Please Note: All motorcycles as part of the 2nd Annual Bullpen Cycles x Iconic Motorbikes Auction will be available for physical inspection at Bullpen Cycles, 143 W. Palm Way, Edgewater Florida, during their Open House during Daytona Bikeweek, 10:00am to 4:00pm, Monday March 2, 2026 through Thursday March 5, 2026, or until the close of each auction. Other times available for inspection by appointment any time in February 2026. Call 484-788-9550 with any questions or to make an appointment.
Please Note: the seller has recently undergone foot surgery and is unable to kick this bike over. Here is a video from a few weeks ago:
By 1990, Maico was already more cult brand than mainstream manufacturer, but the company was still building big bore two stroke motocross bikes the way it always had: simple, powerful, and uncompromisingly focused. The MX 500 followed that formula. A liquid cooled open class machine built for riders who demanded torque over complexity.
The 500 was known for its strong power delivery. The kind that made open class bikes both thrilling and demanding to ride. Contemporary reports praised the updated suspension and braking compared to earlier Maico’s, with WP forks up front and significantly improved stopping power.
Production numbers were never high in this era, and surviving examples are uncommon today. For collectors and two stroke enthusiasts, bikes like this represent a snapshot of late era European motocross. Big displacement, minimal interference, and a riding experience that’s about as analog as it gets.
This example is VIN: B1078.
There is no odometer, true mileage is unknown.
“This bike came to me from the second owner, a longtime friend of mine who asked me to sell it. I’ve known the owner for decades and also this bike since he got it, which we believe was around 2012, maybe earlier. Prior to his purchase, it was said to have undergone service at Deim’s Cycle Shop in Kinzers, Pennsylvania. Harlan Diem was well known for his work with Maico and Hodaka. It’s believed that Deim’s put rings in it. My friend raced it one time at Sleepy Hollow MX Park, put new tires on it, drained the fluids and parked it in his house with his collection of dirt bikes. I brought it to Florida. I flushed and bled the brakes, added coolant and oil, fresh fuel and first started it. See video.”
Maintenance:
“The tank decals peeled off, so I had new decals made. We are attempting to locate service receipts from 2012 or earlier. It starts very hard cold but is said to start easy once fully warm.”
Modifications:
“I don’t know these models well enough to be certain, but I understand that it’s basically a stock bike. Maico filed for bankruptcy in the mid-80s but soldiered on for a spell under the Mstar name. Sometime thereafter, the company was sold to Lorenz Merkle. Engine internals were changed giving it a true 500 (499cc) displacement, direct drive primary, and other changes. The bikes went from factory red to blue, to signify the new design changes. They were only blue a few years. The company was sold again, going to the Netherlands before back to Germany. Again, I don’t know these models well enough to identify modifications and year over year changes.”
It is riding on Dunlop tires with date codes of 2207 and 2008.
Cosmetic Blemishes: please see the album in the “Photos” tab for all known cosmetic blemishes. Here is a selection:
“Paint is thin in places, there’s a bubble in the plastic over the muffler, other issues commensurate with its age.”
Currently located in Edgewater, Florida, this Maico is offered on a Bill of Sale only. Have any questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
