2 Strokes Down Under

Hi oh wise ones of the oily world!

I have recently purchased and am in the process of restoring a 1959 Maicoletta 2 stroke scooter.

It has 250cc engine that is p[roving very difficult to start.

Does anyone on this forum have any experience in the bikes?

4 stroke I go well, 2 stroke is still a bit of a dark art for me


Paul

If you are comfortable and competent around a 4t I can't see why you wouldn't be equally comfortable and competent around a 2t. 2s' are generally considered simpler to work on and work to the same principle; suck, compress, spark, bang - just they do it twice as often and make more hp.

I think the Maicoletta engine is basically the same as was in the Maico MX'ers. If you want specific help or info the VMX forum would probably be the go. (I think the Maicoletta can be made 350-400 playing mix and match with barrels and cranks - a little porting and a chamber )

The Maicoletta is a good thing, half way between a bike and a scooter. It had biggish wheels and tyre and a substantial frame. It would embarrass full size bikes like Triumph 650's, and that was bog stock.

I you have anything more specific to ask fire away.

That could be a hobby, big bore, tune it up, go harass the bigger bikes at classic bike events

Thanks for that. I managed to get it going eventually. think it was a combination of flooding and timing. Lots of smoke and eventually it idled!

I would love to know what i can do to improve the motor but info is scarce. Motor swap is unlikely as it is a right hand chain drive but would love to know what i could do re barrel/piston etc.

Paul

paullowe wrote: I would love to know what i can do to improve the motor but info is scarce. Motor swap is unlikely as it is a right hand chain drive but would love to know what i could do re barrel/piston etc.

Paul

You don't live in Brisvagus do you?

http://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/maic ... bane-6.htm



I'm not one to encourage you to deviate too far from OEM........



But I think the Maicoletta and the early MX'ers have the same engine or a close derivative of one to the other.




I think most mechanical bits like pistons and cranks are shared and would be fairly easy to come by. The MXers changed their engine covers but again I wouldn't be surprised things underneath like the crank cases maybe were the same. But the people to ask are the VMXers, I sure it will be as easy as for some of the experts.

But the frame is more motorcycle than scooter and I can see a late model DT250/400 been squeezed in there . Even an LC with a little ingenuity .

But I wouldn't go too far - you still have those dodgy drum brakes etc etc. Making the current engine a little more efficient with some porting and quite chamber could be done unobtrusively and reversible if necessary.

Paul,

Here is a scanned article from Scootering Magazine of October 2004 which may interest you. Its a Zundapp Bella - obviously not a Maicoletta, but another German scooter of similar construction from the same era.








Also perhaps of interest is the Maicoletta fitted with a Suzuki DRZ400 engine, featured in the book "Frankenstein Scooters to Dracula's Castle" (http://www.scooternova.com/wordpress/?p=810), ridden by the author's wife (the author rode a Honda CRM250-powered Lambretta). I think those conversions were done by Frank Sanderson of Lambretta Innovation in England - the same man responsible for the fabrication work on the Lambretta RG500...

Personally, I'd hesitate to modify a Maicoletta in a way which couldn't easily be reversed - they are quite sought-after these days. However, if you can source a more modern engine which can be fitted using adaptors, doesn't foul on the frame or bodywork and get the sprockets to align properly, it may be worth doing. Cooling may require some thought - you could use a water-cooled engine if you can find somewhere unobtrusive to put the radiator. Otherwise, it may be possible to arrange some sort of ducts to allow enough air in (and out) without having to cut the bodywork.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure we'd all be interested to know how you get on!


Regards,
James

Hi James Dad has two. what do you need to know. The starter is a pain in the arse as it rocks backwards then forward and keeps gaining momentum until it rotates. so does it turn over with the starter? Link

What you ask is NOT what you necessarily get, but.....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Maicoletta-2 ... Swp5JWbnKi

That makes LC's look like a poor investment.

It does look in remarkably nice nick though. The sidebar was just as interesting. 6k for an old Puch and a 58 Vespa 150 sprint for $11k!

I had an early 60s 150 Sprint in the '80s that I paid 300 bux for, registered and rode it for nearly a year (I'd quit my job and was skint) then on sold to a mate for the same 300 bux I paid for it.

He promptly painted it pink and sold it to Keith Williams (for 4 times what I sold to him for!) and it ended up in his museum on Hamilton Island.

I did quite a lot of miles on that Vespa and it was a damn fine little rig!