Maicoletta
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| Manufacturer | Maico |
|---|---|
| Production | 1954-1966 |
| Assembly | Pfeffingen, Germany |
| Class | scooter |
| Engine | Fan-cooled two-stroke single-cylinder engine, 174 cc (10.6 cu in), 247 cc (15.1 cu in), or 277 cc (16.9 cu in) |
| Bore / stroke | 61 mm x 59.5 mm (174 cc) 67 mm x 70 mm (247 cc) 71 mm x 70 mm (277 cc) |
| Top speed | 68 mph (109 km/h) (247cc) |
| Power | 14.0 bhp (10.4 kW) at 5100 rpm (247 cc) 16.2 bhp (12.1 kW) (247 cc) |
| Transmission | 4 speed manual with heel-and-toe shifter pedal, enclosed chain drive |
| Frame type | tubular steel frame with pressed steel body panels |
| Suspension | Front: telescopic forks Rear: Swingarm with coil springs and dampers |
| Brakes | Front: 6.5 inch drum Rear: drum |
| Tires | 14 inch front and rear |
| Dimensions |
L: 81 in (2,100 mm) W: 25 in (640 mm) H: 38 in (970 mm) |
| Seat height | 29 in (740 mm) |
| Weight | 322 lb (146 kg) (wet) |
| Fuel capacity | 2.625 imp gal (11.93 L) |
| Oil capacity | 24:1 petrol/oil mixture |
| Fuel consumption | 71 mpg‑imp (4.0 L/100 km) (with 247 cc engine) |
| Related | Maico Mobil |
The Maicoletta was a motor scooter built by Maico from 1955 to 1966. It was noted by motorcycle journalists in the United States and the United Kingdom for being powerful, responsive, and comfortable. It was one of the heaviest and most expensive motor scooters with typical styling and engineering of its time, and comparable to other manufacturer's products such as Heinkel Tourist, Zündapp Bella and the British Triumph Tigress and BSA Sunbeam.
The Maicoletta was highly regarded in the United Kingdom. When Maico stopped making the Maicoletta, the U.K. importer built more of them from its spare parts inventory.
The two-stroke engine of the Maicoletta used an unusual starter that rocked the crankshaft back and forth before firing instead of rotating it.
The Maicoletta was introduced in 1955. It used components based on those used in Maico's conventional motorcycles, including the engine, transmission, and front forks. It was built to compete in the German scooter market of the 1950s. Maico had earlier introduced an enclosed motorcycle with superior weather protection for the rider, the Maico Mobil, that was marketed as a "two-wheeled car" with interchangeable wheels and a spare wheel mounted into the barrel shaped bodywork behind the number plate and rear lamp. The Maicoletta used the fourteen-inch wheels, gear ratio indicator, and headlights from the Mobil.
When the Maicoletta was first exported to the United Kingdom, it was one of the heaviest and most expensive scooters sold there. It gained a reputation in the U.K. as a high-quality, heavy, powerful, scooter capable of being ridden in comfort over long distances. The brakes were noted at the time by Motor Cycling and Scooter Weekly for being powerful and progressive in that the braking force increased with increased effort against the braking controls. The optional 277 cc engine was considered particularly useful with a sidecar combination, as was the steering damper.
Maico stopped offering the 174 cc and 277 cc engine options in 1962 and ended production of the Maicoletta in 1966. Demand for Maicolettas in the U.K. was such that the importer used its inventory of spare parts to build new Maicolettas to special order until late 1967.
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