Triumphrat

mecscc

Its a 1956 Maico Typhoon. (I couldn't even remember the model!!) 400cc, 2 stroke. I rode it when I was attending the University of Wichita between '57 and '60. I rode it all over the state, even back to my father's home near the Colorado border and to visit family near Topeka. Rode it summer and winter as my car would almost never start! Hadn't been able to find a pic until now, and was starting to wonder if I was imagining it! Isn't that about the heaviest valancing you have ever seen on fenders?

Anyway, as I recall it was very reliable but was a pain to kick start in the winter (but it always eventually did) and a pain to premix the oil and gas. I do remember I used Castrol castor bean oil and LOVED the smell!

Monte :-D

[ This message was edited by: mecscc on 2007-05-02 15:07 ]

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Monte

"The Old Ohio Preacher Man"

lindsayt

Gotta love the smell of 2-stroke! My wife calls it "motorcycle cologne".

[ This message was edited by: lindsayt on 2007-05-02 15:12 ]

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2005 Aegean Blue Bonneville - Intiminators and Thruxton preload adjusters up front, Ikon 7613s in the back, otherwise stock
2012 Azzurro Fiat 500 Sport

50yrDream

Nice pic & good story Monte! Looks a lot like the NSU's of that era!

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Billie I

BlueBird

some of those small, older bikes are sooo cool.

I love the orange/brown seat with the chrome tank and black fenders.

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-=Erica=-
My Website
http://homepage.mac.com/ricabergstro...7EF34A11DB.jpg

Trident85596

Nice pic and thanks for sharing.Cool story mecscc

I joyed it.
Trident

dazco

Wow, i never heard of those let alone never knew they made 2 strokes in the 50's ! I always thought the 1st 2 stroke bikes were Japanese in the 60's. Amazing. What was it like in quickness compared to say a Yamaha RD?

lindsayt

dazco, Vespa and Lambretta scooters were 2-stroke from the start. The first Vespa rolled out in 1946. Of course, you might mean "bike" as in motorcycle, not as in "two-wheeled vehicle with an engine".

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2005 Aegean Blue Bonneville - Intiminators and Thruxton preload adjusters up front, Ikon 7613s in the back, otherwise stock
2012 Azzurro Fiat 500 Sport

dazco

Thats what i was referring to, tho i didn't know or even think about scooters. Another odd one was Bridgestone in the 60's. They had some 2 strokes that looked a lot like yamahas.

CAPTDON

Nice pic- Reminds me of the old BSA 2- stroke I had in the 60's. Ahh yes the smell a fine aroma of the past!! :-D

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CAPT D

monkeyboy

Nothing is better smelling than leaded gas burning real castor bean oil.

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2006 Thruxton