A Brief History Of Maico

We dive back in the past to know more about Maico, a motorcycle manufacturer once known for creating some of the best dual-purpose bikes in the world

Maico, a relatively lesser-known German brand, was one of the most influential and successful motorcycle manufacturers to captivate the motocross scene in the 1970s and 1980s. Staving off competition from other competitors from Japan and other parts of the world, Maico made some great machines for not only the common people but also the German military.

Maico, a contraction for ‘Maisch & Company’, was founded in 1926 by Ulrich Maisch. Operating out of a small garage in the industrial town of Poltringen in Germany, Maico primarily provided round the clock automobile service alongside the retail of bicycle and motorcycle parts. As the company started to grow in an unstable, ravaged German economy, Ulrich's sons, Wilhelm and Otto, also decided to join the family business after completing their schooling.

At the behest of his boys, Ulrich expanded the family business in 1931, and began assembling entire bicycles for sale too. When this move also proved to be successful for the company, Wilhelm and Otto soon ventured into the production of their own motorcycles. While initial production models of these bikes featured no more than a bicycle frame attached to a small engine, the brothers later began fitting their creations with reliable ‘Ficthel and Sachs’ engines.

In 1934, the Maico F 100 Picollo was released to the masses. A ‘derby’ labeled bike with a 98cc single-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke Sachs engine, the F 100 Picollo featured pedals, and could reach approximate top speeds of up to 37 mph. Being well-received by the common folk, the future of Maico-produced motorcycles seemed to look quite bright.

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In the first half of 1939, when German troops conquered Czechoslovakia, Maico ended up benefiting from this development as a whole. The company shifted its base of operations to a new facility along the Czech border, increasing its access of a trained Czech labor force that was undergoing occupation. Amidst all of this, Wilhelm and Otto assumed complete charge of the company, and would later display their motorcycles at an exhibition in Berlin to much fanfare.

The company's fortunes seemed to change once again with the advent of the second world war. As Germany and the rest of the world was dragged into one of the biggest conflicts in human history, Maico was transformed into an aircraft parts business with respect to the war effort. From the latter half of 1939 to 1945, Maico joined BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, and a lot of other enterprises in the manufacture and repair of aircraft parts, munitions, and other armaments.

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When the second world war finally ended in 1945, Maico refocused its attention towards the development and production of motorcycles once again. After tinkering with many ideas that aimed at fulfilling the dire basic transportation needs of a country trying to rebuild itself, the Maico M150 was released in 1949. The first Maico-manufactured motorcycle to feature a Maico-built engine, this bike spurred the resurgence of Maico motorcycles following the war. The 143cc single-cylinder, two-stroke Maico engine that powered the Maico M150 was especially lauded at a time when most German motorcycle manufacturers were struggling to develop new engines.

Maico literally thrived in the 50s as they released a slew of new, well-engineered bikes, scooters, and even a small car. The Maico Taifun, a twin cylinder, two-stroke bike with a solid 395cc air-cooled Maico engine especially stood out as a capable road-going machine in the company's lineup. Besides this, the company also revamped the Maico M150, and introduced more powerful versions of the bike in the Maico M175 and Maico M250. ‘Gelandersport’ (GS), loosely translating to ‘on/off-road’, versions of these bikes were also released, and the company soon developed a reputation for both on-road as well as off-road machines. The race-focused Maico Blizzard, available in multiple engine capacities, rounded off the 50s for Maico motorcycles.

In the closing stages of the 50s, Maico was commissioned to produce 10,000 dual-purpose motorcycles for the German army, and this invariably shifted the company's focus towards off-road and competition bikes. Once again, the emphasis was on manufacturing dual-purpose bikes that were suitable for all kinds of terrains.

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Maico motorcycles began to take over people's consciousness in the late 60s and early 70s, not just in Europe but in America too. Maico's distinctive ‘coffin-tank, square barrel’ design soon became a staple in American motocross circuits as Maico had managed to refine and improve its off-road motorcycles each successive year. In fact, Maico was widely considered as the only manufacturer that designed its motorcycles for off-roading purposes right from the ground-up.

Maico bikes began to be known as simpler, quicker machines that offered better handling as well as further scope for modifications and enhancements. On the aesthetic front too, Maico bikes displayed a unique design language that wasn't seen in any other motorcycle manufacturer of the time. Eventually, ‘Maico’ became a name synonymous with the best motorcycles in the world, and by the end of the 1960s, many believed that Maico produced the absolute finest off-roading motorcycles that money could buy.

Unsurprisingly, the 1970s saw Maico concentrating all of its energies on off-road motorcycles. With a view of riding the company's popularity and stamping its authority in American markets, Maico allowed American distributors to become Maico dealers with relative ease. As a result, motorcycle distributors in America began racing against each other in order to establish a solid dealer network for Maico bikes. Eventually, Maico's North American sales accounted for almost fifty percent of the company's total global sales. While common American folks could now hope to get their hands on a Maico MD 50, MD 125 or MD 250 easily, the off-road competition scene was also dominated by the company, especially with its improved 250cc, 400cc, 440cc, and 490cc motorcycle engines.

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After dominating for around a couple of decades, Maico began to hit a rough patch somewhere around 1984, as competition heated with multiple motorcycle releases from a host of bike manufacturers from across the world. On the brink of going out of business, the company was sold to Lorenz Merkle in 1986, and although Merkle tried to keep the company afloat for a while, he was forced to sell it once again in 1994 to a Dutch company called Rodem.

After two years or so, Rodem filed for bankruptcy, and the control for Maico was handed over to its biggest shareholder, Brouwer. Brouwer continued the production of Maico motorcycles, which had now evolved in every way imaginable – from air-cooled engines to water-cooled ones, from standard Maico forks to upside down forks, and from standard brake calipers to disc brakes.

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Since 2001, Maico has been owned and operated by Axel Kostler from Germany, and Maico bikes retail through Kostler's official website. While there are a number of good Maico offerings on the site, sales are nowhere near the numbers that the company had boasted in the past, an unfortunate state of affairs for an enterprise that has lasted for close to a century now.

Fortunately, Maico does enjoy a cult following among enthusiasts to this very day, and thankfully, the company has stayed true to its roots even after changing hands on multiple occasions. As testament to his fact, the 2023 Maico 700 Enduro still remains as the most powerful off-roading two-stroke bike in the world.

Pranav's tryst with bikes began at the age of 18, when he was handed down a Royal Enfield Machismo A350 by his generous father. Almost two decades and various sets of wheels later, he continues to love bikes and cars for what they represent to him – freedom, joy, and unbridled adventure. When not on the road, he concentrates on furthering his career as a freelance content developer. Currently, he also masquerades as an editor for a prominent content-mediation platform, as well as a writer for a renowned travel website. He is a Journalism graduate who enjoys reading, listening to music, and strumming his guitar.