For much of the latter half of 1990s, Maico reigned supreme as one of the best manufacturers of dual-purpose bikes. Known to dominate motocross circuits for years on end, Maico bikes were unanimously considered to be the only bikes that were built as dual-purpose bikes from the ground-up, especially geared for off-roading conditions. Nowadays, unfortunately, the company has been reduced to a mere shadow of its former self.
Production numbers for Maico bikes have been steadily on the decline for the most part since the mid-1980’s when the company was sold to a different owner. After changing hands again in the mid-1990’s, Maico bikes have been officially selling under the ‘Kostler’ name since 2001. Among the few remaining offerings from the company, the Maico 700 Enduro stands out as the most powerful two-stroke dirt bike in the world. Here, we take a closer look at everything that is known about the bike.
1 Explosively Powerful Engine
The clear star on the 2023 Maico 700 Enduro is its massively powerful 685cc single-cylinder, water-cooled two-stroke engine that can produce a highly impressive 82 horsepower, easily making it the most powerful engine to be put on a dirt bike. Old school racing bikes like the Kawasaki KR500 and Yamaha TZ750 did feature more powerful two-stroke engines that could deliver upwards of 120 horsepower, but on a production bike in 2023, there’s really nothing else that comes close to the Maico 700 Enduro.
Featuring a reed valve inlet system, the engine offers nippy speeds and performance across the bike’s rev range while remaining cool even in the most demanding of situations. The Maico 700 Enduro features an innovative and advanced JSV exhaust system too which helps combusted fuel and air exit smoothly from the bike, thereby optimizing engine performance to the fullest.
2 Loads Of Torque
Big engines that produce a lot of horsepower mean nothing if they are not backed up by suitable and adequate torque delivery. In fact, the torque delivery of a bike goes a long way in contributing to how powerful a bike actually feels when operated in different gears, and how great a motorcycle engine actually is subsequently. The Maico 700 Enduro shines in this respect too with stellar torque delivery.
The YouTube clip by Kaplan America featured above contains a dyno test that reveals that the Maico 700 Enduro produces a staggering 47 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheel. For the sake of context, the Honda CR500 can only muster about 43.7 pound-feet of torque when subjected to the same dyno test, as evident in this other video by Kaplan America.
3 A Towering Build
The Maico 700 Enduro is a big and tall dirt bike the likes of which aren’t seen much nowadays. This Maico offering features a wheelbase of 1480 mm with a seat height of 960 mm. As a result, the ground clearance of the Maico 700 Enduro stands at a very respectable 388 mm. For the rider, this translates into a smoother ride, as well as more confidence in tackling any obstacles encountered on the road.
The big profile and high stance offered by the Maico 700 Enduro also comes as a blessing for exceptionally tall and heavyset riders who seem very out of place when riding other, smaller dirt bikes. The bike has a considerable dry weight of about 245 pounds too.
4 The Maico 700 Enduro Does Endure
A bike that has the word ‘Enduro’ as part of its name should be an exceptionally well-suited bike for all kinds of terrain, especially off-road ones. Thankfully, the Maico 700 Enduro does not disappoint at all in this regard. Despite being a big and heavy bike, the bike reportedly performs well when taken to its limits in challenging situations and terrains. Obviously, there is no question about the bike’s incredible power but, as it turns out, the Maico 700 Enduro handles well too.
As evident on the YouTube clip seen above, bike enthusiast ‘Mad Rider Austria’ has posted an older Maico 700 being taken to its limit in completely off-roading conditions. In the short clip, one can see the bike perform with considerable aplomb, especially given the harsh, inclined terrain. Now, it bears mentioning that this is an older model of the Maico 700, and the present 2023 model offers a much-improved suspension, which would ideally mean that the 2023 model handles even better than the one seen on the aforementioned clip.
5 A Capable Suspension
The suspension system is one of the most important aspects of a bike as it literally defines the ride experience one will have on the bike. A good suspension can elevate a decent bike into greatness while a bad suspension often brings a great bike down to mediocrity. The 2023 Maico 700 Enduro certainly fits the former billing rather than the latter. Featuring an in-house ‘Maico Twin Link’ rear suspension system with reliable Reiger shock absorbers, the bike offers a smooth and comfortable ride on all fronts.
