Maico 490 E (1982)

The Maico 490 Alpha E motorcycle was manufactured in 1982 and featured a single cylinder, two-stroke engine with a capacity of 488cc. It had a bore x stroke of 86.5 x 83 mm and was air-cooled with wet-sump lubrication. The recommended oil for this off-road bike was Bel-Ray MC3, and the oil capacity was 0.60 L/ 0.63 US quarts. The fuel system was a Bing V54 40 mm carburetor, with an upswept exhaust on the right side. It had a Bosch, pointless ignition system and was started by kick start. The clutch was a wet, multi-disc system with a 5-speed transmission and a chain final drive.

The bike’s frame was made from chrome-molybdenum and had a front suspension system using Maico forks with a 42 mm diameter, leading axle, and Corte & Cosso technology. The rear suspension was a single shock system with a rear wheel travel distance of 325 mm/12.8 inches. The front and rear brake systems both used a single leading shoe with drum brakes of 136 and 160 mm, respectively. The wheels were made of lightweight aluminum alloy with laced spokes, and used Metzeler tyres, with sizes of 3.00 x 21 inches in the front and 4.50 x 18 inches in the rear.

The bike had a 28.5-degree rake and a 126 mm/ 4.96 in. trail with a wheelbase of 1510 mm/ 59.5 in. The ground clearance was high at 372 mm/14.6 in, and the seat height was 960 mm/ 37.8 inches. The wet weight of the bike was 116 kg/256 lbs, and it had a 15 L/4 US gal fuel capacity. The Dirt Bike review in June 1982 rated the Maico 490 Alpha E positively, particularly for its powerful maximum power output of 50 hp.

Technical specifications:

Make Model: Maico 490 Alpha E