I clearly recall the when Brad rode for Kawasaki, and he was a legend. Love those days.

There will never be a time quite like this for the remainder of Human History.....I am very thankful to have lived to ride through it myself....James....WA ST

I wanted a 501 so badly! Enjoying this channel! Thank you!

Remembering back, I recall that we, my then partner in a small wholesale concerned, Cycle Sport Distributors, lent a very young Brad a Maico for a local race at Point Richmond, CA, possibly his first experience on a Maico...just for the record.

Brad's great. Did you ever see Magoo ride a Maico ? Whoa !

Thanks for the history lesson on Maico motorcycles. I'm currently trying to convince a restoration project on my buddies 1 owner 1979 Maico 250. He bought it new and raced in 1979-80. It has been sitting since then but is in amazing condition considering.

Always wanted a Maico when I was racing as a kid but just couldn’t afford it and no Maico dealerships in the area, I later got sponsored by a local Bultaco dealer and that was great, 1970-1973 coming off a Honda, finally got a Maico in my old age a 1981 490 and man if I had this back in the day, great bikes way ahead on technology just couldn’t complete with Japanese factories

Would have been awesome to see Brad race the 490 sand spider in 1983 those bikes were absolute beast. In 1983 I was an 80 expert and I pulled up behind a 490 sand spider during practice session and got a complete helping of the roost coming off the back of it. I was completely annihilated my chest and hands were bruised terribly

My uncle was Maico factory rider Furman Gray. He finished on a 78’ Maico 440.

A 1974 400 like the one in the picture fully restored just came up forsale on FB marketplace!! Tempting. One of my neighbors had one when I was a kid of 13 and he would ride it in a large pasture near my house, no helmet no shirt doing wheelies through several gears. That was the 70’s!! Great bike. Brad was one of my Hero’s growing up. May he RIP! The 70’s was an incredible time in dirt bike development and a great time to grow up. Two strokes rule💪!

My dad has a 73 501 Maico he bought new, he grew up with Brad Lackeys dad in Richmond CA, and was a Richmond Rambler, I think we had one of Brad's old dirt bike vans, it was a Dodge, he was also good friends with Dick Mann, we had Ossas also, Brad, if you read this, my dad is Mike Sexson

Great commentary and presentation. I never knew about the Lackey/Maico connection. Only the Swedish pronunciation of AKE is (phonetically) is "OAK - AHH". Yea I remember well the Trans AMA series (was it 72?) where AKE was absolutely unbeatable. I saw him totally dominate the field at Carnegie Cycle Park, Livermore Ca. And ALL the Greats were running along with him, DeCoster, Kring, Aberg, Bauer, Weil, Hammergren, Mikkola etc and NOBODY could even get close to his speed and consistency. It was a spectacle, something that you never forget. It was all amazing AKE, but the bike played a SERIOUS role. Yea the Maico was the best of it's day, best all around "package" of handling and power. When AKE changed rides (after Maico) it never happened for him again. And the rest is history in the Golden age of Motocross. A Great time that lives on in so many memories, certainly mine.

Some guy already commented but I learned his name (Ake Jonsson) was pronounced "Ockey Yonson".....whatever; he was absolutely incredible that season (1972)....I'll never forget it. I bought his book later, "The Technique of Motocross".....best book ever on philosophy and training of motocross racing ever. I learned more from that book than from anything other than experience itself. I went on to win many motos, races, and a six race series before turning pro.

Great History lesson, Thanks.

Great video Toby. I would love to see the videos you have collected from movies. On a side note Brad Lackey is my favorite motorcross racer of all time.

The more maico video's the better. love this stuff man, I appreciate the time an effort you put into your video's toby...

Marcos are awesome bike! I rode a 440 and a 490 and they were sweet!!!

A motorcycle museum in Pacific Grove? Great! Going to stop by and enjoy the sights of years past. Remembering my first visit to a international motocross was at a track near Uvas Dam near Morgan Hill California. It was so loud without the mufflers back then. The works Suzukis ridden by Joel Robert and Sylvain Geboers. That was one mudder of a track, but the Euros likened it to a European track. Thank you for posting your videos.

My 1980 Maico 440 was my first new bike

I would love to see a video on the history of Maico racing. Like I've said before, I so much wanted one in the 70's, but you just never seen them here in Mi. Rescued a 400 from the scrapper a while back and it currently is in pieces. Your channel is very informative and I appreciate you sending me the info to help with the resto. Will be looking forward to the video. Take care, See you next post.

I love watching the old Mx races, so much better than the new stuff, I still have my old 1981 490 maico I just can’t get rid of it and I’m 66 years old

Owned a 1975 Maico 250, the best-handling bike I have ever owned. I just wished I knew how to maintain it correctly..

I was a teenager in early 70s, and loved the Maico bike. Couldn't afford one, but remember watching a guy in the sandpits practicing on a 501, (4 spd tranny). the thing had a rooster tail 15' in the air every time he opened the throttle. Wish i had that bike today. (When the tanks were yellow)

Thanks DowntownDogMan... Yes, Ake Jonsson is pronounced AH-KEY YAWNSUN

Joel Robert is from Belgium, so you pronounce his name: "Ro - Bare", I watched him win the InterAM race in Wichita, KS back in 1969 on his 250cc CZ. He was dominant at that point in his career having won the 250cc world championship multiple times in the '60's.