American-made Reiger shock absorbers are considered to be some of the best shock absorbers available in the market today, and the company produces high-quality parts for bikes, quad-bikes and cars. The shock absorbers on the Maico 700 Enduro have been specifically and solely designed for enduro bikes. Reiger claims that these offer more traction, stability and control than your average shock absorbers from other manufacturers.
6 High-Quality Brembo Brakes
Any bike that rides like the wind also needs behavior-appropriate braking when coming to a stop. Thankfully, the 2023 Maico 700 Enduro comes pre-fitted with excellent Brembo brakes on both wheels. The front-wheel houses a Brembo floating dual piston front caliper with a 260mm wave disc, while the rear wheel is fitted with a 220mm wave disc instead. Brembo being a leader in the automotive brake industry means that this high-quality braking system on the Maico 700 Enduro can be expected to offer excellent rider control and stability.
In fact, the bike must be lauded for making use of Brembo brakes as braking is the one area that many dirt manufacturers seem to glance over usually. Some of the best dirt bikes still offer standard single-disc brakes including the highly revered Honda CR500.
7 Fully Streel-Legal
A recurring problem that many dirt bike manufacturers have to face in the U.S. are the stringent laws that render dirt bikes as illegal when ridden on city streets and neighborhoods. Many stock dirt bikes from the factory lack certain components that make them illegal for the roads such as lights and turn signals, for instance. While most U.S. states allow for a dirt bike to be ‘transformed’ into a dual-sport bike by adding the required components, it still serves as a headache when you buy a new bike and then have to get it modified before you can even ride it legally on the roads.
The Maico 700 Enduro does suffer from any such issues as it comes as a fully street-legal bike straight from the factory floor. This means that the bike can be ridden anywhere in the U.S. without requiring any sort of modifications or additions whatsoever.
8 The ATK Connection
The ATK Intimidator 700 was a bike that had people take notice at once when it was introduced to the U.S. market by Frank White of ATK in 2009. A beast of a bike, the Intimidator featured a 685cc engine that could pump out 78 horses while reaching top speed of up to 110 mph. Although beloved by a niche section of bike enthusiasts, this ATK bike was just too powerful for most folks, and hence was short-lived in the markets before going down as an iconic, monster dirt bike for the ages.
What many people are not aware of is that the ATK Intimidator 700 was essentially just a Maico 700 with a new badge for the American market. It featured a Maico-built engine, and for all practical purposes, its was just a rebadged Maico 700. Now, while the ATK Intimidator is long gone, the Maico 700 Enduro is still in production. What’s more? The 2023 Maico Enduro even makes 4 more horsepower than the ‘monster’ ATK Intimidator 700!
9 MX And SuperMoto Variants
Apart from the ‘Enduro’ variant, the Maico 700 is also available in Motocross and SuperMoto trims. The motocross variant, aptly titled the ‘Maico 700 Cross’ is nearly the same as the ‘Enduro’ trim with a couple of changes that make it more suitable for MX circuits. Firstly, the Maico 700 Cross is around 22 pounds lighter than the Maico 700 Enduro, and, secondly, the MX variant offers more slightly more front wheel travel than the ‘Enduro’ variant.
The SuperMoto variant, labeled the ‘Maico 700 Supermoto Racing’, offers better brakes than the other two variants with a ‘Moto Master Super Moto’ racing braking kit with full-floated discs. According to the manufacturer, the SupperMoto model can also be further modified with additional parts such as brakes, tires, exhausts and the like.
10 Only Made In Limited Numbers
Finally, one thing that can be taken for granted is that the new Maico 700 2023 will be available only in limited numbers. While there is no official word on the precise number of Maico 700 Enduro bikes produced for 2023, one can assume that the numbers won’t be too high. In the past years, Kostler has been known to manufacture as low as 50 (yes, just 50!) units of certain Maico models in an entire calendar year.
Judging by this record, it won’t be wrong to assume that the 2023 Maico 700 Enduro will also be manufactured in very small numbers, maybe fewer than a hundred. For those interested in buying one before they’re all gone, head on to Kostler's official website.