The Maico 400 was the larger-engined version of the Taifun, the twin-cylinder two-stroke that sat at the top of the Maico range from 1953. Its 400 cc engine produced 22.5 PS at 5,200 rpm; production ended in 1957.
Maico 400 at a glance
| Maker | Maicowerk A.G., Pfäffingen, Germany |
|---|---|
| Production | 1953–1957 |
| Model | Taifun, 400 cc version |
| Engine | two-cylinder two-stroke |
| Capacity | 400 cc |
| Output | 22.5 PS at 5,200 rpm |
| Final drive | chain, tension constant under suspension movement |
| Rear suspension | swingarm pivoting in the axle of the drive sprocket |
| Place in range | the larger of the two Taifun versions |
| Production ended | 1957, as the motorcycle market shrank |
Based on one source: the Maico company article, which describes the Taifun and its 350 and 400 cc versions. There is no separate Wikipedia article on the model.
History of the Maico 400
Maico, the Swabian firm of Pfäffingen near Tübingen, had grown from engines and bicycles into complete motorcycles. Its founder, Ulrich Maisch, started the business in 1926 as Maisch & Co, and the family remained in control until 1987.
For 1953 the company redesigned its engines and introduced the Rundmotor, a unit with the generator inside the casing and a smoother exterior. Single-cylinder versions of it powered the M 175, the M 200 Fanal and Passat and the M 175 S and M 200 S, and it also went into the M 250 and M 277 Blizzard and the Maicoletta scooter.
Above those models Maico placed the Taifun, its innovative two-cylinder two-stroke, offered with 350 or 400 cc. The 400 cc version was the most powerful motorcycle in the range, quoted at 22.5 PS at 5,200 rpm. The chassis used a rear swingarm whose pivot lay in the axle of the drive sprocket, which kept chain tension constant as the suspension moved.
The model had only a short life. The motorcycle market shrank dramatically in the late 1950s and Maico ended Taifun production in 1957. The company later concentrated on motocross and enduro machines, which made its name far more widely than the road twins had done.
Design and features
- Largest engine in the range: 400 cc against 350 cc for the other Taifun.
- 22.5 PS at 5,200 rpm: the highest output quoted for a Maico road model of the period.
- Twin-cylinder two-stroke: a rare layout among small German makers of the 1950s.
- Constant chain tension: the swingarm pivot sits in the sprocket axle, a detail shared with the 350.
Maico 400 versions
- Maico 400: the 400 cc Taifun described here.
- Maico Taifun 350: the smaller version of the same twin, described on the Taifun page.
The 400 was the biggest of the 1953 road range, which also included the single-cylinder M series and the 250 cc Blizzard. More machines are in the Maico collection.
Sources
- Maico, English Wikipedia: company history
- Maico, German Wikipedia: Taifun, capacities, output
