Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, a small family-owned German company made and exported the world's best off-road motorcycles. In 1981, Maico introduced what may be the finest production motocross bike, for its time, ever built, establishing the basic measurements for modern dirt bikes. North American competitors embraced the Maico, paying high prices for an often-infuriating thoroughbred which carried them into a new, exciting sport with physical and financial risks. The machine built by Maico was a true German Motorcycle in America. Yet by 1983, Maico was bankrupt.

This work presents the full story of this influential company's rise and fall. Employing archaeological methods and oral history, this book answers questions which have long fascinated sport motorcyclists: What made Maico so good? How did long-travel suspension originate? Why did the company really fail? The first history of this influential company published in English, this book fills a crucial gap for enthusiasts of motorcycle history: the story of Maico, and what it meant to Americans.