Maxima's passion is racing, and our philosophy is to produce the world's best high performance products. Our racing heritage is deep, and dates back over 40 years.
Dick Lechien ("rhymes with machine"), Maxima's co-founder, started his competition career in drag racing: Roadsters, Coupes, Dragsters, and AA Nitro-Methane Fuelers. Dick's exploits earned him world records, a #3 national ranking, over 2 years as Drag News' #3 Mister Eliminator, first dragster over 200-mph in his region, and much more.
Along with co-founder Roland Reed, Dick shared prominent business successes, with Honda-Kawasaki of Lemon Grove, Fun Bike Center, and Fisherman's Pro Shop stores. Virtually every major motorcycle and ATV brand name was sold, from Honda to Hodaka, Yamaha to Penton, and Kawasaki to CZ. Dick and Roland recorded sales of over 2,500 bikes per year.
In professional motorcycle racing, Dick built and maintained his son's, Ron Lechien, racing bikes. Between 1974 and 1982, Ron brought home multiple mini-cycle and motorcycle national titles, along with the 500cc win in the International Motocross and Trophee des Nations classic.
In 1980, two-cycle racing castor oil was becoming hard to come by, and available castors had nasty side effects. Simply put, Dick and Roland decided to make their own, better racing castor. Unfettered by established beliefs in the oil industry, Maxima proceeded to develop castor based and castor fortified lubricants never before seen. Dick and Roland shattered myths, and further developed blends of synthetics, modified castors, and petroleum stocks, which established new standards for racing lubricants, gear oils, and suspension fluids.
Today, Maxima is seen as a pioneer and world leader in specialty racing lubricants, by leading factory tuners, through championship racers. Maxima's original single-line lubricant, Super-M, spawned a full line of over 40 products. Local sales to a few retail stores has developed into distribution in over 40 countries, from the Americas to Europe, and Australia to Asia.
Truly, Maxima is a leading international symbol of superior quality and dedication to being the best - on and off the race track!

COMPANY PROFILE -

Reprinted from Jet Sports Magazine, August, 1998 - Article by Mark McClellan

MAXIMA
Race fan, motor-head, and multi-million dollar company prez: Maxima’s Dick Lechien

The Santee, Calif.-based Maxima has manufactured high-performance lubricants and additives for PWC and motorcycles for more than 20 years. But what makes the president of Maxima Products, Dick Lechien, tick? And just how did he journey from a 1960s youth spent drag racing along the Strip in San Diego, Calif., to owning one of the most successful personal watercraft and motorsports performance companies around?

Jet Sports: What's your racing background?

Lechien: I began drag racing as a teenager in my hometown of San Diego. I was lucky enough to have some success on the Strip in roadsters, coupes, and dragsters, which earned me a national ranking and some world records. One of the regional records I set was that I was one of the very first persons in the Southwest to reach a speed of 200 mph in a Double A Nitro methane fueler.

Jet Sports: How did you get from drag racing locally to owning your first race shop?

Lechien: Well, when I got out of drag racing, I sold my whole program - equipment, cars, etc. Now of course the pals I grew up with were rabid speed freaks, so we all switched to racing motorcycles. The Bultaco was the first competitive bike I owned, and I started a small enthusiast bike shop around my new motorsports passion. From there we expanded to the other motorsports, including personal watercraft. By the 1970s I owned and operated some of San Diego's most successful motorcycle and marine dealerships, including Honda-Kawasaki Lemon Grove, Fun Bike Center, and Fisherman's Pro Shop. During that period my partner Roland Reed and I sold just about every major brand, and we recorded annual sales of 2500 units.

Jet Sports: You came into the PWC industry in a big way during the '80s, right?

Lechien: Absolutely. We worked with Jeff Jacobs, Dave Gordon, Chris Fischetti-all the 1980s greats except Rippenkroeger. Today our racing commitment extends to the Kawasaki Team, Alia Jones, and others.  

Jet Sports: What kind of personal watercraft do you own?

Lechien: In our shop we have what we call the Toy Room, in which we've placed a Dyno with a '97 Kawasaki 900 STX. I'm on the water all the time with the PWC, and I'm an avid fisherman. (Dick owns a 26foot Carolina Cruiser fishing boat which he uses to fish tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. -Ed.)

Jet Sports: Were you involved with your son Ron Lechien's racing efforts?

Lechien: In professional motorcycle racing, yes. I built and tuned my son Ron's motocross bikes. Between 1974 and the mid-1980s, Ron brought home numerous motocross, supercross, and international event wins and championships, of which he and I are very proud. (Ron Lechien was '83 AMA Rookie of the Year, '85 125cc National Champion, and American team member for the '86 and '87 MX Des Nations competition. -Ed.)

Jet Sports: How did Maxima products come about?

Lechien: In 1980 two-cycle racing castor oil, popular for use as a racing premix, was difficult to come by, and most of the available products had nasty side effects. Believing we could create and produce a superior product, Roland and I began research; within a few months we had expanded well beyond current industry technology. The result of our effort was (although I say this myself) a superior product called MAXIMA CASTOR 927, which continues to set both racing and sales records to this day. By 1997 the Maxima line boasted over 30 different products, including Castor 927, Super M, Marine Pro, and a host of other lubricants, additives, and cleaners.

Jet Sports: Who typically uses Maxima?

Lechien: Maxima has been an ardent supporter of IJSBA personal watercraft racing since its inception, and just about every top rider and tuner has used Maxima and won with it Today this list includes Chris Fischetti, Bill Pointer, Eric Malone, Christy Carlson, and Team Kawasaki riders Victor Sheldon, Chris MacCluggage and Minuro Kanamori.

Jet Sports: What are Maxima's best-sellers?

Lechien: For the personal watercraft enthusiast, it would have to be SuperM, SuperM Injector, or Marine Pro. For racers and serious sport riders it would be Castor 927.

Jet Sports: What are Maxima's future plans?

Lechien: Well, we're going international and converting from quarts to liters. We're also reconfiguring all our labels to include six languages-that means whole new markets, we hope! Regardless, our entire heritage is competition-bred, and we will continue to work closely with riders and tuners and to offer the finest line of products money can buy.