After reviving my interest in motorcycling by purchasing a Royal Enfield (see previous blog) , and being asked by Angus “Don’t you already have a motorbike in the shed and…. CAN I RIDE IT !!!!! ? ” I decided to restore my old trail bike which has sat in the shed under a shower curtain since the 90’s.
HISTORY
The bike is a Maico which like the Royal Enfield is a marque steeped in history.
Founded in 1926 by Otto and Wilhelm Maisch, Maicowerk A.G. made road bikes and scooters but were most famous for their high-powered motocross and cross-country bikes of the 70’s and early 80’s.
Maico went bankrupt in 1983 and a new company was formed by the sons of Wilhelm Maisch , Peter and Hans called Gebruder Maisch (Maisch Brothers), hence the GM prefix in the model numbers and GMStar brand on the seat which distinguish it from a “real” Maico.
Before I purchased the bike I had been a Honda fan having bought my first bike second hand, an 83 XR200R and quickly upgraded to a new 1985 XR350R and started competing in Enduro races.Back then I was a skinny 19 yr old weighing in at about 65Kg on a bike that was twice my own mass.
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With lots of weight, not much power and pogo-stick suspension I quickly was persuaded by the German riding crew from Hawkesbury MCC that I had to ” Go German or Go Home”. At that stage European bikes ( Husqvarna, KTM and Maico) were miles ahead of the Jap bikes especially in Enduro.
This was the motocross bike, the Enduro had different gearing and a head light & tail light.
Maico manuals and brochures list the bike having an Ohlin shock rather than the White Power that I have so it is possible that I have one of the pre-production models.
Not many of these bikes were produced, I read on one forum that only 100 were made. I knew about half a dozen people who had one of them in Australia back in the time.
I assume most of them are dead and buried ( there was one mentioned on the forum )
It also mentioned the existence of another pre-production model. Maybe its mine that they were alluding to ????
The new model was a bit of a break-thru as it had massive suspension, excellent handling, front and rear disc brakes and an exhaust power-valve that gave grunty off the throttle bottom end torque like a four-stroke. From the specs I gather it had 17HP off idle and 49HP at 8000rpm.
As you can see from the above specs the bike had an outstanding power-to-weight ratio
100kg( 220LB) and 49HP = 4.4LB / HP
I wished I had a 500 – but my arms would be 6 inches longer now trying to hang on !!
Here’s me back in the day
So I purchased the Maico some time in 1986 and rode Enduros on it for a few years and then as things change and people move on, I lost interest in competitive riding but over the years managed to go for the odd social ride however eventually I ended up simply not knowing anyone who owned a dirt bike anymore and I gave up 🙁
The bike developed a problem with the hydraulic brakes and hence did not pass rego the next year and then due to neglect over time the master cylinders seized and it was all put in the “too hard basket”.
INSPECTION
I dragged it out of the shed dusted it off and assessed the damage.
I knew the brakes needed a complete rebuild and were my worst nightmare.
After all, the brakes were the cause of the demise of the bike in the first place and if they could not be fixed it was a show-stopper, even if I managed to get the bike to “go” it was no use unless it also “stopped”.
Front suspension – fork legs rusted, needs fork service
Rear shock – don’t want to think about it
Chain – seized, wear pad and roller rotten
Front sprocket – broken tooth and worn
Air filter – foam disintegrated but the cage was intact
I removed the spark plug and it was black and oily
Opened the radiator and its contents were clean and green
Checked the gearbox oil and it looked water-free
Plastics looking a little worn and sun faded
Electrics – fingers crossed
Engine – cranks over OK
Tyres – rock hard rubber
Exhaust pipe – needs dent removal and welding
I have some schrader valve (tyre) fittings from an earlier repair that you weld to each end of the pipe and after heating up with an oxy set you pump and pressurise the pipe to blow out the dents
The old home-made bash guard needs some TLC along with the pipe
Riding gear – 80’s style and too tight, waist 32″ but still fits my 36″ butt
Ok things don’t look that bad in the “Go” department – still worried about the stoppers though.
After talking to some people I thought I would take the plunge and try to start it
I used some mower fuel as it is richer in oil and started it up briefly just so I knew it ran.