Its always fun to listen to a kid talk about "the good old days." The correct pronunciation is AH KEE YON SUN. Not AKE Like "Take" without the T. And Joel Robert is pronounced JOE ELL ROE BEAR, not JOLE. I do like the Maico stuff, however. Raced a GP Radial head 450 in 1974 and 1975 and NEVER lost the hole shot! They were FAST AS HELL. And I know cuz I was there. I actually spent the evening with Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy, Marty Smith, Tommy Croft, Roger Decoster, Gerrit Wolsink and others at the Niles, MI Honda shop the night before the National at Red Bud in 1974 as a guest of the track owners son who was a good friend.

Please make more Maico videos 🙏

Soooo. As a 13 year old I was at Saddleback for the Grand Prix ... Lackey, De Coaster, De Soto and the gang. While I had bultaco and my bro's had CZ' s and Huskies... the bike we all wanted was the 501 baby If you can't kick it over, you shouldn't be allowed to ride it. Put your best wheel sideways!

Great vid as usual

Maico , Germans make Great bikes, bad Ass. I was born in 1965 so I grew up with all the Greats!!! I wish I had my Yamahas and Dirt Bike Magazines , GREAT TIMES

Ake Jonsson pronunciation "Ah-kee Yahn - Son

Very cool

Really old guy says the pronunciation is ahkee yonson.

Really interesting 🏁🏁🏁🏁

It is Åke, not Ake, and is in two syllables. You did not mention Husqvarna. At the beginning of the season, Heikki Mikkola managed to win one event. They also had two top flight Swedish riders Bengt Åberg and Arne Kring on light factory bikes who could not beat Åke either. Bengt Åberg tried his heart out at Livermore and Saddleback. Finally, the Maico was technically not quite stock. It had a 250cc clutch to make its engine case narrower and rev faster. It was also carefully matched in the ports but this is just something that can be done with any well built stock engine.

Great vid,thumbs up,but my ears still ache from hearing you call Ake Jonsson "Ache Johnson"

Best bike I ever races! I had a 250 and 400.

Lackey buen corredor de época entre los mejores del motocross 15/05/2022

I love a maico they were always so advanced back in 70s

Brad came to Spokane Washington in 1967 or 68 to compete in a race out at a place called 9 mile falls. He was the headliner and got his ass handed to him by a local kid named Gary Sprint. I don't know what ever happened to Gary but he was the best most talented rider around the Northwest area. He may have still been in high school at the time. Good times for sure.

About 79 or80 my brothers good friend got a maico 250 we had grown up with Honda Elsinore,s all the way. up to 79 Cr 250,. but we never. saw anything. like that. Maico.

Had a 1977 AW 250 👍🏻

My oldest son I named after Brad. He was born same year Lackey just won n the world title. Brad Lokken is now 35

Cool video, I learned to ride on a 73 RADIAL maico. BTW Its pronounced Ah-kee Yonson.

I had a 1983 Maico 490. Best power-band (had cr500also) and the thing could turn. The single shock was the weak spot:(

My understanding is that Mr. Lackey had one year left on his Suzuki contract and they had to pay him even if he didn't race for them in '83.

Thanks for the article. love Maico and pray for usa. Had to go KTM this year.

Golly ..ain't heard of Ake in 50 yrs. !

LOL...BILL COSBY tried to have his way with everything...

I've been doing a lot of research on Carrera eyewear and it brought me here, strange how just following a sponsor can introduce you to some great characters

“Big Red, and his *Mighty Four-Ninety…”*

Toby thanks for the nice video FYI - it is pronounced Ah-K not ache

I read somewhere that Honda bought a few Maicos and back engineered them and that's how the Honda Elsinore bikes came to be can anyone confirm this?

They were GREAT bikes, I wish they did NOT cut corners they would have still been around!!

By the way. Ake Jonsson's name is pronounced "Ockee Onson." Ake rhymes with hockey.

please use a pop-filter! Happy riding...and recording...

LOL...Bill Cosby even tried to have his way with a PAIR OF MAICOS.....IT had to of been a TWO STROKE....

Too bad you haven't done a video explaining WHY Maico's bik gore bikes apparently handled better than competing brands. Is it the frame geometry? Is it the center of gravity? The seat height? The power delivery? The forks design? Is it the fact that the engine had a chain primary drive, thus reversing many of the axle directions? Other brands bought one to study it, but apparently they never figured it out. In my view, nobody has ever explained it adequately. If they could explain it, then somebody should be able to modify one of the other brands' bike to match the handling. But as of yet nobody ever figured it all out.

Ah-key Yon-son, not 'Ache' Johnson'.

ACHE Jonsson? Try AH KAY

Common dude, appreciate your affection for maico's but it's pronounced aw-kee Johnson not Ake as its spelled and, Joel Robert is pronounced jo-ell....my two heros when I was a 13 yr.old racing motocross in that era.....no disrespect intended😊

ake is pronounced AKEE ah key Jonnson is onson J is silent

I remember gerrit wolsink calling maicos a piece of shit in a interview.

great video!!!!!!!!!! Maico's all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!! just sayin

Maicos!

😂I love 😘 my macio

"Radial", not "radical".

Ah-kee, NOT Ache. 🙄

It's pronounced Mike + o.

Everyone knows Bad Brad

Pronounced “ahkay Yonson”…

Thank you for all your videos over the years and YES, post all you can please! As for the dumbass "chinese" posters, someone help us identify them and ban them from our sport forever, like pete rose and the hall of fame. No, im serious, lifetime banned.

its aaa keee not ache too funny

Jeez, you're pronunciation of their names, ache Johnson,and its pronounced ,Joe-ell Row-Bear, and Row-Zhaw De-Coaster

It's pronounced ok-ee, not ache