depending on the rear wheel adjustment. Another thing many builders never take into consideration is the weight distribution.
On the 1973 Maico 400, the weight distribution is almost a perfect 50/50.
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SUBJECT: HONDA CRF230F FORK SWAP
great info thanks, i have rejetted my 2005 crf230f and it is much better i am now considering trying to modify the front forks and have the chance of buying some 1995 cr 250 forks which have had little use i can stand them raising the seat height but will the yokes fit on the frame and also would i be able to run the cr 250 front wheel? thanks for your help.
richard
Wakefield, UNITED KINGDOM
The 1995 forks were decent and you’ll have to use the ’95 front wheel with those forks. To fit the forks to your 230 frame, just follow the directions in the Project Bike series. You can slide the forks up in the triple clamps and the seat height will not change much.
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SUBJECT: M-STAR OR MAICO?
Hey Rick –
I used to read your blurb in DB magazine back in the 80’s. I wasn’t sure if you were still around until I did a recent search on the www.
Since 1988 I have owned what I just found out – thanks to you – is a 198(4,5,6?) M-Star 500 SC. Actually, I knew all along it was a mid 80’s 500
cc Maico, I just didn’t know what to call this tall Maico with an SC on the seat. There are no decals on the tank.
Anyway – I haven’t ridden the bike in over 15 years, but it was running good when it was last started. My question is: what should I do with it? Is it, or will it ever be a collector item? If not, is it a worthwhile bike to race in vintage circles? (actually I don’t know what year qualifies for vintage – I just figure 25 years is getting up there in bike years)
I plan on getting back into riding soon and was thinking going the vintage route might save me a buck or two. BTW – I have a 78 MC440 and a 80 PE400 that could be candidates as well.
Let me know what you think.
From an old, and getting older fan.
Charlie Kahler
Marysville, Wa (the STATE)
The bike you have is a 1984 M-Star, so named by Ted Lapadaikis, the Sachs/Hercules distributor in the US. The bike was made by Maico and never sold well. After the fall of Maico in 83/84, the dealership network fell apart.
The bike you see here has Maico stickers on the tank, as well as the M-star logo on the saddle.
Read On. you may need to wait a few moments for all the pages to load.
I must be losing my mind. I have scoured my D rt BIke mags and cannot not find the article. I thought you guys at Dirt Bike had an article on adding a IT175 end piece to a IT125 for better bottom end response.
I have almost all the Dirt Bike mags and cannot find this article. Does any of my incoheriant babbling ring a bell?
Nope, Dirt Bike did not run such an article.
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SUBJECT: MYSTERY GRUNGE FROM AN ’86 YZ250
i have a 1986 YZ250 and it is leaking a steady flow of black oily stuff from the crankcase overflow tube why does it do this and can i fix this?
Sheldon
Armstrong, CANADA
Chances are you have a bad water pump seal and it’s pressuring the trans. There’s no such thing as a crankcase overflow tube on a 1986 YZ250.
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SUBJECT: UNHAPPY READER
Hey i think u are a real jerk the way u annser people who write u with a problem U know not everyone is a master meckanik or has a collage degree so there u can go %$((^$*)$# yourself.
Dan the Man
YZ80s rule
Hmmm. Is it possible that you are less than satisfied (whoops, I mean u) with my performance? Now go away and don’t get in a race with a KTM 525 in the interim.
There, your YZ80 just might not rule.
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SUBJECT: 1978 RM400 SUZUKI CONFUSED CLUTCH
I wonder if you can answer a question that I have about my 1978 RM400C. This bike is all original and I bought it from a guy in 1982 that raced it semi-professionally. He informed me that the bike was race prepped by Suzuki and they added an extra clutch disc to the clutch package so that the increased power would not slip the clutch.
In fact, you cannot totally disengage the transmission using the clutch with the extra disc. He also gave me three different exhaust systems and a couple of extra rear sprockets for it when I bought it.
