Eric Gorr

Engine Builder
Jun 29, 1999
384
12
I'm a part owner in a Maico AW 125
To win 1 free book of your choice,
Performance Handbook
Pro Motocross Riding Handbook
Freestyle MX
Answer this 3-part question;
What famous rider was the Maico AW125 named after, what nationality was he, and what famous movie star did he resemble?
If you have any old issues of Dirt Bike the resemblance question was touted all the time.

To win you have to post your answer here and provide your email address so I can write you for your mailing address and book preference.

Ready set GO!
 

Oregon Trail

~SPONSOR~
Aug 2, 1999
263
0
Adolf(ph?) Weil was from West Germany and looked like Paul Newman. Did I win? caruso@mind.net

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91 KDX250
81 Husky 430 XC
72 WR 250

[This message has been edited by Oregon Trail (edited 01-18-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Oregon Trail (edited 01-18-2001).]
 

markthomps

Sponsoring Member
May 27, 2000
255
0
Adolph Weil, West German, Paul Newman.

Sheesh, I thought this was going to be a tough trivia contest.

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'81 490 Maico (King Kong!), 2000 CR250, 74-1/2 GP400 Maico, buncha street stuff
 

Eric Gorr

Engine Builder
Jun 29, 1999
384
12
Whewhew! Oregon Trail is the winner!
OK Mark, you want to show us your Maico brilliance, sorry no prize for this one.
There was a tuning shop in America, in the 1970s, that did some of the most inovative Maico mods ever. Including up-pipes and cantilever suspension. However the shop wasn't located in SoCal. It was in an unlikely place and owned by a guy who made his marque in another motorsport.
For absolutely no money or prizes, what was the name of the man and his shop and what sport is he famous in?

BTW He would make an excellent interviewee for VMX!
 

Zoomer

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Nov 17, 2000
835
0
Hey Mark, waited long enough for you to reply, I think I have the answer. How about
Olav Aaen from Kenosha WI, Aaen Performance
Big in snowmobile aftermarket products
(Hey got this from Jim Webber, so don't get
to upset with me)
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Aztalan VP
YZ400f
74 KX 450 (2)
 

markthomps

Sponsoring Member
May 27, 2000
255
0
Eric, that would be Olav Aaen, whose bikes and modified snowmobiles I rode many times. I also traveled with him to some snowmobile events and he was a sponsor of my old friend Scott Wallenberg when both of us ran Cycle Times in Chicago. His up pipes were The Thing to have on an AW Maico. Scott of course is now in charge of Racer-X and I'll be hooking up with him in Indy next month.

Would've answered this one in about .02 nanoseconds if I'd be online at the time.

As long as we're playing Maico Trivia For Big Zero Prizes, in what year did Maico almost win the world championship, finishing second instead because of what problem? Extra points if you can also name the rider.

That should keep you busy for a while . . .

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'81 490 Maico (King Kong!), 2000 CR250, 74-1/2 GP400 Maico, buncha street stuff
 

VintageDirt

Baked Spud
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 1, 2001
3,043
9
I know a part of this...

During a race for the championship the spark plug shot out of the cylinder because the factory mechanic wasn't familiar with the new radial heads and the fins interfered with the plug wrench. He thought the plug was tight but it wasn't.

I don't remember who lost the championship but it must have been about 1973.

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'00 Honda XR400
'73 Maico MC400 (most of it anyway)
'73 CZ 380
'70 Bultaco Sherpa T
Vintage Dirt Home Page
 

VintageDirt

Baked Spud
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jan 1, 2001
3,043
9
So...Mark
When do we get the answer?

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'00 Honda XR400
'73 Maico MC400 (most of it anyway)
'73 CZ 380
'70 Bultaco Sherpa T
Vintage Dirt Home Page
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
Vintage Dirt - I've got a text source that I checked last night. Ake Jonsson is the only Maico rider to finish 2nd in the championships, and that year was 1971. My source indicates that DeCoster and Jonsson were neck and neck going into the final round. The spare plug in the head of Jonsson's bike fell out in the first moto. I believe Jonsson won the 2nd moto, but it was too little too late.

Jonsson was also in contention on a Maico during 1970, but mechanical problems at the final round dropped him to 3rd.
 

markthomps

Sponsoring Member
May 27, 2000
255
0
I'm curious what book vintagedirt is referring to, but anyhow the correct answers are Willi Bauer, 1973 and yeah, the mechanic couldn't install a spark plug correctly.