Phew !!! – off to the intamanet
RESEARCH
Found some local sites/forums and came across http://www.vmxunlimited.com/which listed some of the parts I needed and some that I might need in the future. Gave them a call and got some good advice from Les and also some contacts for servicing.
I decided to concentrate on the brakes and found http://www.burtbrosautomotive.com.au/
who rebuild brakes and after a quick chat bundled up my parts and brought them over. Troy arranged a quote for the master cylinders and callipers to be refurbished and some new hoses and fittings.
Whilst I was waiting for the brakes I thought I would investigate all the other parts required and decide on a plan of attack since I did not want to spend money on frilly-bits if the brakes were totalled and I was back to square-one. I also did not want to replace anything that was not absolutely necessary as until I rode it I would not know if the bike had any other serious problems…..Like a bottom end bearing or piston ring etc.
REBUILD
To get the motor running properly it needed an air filter so that was the first investment.
Uni-Filter had a filter in stock and still have the pattern if they need to make more.
Next the oil and coolant needed to be replaced and after dumping the murky gear box oil I thought I better open the clutch cover in case coolant had leaked into it thru a gasket or the water pump.
There was a little rust on the top of the clutch plates just where they were exposed to the air but no signs of water ingress as all of the gears etc were fine.
I also drained the coolant and it looked good too – no rust or oil to be seen
After buying some Loctite RTV silicone to make a gasket I re assembled the motor and mixed up some fuel prepared to start it up. It ran OK, a bit smokey but it revved cleanly and idled once warmed up. So that’s another test out of the way but I still won’t know if the thing is any good till I get it on a track.
I got the call from Burt Bros. that the brakes could be repaired but custom seals had to be made and it would take a few weeks.
I went about fixing the second group of items needing attention to actually ride the bike.
I removed the rear wheel and cleaned out the chain adjusters and spacers waiting for the calliper to return before completing the rear end assembly.
I replaced the front sprocket as it was worn out and had a broken tooth (sounds like me)
Lucky Maico used the same shaft as KTMs and the sprocket is an off the shelf item $35
I had a spare chain but before I could fit it I needed to replace the chain wear pad and roller which were not available locally and could not be seen on either the UK or Canadian Maico sites. I went down to Motor Cycle Accessories Supermarket and looked around their plastics dept. as they had heaps of UFO gear which was stock on the bike.
I picked up a pair of fork gaiters $30 and some UFO headlight straps $15 and a UFO chain guide from an XR600 for $50.
Turned it upside down since Maico runs the chain and kick-starter on the opposite side to other bikes and it sort of fitted but due to differences in the shape of the swing-arm I had to “take to it” with my electric hand planer. After making a jig to hold it I was able to remove the too-thick bits so it had clearance for the roller and fit the swing arm properly.
Next I needed a roller so I went and saw Jason from ESS Boardstore who had some second hand skateboard wheels but unfortunately they were too large in diameter even though the bearing etc fitted – I quickly discounted turning them down on a lathe as I could see a wheel comming out of the chuck and being implanted in my forehead. DOH!
By fluke I needed some motor oil for Angus’ bike and when I went to DHZ’s factory to pick it up I noticed on the shelf next to the oil an assortment of chain rollers!!! Only $10 ea.
So the drive line was ready but I could not install the rear wheel properly untill the brakes came back.
BRAKES
I got the call that the brakes were fixed and after picking them up I went about installing them ASAP as they were the last thing “stopping” me (yes sorry bad pun) from riding it.
I fitted the rear calliper first as that would facilitate installing the rear wheel and chain etc
Then I went about installing the master cylinder and hose and completed the rear end assembly and refitted the chain then needed to bleed the brakes ……ARGGGH!!!!
I could not manage to get any pressure at all and then I noticed the fittings were weeping indicating a leak. The problem was the copper washers were too large in diameter and were fouling the recess where the brake line fitting screws in.
I dropped in and saw Steve from http://www.bandrbrakes-castlehill.com.au/ and he sorted me out with an assortment of washers and some circlips for the brake pad retainers. It turns out he is an MX rider himself and was very helpful with advice and well wishes.
The smaller washers did the trick and after a few phone calls and some advice from Troy and Mick from Burt Bros I finally managed to get pressure on the rear brake.
Next was the front. I installed the calliper and master cylinder and started the bleed process and again had issues with the washers but knew what to do this time as I had got some some extra washers from Steve just incase.
