Category Archives: German motorcycles

SMALL MAICOS: THE 125s (Continued)

A continuation in our investigation of 125 Maicos; the first part of the series you can find here. Preparation: Getting Ready to Ride             The 125 Maico was a dichotomy. On one hand, it used a superb, unbreakable, fine handling frame. It had excellent suspension. It was light, and the engine produced the most horsepower […]

Ake Jonsson: King of Motocross

Ake Jonsson

Part 1: The Success Years: Ake Jonsson   “Watch Ake slice inside his line and pass him, seemingly with no effort. What makes a man ride like this?”[1]    “I think Ake was probably the best motocross rider, ever.”[2]   The Vintage Motor Company is proud to release part 1 of a 2 piece series […]

The German Side: A History of Maico Fahrzeugfabrik

Maico Logo

(From the Beginning to the 1970s)   The cubist, brightly-colored motorcycles that fascinated American racers originated in a small automobile repair shop in post-World War I Germany. Maico (“Maisch & Company”) was formed in Poltringen, an industrial town in the southwest corner of Germany. The year was 1926—the same year the reparations-wracked and starving country was […]