How about this awesome 78 400 MC5, 78's are one of the best looking bike ever made
(http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/880/dsc0076gp3.jpg)
My 78 250MC5 was my all time favorite bike. My nephew Nick has found one in the New Orleans area and purchased for me.My 250 handled better than anything i knew of in that time. I would go through a front tire once a month due to hard front brake usage. That thing would turn on a dime. I will start a total resto on it sometime around May. I'm headed down south in March to attend Nick's Ahrma National event at the track he owns and operates and the New Orleans SX the following weekend. I'll be able to spend some time with my father who i haven't seen in over 5 years now and get caught up on some things. Mainly, Some good Southern Cajun Food...........
that is a beutiful bike and I liked my 78 400 but I would not say it was the best handling bike of that year... Make no misstake, it is a fine bike and you can certainly win on it in any class. but the best... naw
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)
I think Modern Cycle and other bike mags were crazy about the 1978 250 and the 400, not so much. Sometimes when a bike model shares the same frame with the 250 and Big Bore the Open bike will over power the frame and geometry, whereas it feels great running the 250.
I've seen many 78 400's for sale, but very few 250's. Did the 250 not sell very well in 78? (I know everybody and his brother bought the new Honda CR250 "Red Rockets" in 78.)
The "Factory Novice"
Quotequote:Originally posted by tomale
that is a beutiful bike and I liked my 78 400 but I would not say it was the best handling bike of that year... Make no misstake, it is a fine bike and you can certainly win on it in any class. but the best... naw
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)
Guess that's a matter of opinion. I never rode anything but european bikes except for a Rokon cobra and noone could touch me on my 78 250MC5.
I know this is a Penton group, and this may be heresy, but NOTHING handles better than a Maico of the same year with the exception of the Sachs powered Pentons. I'm not saying Penton/KTMs are bad because they are not, nor am I saying Maicos are perfect because they have their flaws in other areas, but until you have ridden one you wont understand how good Maicos handle.
Brian
'73 Berkshire
Brian,
You used the "M" word. I hope you are currently washing your mouth ot with soap. LOL
I've been avoiding those "M" machines for years. I have them surrounded with an Austrian and a Swedish bike, but I just can't make myself race one, because I've push-started too many of them. Handle-Shmandle, who needs it.
:D
The "Factory Novice"
Well, like I said, being a current Maico rider (when I can get it started) I will be the first to say they have issues, but handling is not one of them. Before I rode one I didnt put much stock into the old "maico handling" lore I read about in Dirt Bike and MXA magazines, but it is true.
After riding tons of different brands and sizes of vintage/post vintage bikes over the last 2 1/2 years I've been into AHRMA, I can confidently say that the Sachs engine CMF Pentons are the best handling bikes. They are light, as stable at speed as a Husky but will turn with a Maico, and they are far more nimble than either. Every time I ride one I am amazed at just how good they are.
Brian
'73 Berkshire
That is "not fair". You are not in the position to say that! The POG is only interested in the position, which is declared, upon our Website. There is much more, than owning a Penton. Your argument, is a dis-honor. I do not want a Maico, I do not need a Maico......
I ride a Penton, the best motorcycle.......
Tom Brosius
Mile High Pentons
The Maico handling is in the forks. They were the best forks around. They do break too often though. Just ask my former High School classmate Steve Stackable. When he rode Maico it was the closest he ever came to a National Championship. If you watched One Chance To Win about the 500cc final in New Orleans. It was that day and Stack was the shoe-in to win the title and he broke either the swingarm or rear hub. I think the hub and the rest is history. Maico Breako Every Weeko!
Larry P
Larry, I dont know if this is true, but I have heard that the Maico crankshaft turns the opposite direction of other bikes and the torque pushes the front wheel into the ground. I have heard that is why when people would put another engine in a Maico frame it would mysteriously not handle as good as with the original engine. I've no idea if that is fact or fiction.
I know one thing for sure, CMF frame Sachs engine Pentons are the best.
Brian
'73 Berkshire
Brian,
I don't know if the revolution direction deal is true but all that would change is the inertia direction of the flywheel and I don't think that would effect the frontend much at all. I would be curious to know if the revolution direction thing is true though. I think the handling was because of the large fork size and leading axle both of which were on Maico before everyone else. Less flex and better steering. My thoughts.
Larry P
Brian,
I will not dispute your discussion since I happen to like Maico bikes with the exception that there was no dealer network and if you bought one that had problems you were on your own. As far as the rotation of the flywheel, I never studied that process, but we did put 4 stroke Honda engines in Maico frames that really did handle, so I feel most engines would work with proper installation. I guess I could go to my shop and look at the flywheel(1973 250 Maico).....by the way we had to put a jackshaft on the Honda engine installation to get the chain to work properly to clear the swingarm. Good post and fun to think about the old days.
Ron Carbaugh
well, I do have two maico's and for the breako thing. sorry can't buy it.... when I have raced my 78 400 maico for 3 years and it has never failed me, as for starting them, It is really important to keep that bing fresh. and you can not be timid...
but I have got to say, I have never thought about the 400 frame overpowering a frame used by a 250... My 78 400 KTM did work better than my 76 mc5 250.
no doubt the maico forks work as good if not better than anything on the track. I have ridden bikes with maico forks on them and I didn't think the bike handled anywhere near as good a maico.
I quess i need to build that 72 penton 125, I have got to see what they handle like.. well sort of... I did ride a mettco, nice bike but I never raced it.....
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)
Loyalty to brand is an admirable trait.Myself I've always loved pentons because of the no frills symplistic design that works so well.I think what you have to remember is there are many things working together that dictate a bikes handling characteristics.Forks,shocks together with frame geometry and center of gravity.Throw in a rider who,s in tune with his bike and you got it.I've ridden just about every old school MX bike there was and there are alot of them I would like to have today.Bikes to me were always a little bit like women,their was always something about just about every one I ever saw that made me a little curious.Kind of a dangerous trait!I own a modern bike that I ride for conditioning to keep the wear and tear off my six days.It floats over whoops and I catch big air with little fear.But for throwind a bike into a loamy berm in third gear with the wick turned up,Gimme my penton.It goes back to what I cut my teeth on.
Mitch
I think there is something to be said for bike set up, (why do you think the pro's spend so much time on it, for every track) and being on a bike that you are comfortable on and brings the best out in you.
Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)
72'sixday (project bike)
Do not fear the arrow; fear the Indian.
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Its really is mainly how you set up the bike when you are talking about handling differences of Maico and Penton/KTM, although the PV Penton/KTM's are more of a "rear end" handling bike than the Maico. I made my 78 250 and my 81 420 handle just as nice, at least to me, than the respective Maico's for those classes. Stable, good working suspension is the key. And you can have that with a PV era Penton/KTM. See my posts under "Best PV Penton/KTM?" for a good, relitively cheap set up for a 78 250 and a 420 that will rival any bike.