history
Maico is a motorcycle manufacturer from Germany, founded in 1926. Although before World War II the company built multiple light bikes, Maico introduced their first bike equipped with a Maico engine just after the end of the war. This model recorded an impressive success and determined the company to release the M model in 1948 and the 125 a year later.
Maico unveiled the Fanal in 1953, the first Maico bike equipped with a four-speed gearbox. However, during the same year, the company came out with one more motorcycle, the M200.
Beside these two models, the company has also released multiple notable motorcycles, such as the M 175 S, the M 175 T, the Passat 175, the M 200 S, the M 200 T (all of them released in 1945), and the Blizzard (1955).
Maico started experiencing lots of problems and it went out of business in 1983. However, the company wanted to concentrate more on races and in the 70's competitions, its pilots Adolf Weil, Ake Jonnson and Willy Bauer, the Maico pilots, won numerous races.
Maico recorded a new success with the Maicoletta scooter, launched in 1950 a bike which came with a single cylinder, 247cc engine, which also came in a 277cc engine version, available on special markets.
Maicoletta was as powerful as a 250cc motorcycle, being able to reach a top speed of 70mph. Moreover, it was a lot more powerful than other scooter of that time if we take into consideration the other bikes, such as Vespa and Lambretta which had 125cc, 200cc engines and a top speed of 55- 60mph.
After experiencing lots of financial problems, in 1983 Maicowerk AG a continued to manufacture only a small number of motocross and enduro motorcycles, which are mostly known in USA under the M-Stars name.
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