Once the pads started to bite I thought I will do a rolling test and then start it up and have a bit of a ride around the back yard WOO HOO its running…..But my joy was short lived.
I got some more pressure happening in the front by continuing to bleed the brakes but noticed that the lever hit the bars so I went and adjusted the position of the master-cylinder on the bars to get better purchase and a complete stroke and I knocked the plastic inspection window out of the master cylinder !!!!
Fluid pissed everywhere and I just stood there mouth open for a few seconds while my damaged brain processed the information and realised what I just did.
The thing was brittle yellowed plastic with S.F.A. chance of glue working on it especially since it was held in with an o-ring which would prevent the two bits sticking back together.
Then my natural reaction kicked in and I started chucking tools and kicking the dog.
At this time of the restoration, after spending two days bleeding the brakes, I just wanted to put the bike on a trailer and take it to the tip
IT WAS FRICKING RUNNING 2 MINUTES BEFORE ..NOW ITS STUFFED AGAIN
All that work down the drain and I still did not know if the bloody engine worked properly.
No riding today….sent the family off to Surf Life Saving Nippers training and packed the tools up.
I got a beer out of the fridge and forgot about motorcycles for the rest of the day.
Sometime during the night after lots of beer I had a brain wave. I had used a product before to repair surfboards and other broken things called Selley’s Aqua Kneed It – a water proof epoxy putty.
Sunday morning was the Bennent Board Carninval at the beach but it was 4ft plus solid onshore and I knew the outcome. I passed on Nippers and sent the family off to the beach without me once more and got on the Enfield and rode down to bunnings. Walked to the adhesive aisle and after discounting any araldite or expoy glues which may not stick to the plastic anyway I found what I needed – Selleys Metal Kneed It.
It said – “repairs radiators engine parts fuel tanks etc – can be machined or drilled etc”
So without getting my hopes up I roughly fashioned a plug for the mastercylinder fluid level inspection window and moulded it into position and went and watched telly for an hour.
I mounted the master cylinder on the bike again filled it up with brake fluid and “Hey Presto” no leaks – BULL SHIT !!!!!!! I could not believe how easy was that…..I was kicking myself
Why the hell didn’t I do that yesterday ? – I was too pissed off to think straight and consequently did not take any photos of the disaster either.
So I quickly bled the front brakes and packed up all my gear, rang the missus and found that as suspected the board race was off as Warringah Council closed the beach.
They returned home in time for me to load the bike on the trailer and head to Pacific Park.
TEST RIDE
We arrived at the track with only a couple of hours riding time since it was almost 4pm
I unloaded Angus’ bike and whilst he geared up I unload mine and started them both up.
I left Jenny to supervise Angus and Emma on the beginners track and I took off to do some laps on the flat track.
The bike felt good but I did not push it as god knows what’s been going on inside the motor.
After a few laps I came back and assessed things and oiled the chain. For some reason the air valves on the from forks were letting oil out and it sprayed all over me which its probably due to the fork oil thinning over time. Some tyre valve caps did the trick.
A fork service is next on the to-do list along with installation of the fork gaiters I purchased.
I have already spoken to Allan from http://www.maw.com.au/ at Castle Hill about doing the work since he is also a Maico owner having a 70’s motocrosser and a Bultaco.
The front brake still felt a bit spongey and scared me approaching a few fast corners.
Another factor is that there was some scale on the fron disc and I may have bought pretty hard sintered pads which I may swap to the rear to save drag-wear which happens from touching the pedal with your foot by accident etc.
Everything else seemed OK so I just went and rode it for a while and then took the kids for a ride out to the back tracks where they had not ridden before.
It was good to finally be able to ride the bike again after over a decade and it was certainly good to go riding with the kids – can’t wait for Emma to get her bike.
Clutch hands
Emma all pimped out in her new riding gear on Angus’ bike
Angus leading the way
I turned to the left, whilst Angus and Emma, being experienced went right
So even though there is alot to do on the bike I am very impressed that I was able to get it running again after so many years in the shed.
The plan is to attack the front forks asap and then some tyres followed by new bars and grips then look at the electrics and lights so I can attempt to get it re-registered again.
