A recent photo of a couple of Australian twinshock trials bikes.

They look like a couple of home built specials to me. Never seen a Maico trials bike and never heard of the factory attempting to break into the trials market. However both Husqvarna and KTM built proto type trials irons and both factories contended the World rounds and Scottish six days with them. Husqvarna built bikes in 1975 & 76 one of there development riders was Andersson Erland, I'm not certain of the cc of the bikes. KTM built proto type trials bikes from 1976 until 1979 there development rider was Walter Luft and ther factory made 250 and 325cc machines. Puch & Jawa CZ also built trials bikes, and competed in the world rounds in 1976, the Puch development rider was Trummer Franz.

Best World Round results: KTM - Walter Luft Czech Republic finished 11th dropped 102 marks, Puch - Trummer Franz Czech Republic finished 12th dropped 122 marks, Husqvarna - Andersson Erland Ireland fimnsihed 36th dropped 321 marks.

I have some photos of Husky & 1976,77,78 & 79 KTMs, but unfortunately I cannot attach them. The 79 KTM had a box section alloy swing arm!

Generally I have tried to keep this under my hat, but in 1977, I "built" a Maico trials bike. It was as awful as you can imagine. The 72 square barrel 400 engine would never really make a good trials engine. It's like trying to make pigs fly. I eventually reversed the process and constructed a massive square section steel swingarm, to replace the one I ruined when I shortened it. Of these two bikes the Husqvarna looks far far superior as a trials machine. Notice the Maico has no chain on it. The guy probably rode it and realized what an awful trials bike he had created. Now it's an anomally.

Best World Round results: KTM - Walter Luft Czech Republic finished 11th dropped 102 marks, Puch - Trummer Franz Czech Republic finished 12th dropped 122 marks, Husqvarna - Andersson Erland Ireland fimnsihed 36th dropped 321 marks.

I have some photos of Husky & 1976,77,78 & 79 KTMs, but unfortunately I cannot attach them. The 79 KTM had a box section alloy swing arm!

If Walter managed an 11th on the KTM then I feel sure he must have managed a higher placing during the greater number of years he was with Puch before that? Over to you BJ! Not to mention SSDT placings on the Puch.

Look a the size of the back sprocket on the Husky !

Edited June 14, 200818 yr by jon v8

A 1984 prototype Jawa with 6 speed transmission and dry clutch.

This Wasp-framed 420cc Jawa trials bike had Ceriani forks and weighed in at 210 pounds

cheers,

Michael

Look a the size of the back sprocket on the Husky !

Gonna have to be that big if you don't have the right gears in the box.

But I've got to say Maico should've done it ! Trendsetters with longtravel mx suspension and all back in the day ... Hmmmm 501 cc , aircooled ,

longtravel . Would have been a rush to say the least ...

There are quite a few maico trials bikes here in cabbage land. In the uk, the mod ordered Can-Ans for the army. Over here they were sachs or maico. I will try and find some pictures to post if yer interested. Have a look on evil bay.de and look for maica. Should be 3-5 bikes always there

lee

A recent photo of a couple of Australian twinshock trials bikes.

How about this one :-

it looks like someone ruined two classic MX bikes.

Bob Gollner put a Husky motor in a Cheetah trials bike back in 1967 or 1968,

Gordon Adsett rode it in the Hoad national,

it did not perform well compared to the villiers version

The Husky in the original post was built from an RT360 - probably the worst bike Husky ever made, but at least it had a very torquey engine. It consists of little more than jacked up rear-end, rearset pegs & lower gearing. Bike is well built but enormously tall, more-than-a-little heavy &... well, you can see the limitations.

Maico has had new gears cut but is still ony a 4speed. Frame mods are done very poorly IMO. Current owner did not do the mods. Even more limitations than the husky

Edited April 18, 201214 yr by JC2

If you coming to Mons for the pre 65 Trial this year in November you will see the only 2 works trials bikes Maico has built.My mate dan his wife will ride the bikes.They are both 1962 Models.

Cheers:Mike

Their where some Husqarnas trials bikes around, most home build versions where made out of the Silverpilen,

as this bike was light and had a useable gearing:

Then some made of the lower 400cc engine and a 250cc cylinder I believe, not sure here:

A smal batch of around 20 bikes was made in 1967 at least they thaught that they could sell 100 a year but

this did never happend, so Husqvarna did the same like KTM, they abdoned the project.

There where some thought to build some in the mid 70's again but this - beside some prototypes - never happend.

Edited June 19, 201214 yr by pschrauber