1955 Maico Typhoon - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article

Description

1955 Maico Typhoon - 3-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
Original, vintage magazine article.
Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
Condition: Good
Although we have seen the Maico
at a distance, our test machine af-
forded us with our first opportunity
to study its construction at length.
And as is the case with most of the
German products we are familiar with,
the Maico reflects excellent taste. De-
sign-wise it is most functional, and the
finishing of the alloy castings, of
which the “Typhoon” has a generous
amount, is genuinely superb.
Let’s consider the overall appear-
ance of the test machine. You will
immediately notice that all of the ma-
jor components, such as the carburet-
or. rear damping unit, ignition system,
etc., are completely enclosed. This is
an obvious advantage. We found that
the enclosure helped tremendously in
keeping the Maico clean. No hardship,
other than making it a bit difficult to
effect emergency repairs on the car-
buretor. was caused by the use of this.
That the “Typhoon” is designed for
touring is reflected in every facet of
its construction; the engine, being a
two-stroke, and developing its maxi-
mum horsepower (22.5 DIN Stand-
ards) at the comparatively low rpm
(5100) ; the extra attention to the rear
passenger foot peg arrangement: the
unique foot change gear lever; and of
course the suspension system which
we found to be excellent. All are in-
dicative of the thought behind this
design.
Of course the reasons for using the
two-stroke engine should be obvious;
less moving parts, coupled with this
type of engine’s ability to take it.
There may be those who consider
the two-stroke design as inadequate,
or underpowered. To those we say
simply: look at the performance sum-
mary!
During the extensive test period, we
found the Maico was capable of speeds
in excess of 80 mph; what’s more, the
400 cc two-stroke will cruise easily at
65. and for long distances.
When accelerating through the
gears, it was easy to determine the
“maximum” in each gear; there is a
definite “flattening out” period. How-
ever, when top gear is reached, the
machine gives you the impression that
it will “wind” forever. Even when the
near top speed of 80 mph is reached,
the Maico feels as though there is
plenty left.
Probably one of the first things
we noticed when riding the Maico
for the first lime, was the rather
pronounced whine when accelerating
through the gears. Contrary to pop-
ular belief, this whine is not caused
by the gear driven primary. These
particular gears are of the helical
type, and themselves almost noiseless.
The whine is caused by the spur gear...
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