CREDITS
Thanks again to
Les from VMX Unlimited (Mainly Maico)
Troy and Mick from Burt Brothers
Steve from B&R Brakes
Allan from Motorcycle Accessory Warehouse
Ben from MCAS Auburn
for the advice and great service in helping me get it going again.
Upon purchasing my new Royal Enfield motorcycle I was given a years subscription to the RECOAINC in other words the Royal Enfield Club of Australia. The Club meets once a month at an inner city pub and usually arranges a monthly ride.
Due to timing of buying the bike and Fathers Day Fun Night commitments at Cubs I had missed the August and September meetings but was invited along on a club ride.
Having never been in a motorcycle club before I wasn’t sure what to expect but went along with an open mind and thought if anything I would get some more miles on the bike and a bit more experience in road riding.
I was to meet the group around 900-930 at McGrath’s Hill McDonald’s as the rest of the group were starting at Sydney Park in St Peters near the Royal Enfield Dealer Motociclo.
I got there early and had some breakfast. There were heaps of bikes around but I could not identify any Royal Enfields.
Eventually a guy on a Harley(Peter) turned up who was there to meet up with Bruce the NSW President and do part of the ride, and another guy from up the mountains (Doug) who was going to ride to the Jenolan turn off and head home.
They were staring to wonder where the rest of the group was.
I thought, maybe no-one showed up in the city or someone broke down etc….?
Oh well if they dont show I’ll ride up the mountains with these two guys and then drop in and see my mate Jim who has a Triumph and go for a quick ride out to Bathurst or somewhere with him if he had time.
Shortly after they turned up a few at a time and after introductions and a coffee etc we took off for the mountains, through Richmond and up the Bells line of road.
Photo courtesy of Doug (taken from the Enfield Forum)
We pulled over before Bell for a break and to let everyone know we were going to turn off at the Causeway and go to MT Vic.
The two big Enfields Mike’s Carberry 1070 V-Twin and Doug’s 1968 Interceptor 750 Twin
The two big super bikes that “tagged along” can be seen behind the red Carberry
Kevin’s BMW S 1000 RR and Pauls Kawasaki Ninja 1100
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In this picture you can see my bike and all the junk I brought and Alistair’s bike on the right with no saddlebags and him with only a small back pack for the trip.
I was the newbie and not experienced in motorcycle touring and as such I had 2 panniers and a set of saddle bags and I seemingly found myself continually opening and closing the bags, looking for things and either getting things out or putting things away every time we stopped.
I am now tempted to remove my pillion seat ( Jenny refuses to ride on the back anyway )
That way I wont be able to run panniers or saddle bags and wont be able to take anything “on the bike”. Not only does the bike look cleaner the less room you have the less crap you can bring.
I think a leather tool roll and a puncture repair kit should do it and I’ll run that slime stuff in my tubes so I don’t have to carry a spare one.Then a back pack with some undies and a toothbrush should be sufficient for an overnight trip.
We’ll see next trip whether I’ll be eating my words but the clean look of the bike is a big incentive !
Note – UPDATE – the pillion seat is now off along with the saddle baggage !!!!
Next we went through Mt Victoria and down Victoria Pass to the Full Throttle Cafe and had some morning tea.
They had delicious home made pies and “motorcycling themed” burgers etc.
Peter and Pat look at Peter’s 2006 Harley along with Alistair’s very tidy Enfield
Notice the Suzuki on the roof
Next it was off to Jenolan Caves, a road side sign informed us of fallen trees and since the wind was gusting during the Blue Mountains leg I knew what to expect as we turned south.
Fortunately we passed an SES truck and 4WD on their way out so we assumed the road would now be clear, along the way the road itself was littered with gum leaves branches and sawdust – a tell-tale sign of the SES’s good work, with many fallen trees visible on the roadside.
We didn’t stop long at Jenolan as we wanted to get to Taralga before it got too late and the roos came out and / or it started to rain.
We left Jenolan via the back road to Edith and then to Oberon where we had a beer at the Royal Hotel and those who needed to re-fuelled their bikes too.
I put on another thermal top and some inner thermal gloves and debated whether I should put on my wet weather gear as the sky was looking ominous.
