On 12/27/2012 2:13 PM, thumper wrote:
On 12/27/2012 2:07 PM, wrote:
On Thursday, December 27, 2012 4:36:37 PM UTC-5, JustWait wrote:

As much as I hope nobody on my team hears me say this... From my point
of view, Yamaha race engines are more durable than Honda, Kawasaki, KTM
and even our beloved Suzuki, IN MY OPINION in the last few years. Some
other manufacturers such as Gas Gas, a Spanish motorcycle, are now using
Yamaha engines...

Back in the '70s, if you wanted to have fun you rode a Yamaha dirt bike.
If you wanted a better handling, faster bike and didn't mind working on
it some (and had the cash), you rode a KTM/Penton.
One of the best handling enduro bikes I ever rode was a Maco 250.
A bit heavy, but a great bike. The guy also had a Maco 400. It was a
beast.

My older brother raced a Maico 400. I was dangerous on it (to myself
and others).


You prompted a bit of nostalgia.

from
http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/1973-maico-400

The Bing carburetors occasionally drew small pieces of dirt from the
less then perfect airbox, which had a tendency to cause the slide to
stick-usually at full throttle. At that point the kill switch was often
overridden by the heightened electrical pulse created by the high RPM
and all you could do was step off the thing.