[2][3][4] It was one of the heaviest and most expensive motor scooters with typical styling and engineering of its time, and comparable to other manufacturers' products such as Heinkel Tourist, Zündapp Bella and the British Triumph Tigress and BSA Sunbeam.

The two-stroke engine of the Maicoletta used an unusual starter that rocked the crankshaft back and forth before firing instead of rotating it.

[5][6] It used components based on those used in Maico's conventional motorcycles, including the engine, transmission, and front forks.

[7] Maico had earlier introduced an enclosed motorcycle with superior weather protection for the rider, the Maico Mobil, that was marketed as a "two-wheeled car" with interchangeable wheels and a spare wheel mounted into the barrel shaped bodywork behind the number plate and rear lamp.

[2] Though known as the “dustbin” amongst British scooterists with Italianate tastes,[9] it gained a reputation in the U.K. as a high-quality, heavy, powerful, scooter capable of being ridden in comfort over long distances.

[2][3] Front suspension was with a telescopic fork with coil springs, hydraulic damping, and a steering damper.

[3] The engine and transmission were mounted on the frame[3] and drove the rear wheel through an enclosed drive chain.

These cams closed contacts in the starter to trigger a reversing switch in the control box that changed the crankshaft direction at the end of each swing.

[3][4] The drivetrain was covered by the rear bodywork, which could be removed as a unit by loosening one bolt and unplugging the lead to the taillight.