Sure enough on the Oberon-Taralga road it started to rain slightly, Roger stopped to put on some rain gear ( washing up gloves over woolly thermal inners and a nylon over jacket) and at one point we pondered whether we heard sleet on our helmet’s visors. I pulled over too since we were the last two riders of the group. I decided to soldier on in my jeans but took the opportunity to un-drink which made me slightly more comfortable.
By the time we got to the pub we were freezing, I could not feel my knee caps and all I could think was I’m glad I bought a full face helmet for this trip and looked at those with lexan screens with envy.
After finding our rooms and dumping our gear Roger needed to have a shower to thaw out but I decided a beer by the fire was the go as my knees were damp.(well that was my excuse)
We were met at the pub by Stewart and his wife Terry from Bowral and Mick and Helen from Bungendore along with Gary also from Bungendore.
After sufficient re-fulling we made our way to the dinning room and had dinner after which some retired to bed and others adjourned to the pool room.
The 9am ETD in the morning gave me time to take some photos as I am an early riser I had a shower, a cup of coffee and some toast (provided at the pub’s self serve ktichenette) and headed out to take some photos of the town with Mike.
Enfields only this end
Taralga Hotel Est 1876
The Pub was built in four stages by the looks
The original front section in 1876
The rear section in stone in 1911
The grey painted brick section on the left probably 50’s or 60’s etc
and the Cafe styled beer garden outdoor area with storm clears more recently
Post office apparently made in 2580 !!!
Daredevil Photograher
Lookout a car!
Baaa
Cute little bank
Art Deco RSL Club
Anti-Queues Shop
We left Taralga and headed to Goulburn for breakfast, after ditching the Bakery as it was too busy we ended up at the Green Grocer Cycling Cafe which was a hybrid of a up-market bicycle shop, a green grocer and a cafe (which took up most of the floor space).
Hanging above the counter was a carbon frame ticketed at $9500
“can I have a hamburger with egg and a can of coke”
“would you like fries with that?”
“no but I’ll have that carbon frame and a kilo of carrots please …..do you take AM-EX?”
After another excellent feed we headed off to the Southern Highlands and said good bye to the Bungendorians.
We went along Mountain Ash Rd to Bungonia then back to the Hume for a short while to Highland Way to Tallong Wingello Penrose to Bundanoon
Bundanoon Railway Station
The last stop for the whole group
After a quick break at Bundanoon the group split as from here people headed toward their final destinations via different routes.
Bruce and I decided to continue through the Southern Highlands and onto the Camden Valley passing through Exeter, Moss Vale, Bowral, Mittagong, Yerrinbool, Bomaderry, Yanderra, and a final stop at Bargo for a drink and un-drink and to take all our thermals off etc as we were approaching sea level and it was getting warm.
As we were talking Ian, Roger and Alistair turned up and asked “how did you guys get in front of us?”
Turns out Stewart (a local) took them on a more scenic route but I cant recall which way they went.
So the five of us left Bargo, Ian departed the group first then Roger and Alistair peeled of towards the M5’s direction, Bruce lead me through Tahmoor Picton Razorback Camden Park and then to Narellan where we made our way back via Camden Valley way to Cowpasture Rd then to Ferrers Rd to Eastern Creek.
From there we went along the Great Western to the Prospect Hwy then to Seven hills and said our goodbyes as he detoured to Baulkham Hills as I crossed Winston Hills home to Northmead.
What a trip !
Thanks again to all the guys for making it such a memorable first Royal Enfield Club trip.
Click on link to see map
Sometime in July, I did a job in the inner-west and was passed by a bike that I had not seen before “in the flesh”. It was in military spec so I assumed it was old, it had a single cylinder motor with wartime Harley Davidson looks about it. I followed the bike for a while in the traffic, along South Darling St, across the harbour and lost it about Falcon St.
I have always had an interest in choppers but had become more interested in recent years after watching the American Chopper series, I even bought a classic cruiser push bike with similar looks to the Enfield – black frame with chrome bars / wheels / etc, springer seat and full mud guards as there was no way I could afford the $50k required for a custom Harley. I considered other classic styles of bikes, Triumph, old BMWs even Ural but it was still out of reach. A friend of mine has a 2005 Triumph T100 Bonneville and I always thought I’d like to get a similar bike one day if I had the money. I had heard of the Royal Enfield brand before and knew a bit of the history (well, enough to know it was originally British but then made in India) They originally made guns and then bikes and went broke like BSA, Norton et al with the Jap bike revolution. So I went on the Internet and started investigating out of curiosity. I had no idea they had been revamped, were imported into the country and available new here as I assumed the bike I saw was a private import and old.