Maico never won a world championship title, but its riders were always up there. Many of them went on to ride for the Japanese factories (Wolsink et al) and did collect world titles.

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'81 490 Maico (King Kong!), 2000 CR250, 74-1/2 GP400 Maico, buncha street stuff
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
As far as I can tell, the only former Maico factory riders to collect world titles on Japanese bikes were Graham Noyce (Honda 500) and Neil Hudson (Yamaha 250). The Dutch dentist never managed to get one, unfortunately.

Regarding Ake Jonsson, 1971 and the unscrewed plug, this is a quote from "The World of Motorcycles, an Illustrated Encylopedia", published by Orbis Publishing, London, 1979 (great set of books, BTW).

"All eyes were on the two leading contenders as the first race got under way but on the first lap Jonsson slowed down and eventually stopped. The reserve spark plug on his machine had unscrewed causing a complete lack of compression."

With a plug added, Jonsson stormed from a lap down to get 10th in the moto. Despite Jonsson's winning the second moto, DeCoster won his first world 500 championship.

The same text reports that prior to sweeping both motos at the '71 MXdN, Jonsson was observed tightening his spark plugs
smile.gif


Further research does show that Bauer did get 2nd in the 1973 500cc and Weil got second in the 1973 250cc. Couldn't find any reference to problems that knocked them out of first.

[This message has been edited by dirt bike dave (edited 01-20-2001).]
 

markthomps

Sponsoring Member
May 27, 2000
255
0
Dave, that's what's wonderful about history! It changes, based on who wrote what when. Anyhow, your book ref may be correct as I was referring to a magazine article that talked about the good ol' days. I think the writer got 2/3 of the facts correct, but was wrong about the spark plug problem for Bauer. More research is definitely called for . . .

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'81 490 Maico (King Kong!), 2000 CR250, 74-1/2 GP400 Maico, buncha street stuff
 

Eric Gorr

Engine Builder
Jun 29, 1999
384
12
Mark, I didn't realize that you were affiliated with the old Cycling Times paper where Scott Wallenberg first got his start. I raced at the same time as Scott, 1971-79 and was witness to some of the most interesting innovations during the "Forward Mounted Shock Revolution". Olav Aaen was my hero engineer when I was growing up. Although I never worked for him, I bought and clipped everything he wrote. His early work in the motocross business was great. Nobody can say that in those days the SoCal crowd was leading the way. The fire back then was vibrant in the Midwest.
An interview with Aaen might make an interesting article for VMX. He was so ahead of his time. If you guys at VMX ever want me to do some moto-journalist legwork here in the Midwest, count on me!
Also, a delagation of DRN moderators are heading to the Indy show to take pictures and do stories on new products, lets all meet for a photo!
 

markthomps

Sponsoring Member
May 27, 2000
255
0
Eric, I was the editor of Cycle Times for about 5 or 6 of the busiest years of my misspent life. I ran the magazines although I didn't own them, sad to say. However, back then I went by the name of DT Schmidlin (long story)and yeah, I'm the guy who helped make Scott famous : ) Most of the photos you ever saw of Scott were ones I took. I've seen them used in FMF catalogs, various Hi-Torque publications and who knows where else. That shot of Scott sideways on an AW400 with an Aaen Racing up-pipe and jersey on, is mine, taken at Byron. I like the idea of a story on Aaen, so let me run it past the publisher of VMX, but it's definitely one I'd like to see. Thanks for the idea! As for Indy dealer show, tell me when and where and I'll be there. BTW, if you have any old copies of Cycle Times let me know. I lost almost everything in one of those basement flooding incidents (the sump pump was apparently made by Lucus) and have almost nothing to show from all those years.

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'81 490 Maico (King Kong!), 2000 CR250, 74-1/2 GP400 Maico, buncha street stuff
 

Eric Gorr

Engine Builder
Jun 29, 1999
384
12
I recognise the DT name but I never met you at the time. You and Scott ran an interesting publication back then, kind of a 2 man show!
Regarding the name of the famously grumpy mechanic of Olav's, that would be Jimmy the Greek. I never knew his last name but I assume it was something Greek!
 
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