It still runs real strong, my only complaint is that it is hard to start and seems to have a weak spark when kicking it over. Is there anything that I should look for in the electrical system? Also, I will probably be selling this bike in the near future to finance a couple of quads for my family. Any ideas mwhere I can find people interested in this type bike?
Thanks in advance.
Steve
The people who sold you this bike are yanking your chain. You just can’t add a clutch plate to a bike. This bike is not a real collector’s item.
Basically, you have an old 400 RM that’s worth about 800 bucks if it’s in average decent condition.
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SUBJECT: 83 MAICO WORTH
Hunky,
Any advice, sell now or save the Maico 83 490 spyder for another day. I am 2nd owner(85) and its mmaculate(close anyway) any idea of a fair value
Carry on
mike garcia
I bought a fairly clean 83 490 for about $1500, so take it from there.
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SUBJECT: 1975 KAWASAKI KX400 GEARBOX PROBLEMS
I have a 1975 KX400 with an annoying penchant for missed shifts. It happens while racing, quick shifting and all, usually (but not restricted to) between 3rd and 4th gears, resulting in a wild over-rev and often a loss of position! Shift action is fine, but is a real bear to find neutral while the engine is running. Also, last race was extremly muddy. The bike was idling in neutral after a moto, caked with mud.
I rev’d the motor to shake some muck loose and the thing jumped into gear all by itself! I’ve replaced the 3 return springs on the internal shift mechanism to no avail. I suspect clutch springs.
Any ideas?
Keiser, OR
You probably have rounded dogs (the splines on the back side of the gears) that let the bike jump out of gear. And consider this: your bike is over 35 years old and the entire gearbox could be badly worn.
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SUBJECT: YZ490 STALWART
Man, you really get me mad when you rag on the YZ490. Did you know that there is a large group of 490 fans and we share information with each other to keep these beasts alive and running strong? Sure I have some jetting problems to work out but nothing is faster.
An apology is in order.
Frank W.
Chicago, IL
Why the YZ490 has fans is beyond me. When I tested the YZ490 back in the ‘80s, the vibration ripped the calluses off both hands at the end of two 45 minute motos. In spite of the efforts of the factory Yamaha mechanics, the bike was impossible keep jetted correctly with a temperature change of 10 degrees.
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SUBJECT: PICKING THE RIGHT VINTAGE BIKE
Hi Rick
I was wanting an older bike like a 74 250M elsinore, or a 74 yamaha MX 360, maybe both i cant fit on the newer ones as they are too tall I wish i could as i like the KX 250 and 500 of 99, but if you cant fit than ohh well, Seen alot of junk out there thats no good and over priced, like maicos too but i see too much hype on them as well as older huskys, do I just find an older yammie or an Elsie and be done with it, as i can get on those and then control them pretty god as I was riding since 69, new mini trial for X mas back then, sweet little bike, Id like to get a maico but heard about the so called maico breako junk, Like the TM 400s too but I know about the powerband on them, I just want something ill like and fit on and dont want a 4 stroke they feel like a putter round bike I see the yamaha 360’s but them I keep going back to the TM 250 and 400 if i could find a couple of good ones and that the PEI could be changed for a CDI out of a TS 400, I like the elsinores alright, and if i couldnt find a TM then Id settle for an Elsie or that dumb name the trendy crowd calls them, Ohh Rick I had a 125YZ A it was fast in a straight line but the horrible thermal flow shocks and front forks made it go all over the place, I mean i could take on 125 elsinores but when it came to bumps theres no one home, I just need your help and wisdom on this rick ok im like you total traditionalist, and total wisdom aka dont fix it if its not broke!
Kirk Conway
All things considered, I’d opt for a 73/74 Honda Elsinore 250. It will hold its value well and parts are easy to find. By the way, did you realize that your entire email was one sentence long? Jeez!
i have another question. i found a renthal 428 conversion kit. it has 16 front and 61 rear. would this work instead of the 15 front and 50 rear
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