The Enfield seemed to “tick all the boxes” – Classic look and feel, affordable, not too powerful, easy to ride, customisable, no work compared to buying an old bike. After a couple of visits to the local dealer Motociclo who were great I eventually went on a test ride. No brainer – within a month of seeing one I had one!
The bike has modern features like electric start, electronic ignition, electronic fuel injection, a twin piston front disc brake, modern performance road tyres, side-stand and roll-over cut outs and lambda sensor/catalytic convertor etc. However it retains some traits of yester-year ; Drum rear brake, 80mm/120mm suspension, no counter balance shaft in the motor, spoke wheels with tube tyres.
All in all a great way to be conveyed from one place to another in a timely fashion without rushing
Angus and I went to Thredbo the for opening weekend. It’s usually a social weekend, chance to catch up with mates that we haven’t seen since last season, rather than excellent skiing. Due to lack of natural snow at this time of year, skiing is limited usually to the Merrits area which is a bit boring and High Noon which at this time of year is icy and patchy.
Knowing this I decided to bring along Emma’s touring Tele skis and boots so Angus, Telecrag and I could go for a cross country ski, probably to Kosciuszko lookout which is not far as the crow flies from the top of the chairlift at Thredbo.It would have been a chance for Angus to get out of the resort and see Australia’s highest mountain covered in snow, however due to low overnight temperatures and a frozen snowpack, we decided not to go.
Instead, after lunch on Saturday, Telecrag and I gave Angus a Telemark lesson on Friday Flat, Thredbo’s beginner area.
Angus has professed to having “retired” from ski school, since his normal alpine or downhill skiing has progressed past the fun and games that kids going to Thredboland enjoy.
I suppose there’s only so much you can learn from skiing behind a bunch of kids following an instructor and his recent “melt-down” at ski school in Canada proves he’s over the “heads shoulders knees and toes” games they play sometimes. (he let the instructor have it and told him he wasn’t playing his stupid baby games and he just wanted to go skiing black runs). He eventually went back to “Whistler Kids” and had a great time by the way.
Anyway, he was very excited to learn Telemark skiing, which for people who don’t know is the original technique of making a turn on skis and it originated at its namesake in Norway.
Modern skis have the boot fixed to the ski at both ends and to turn you push the heel out to steer the ski around a curve. In Telemark skiing only the front of the boot is affixed to the ski. This is so you can lift your heel and walk normally up hills which is the major advantage / attraction with Telemark. However the drawback is that to gain stability you must put one foot forward and one foot back and turn in this position. This has been aided, in recent years, by the development of Telemark gear to the point that it resembles alpine ski gear and gone are the skinny skis and short leather boots of yesteryear that were nightmares on any slope more than a few degrees.
The technique requires a fare bit of leg strength as you are constantly doing lunges and hence is more tiring than alpine skiing. It is also more demanding as you have to coordinate more bio-mechanical actions than alpine skiing which is about as technically challenging as sitting on a toilet compared to Telemarking.
We started him out at Friday Flat which is the flattest area of Thredbo and has the worlds slowest chairlift the Easy Does It. Telecrag could walk up the hill on his pattern base cross country skis quicker than we could line up and catch the lift up. Hopefully that was the last time I have to ride the EDI during this lifetime.
On Sunday Telecrag went home after lunch and Angus had his second half day go at Tele, this time up on Merritts which has a bit more gradient.
He thought it was great that Phil skied past and yelled out “nice turns” and got a big rap at dinner that night.
By Monday he was a converted Tele skier and left his alpine skis behind and skied all day on Tele.
We also caught up with Kate and Rocky and the boys did a few runs with them too.
Angus did surprisingly well given he is only 8 and after skiing Saturday and Sunday afternoons and all day Monday, he could get very close to pulling off a Tele turn.
He got lots of comments from people especially the local Tele-Mafia at Thredbo who thought it was great the he was learning to Telemark.
Now my only problem is finding an new pair of Tele boots for Emma as I dont think she will get hers back from Angus.
Here is a Video
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