General Category > Bike Builds, Rebuilds And Restorations Only
1965 Benelli / Motobi 200 Sprite
Canuck750:
I got a nice pair of Orlandi fuel taps that came with a donor motor, good shape and even the rubber seals remain pliable.
I punched two little indents into the fuel tap faces and dabbed a spot of red paint at the ‘off’ position and an unpainted indent for full ‘on’ I always forget which position is off and on on the various petcocks on my bikes, this little marking makes it easy.
These are the correct taps for this bike and fit the Siamese fuel line to the carb
I sorted out the clutch today, de-burred some plates and reassembled the unit, nice smooth clutch pull now. Many of the Italian manufacturers used bared end cables with the clamp on terminals, the stub end of the cable is then folded back 180 degrees and a plastic tube was fitted over the end. I used a short piece of green fuel line as the plastic retainer.
Next job is to assemble the steering damper, I found a NOS plastic knob and have replayed the compression plates. I had not noticed the steering stop plate appears to be snapped off short of the lower triple clamp stops. I will strip down the front end and weld up a stop tang.
Canuck750:
I removed the front end to get access to the steering stop, cut a piece of plate to add to the broken stub,
A quick splash of primer to keep it clean until painting
fitted the damper parts, needs another piece of strap to engage the damper stationary piece
Tha'ts done for now
I fitted the steering stem ball bearings and set the triples, I had to machine down the top of the triple at the stem to get enough good thread out of the stem for the top nut, only had to shave off about 3mm, good bite now picked up a few parts I had sent out for powder coat primer, chain guard, side covers, now everything has been media blasted and coated with a thick base of sand-able primer ready for final prime and paint.
The to do list is getting smaller:
- install light dimmer / horn switch
- install rear brake pedal switch
- install rotor, set points and timing, install engine side cover
- Install drive chain
- strip shock absorber, paint bodies semi gloss black
- install speedometer and cable
- install exhaust manifold and muffler
- install 6V battery
Then start up the bike and tune it, followed by stripping it all down for painting, this little Benelli / Motobi has taken more time and effort to source parts, repair, rebuild etc than anything else I have restored in the past.
I did a summary of what I started off with from the initial parts bike in a crate I bought off Ebay:
Frame / swing arm with axle / rear fender loop / triple clamps, forks and shrouds / head light / seat base / right side cover / center stand / gas tank / front hub / brake pedal / kick starter / rear axle
What was not correct for the bike that came in the crate:
engine (was a 125 bottom end with a 250 top end and a miss matched crank) rear hub / right side cover / front fender / front axle /
Things I found:
200 cc complete engine / oversize piston and rings / valve guides / gaskets, seals and O rings/ engine case bearings / big end rod bearing, small end bush / repro seat cover / NOS handlebars / repro exhaust pipe and header / NOS speedo and cable / rear hub / spokes / rims / tires and tubes / shift pedal / headstock steering races / carburetor / chain guard / front and rear fender / licence plate bracket / tail light / wire harness / brake and clutch cables / air pump / horn / braided fuel line / grips / foot peg rubbers / tank rubbers / front and rear sprockets / Dansi 6v coil / stator lighting coil / condenser / levers and cable adjusters / front brake cam and brake cable lever / rear shocks / battery strap / steering damper knob / passenger foot rests / front brake shoes ....
There is truth to that old saying to never buy a disassembled motorcycle in boxes, I should have just steered away from this bike when it came up for sale as a 'Project that was 95% there'.... but here we are nearing the end of the dry build, I got in too deep but when its all done I think I will be happy with it.
cliffrod:
Man, Jim- I’m loving it. That bike is going to be great! Thanks for all the pics and details.
Pescatore:
Hey Canuck, I knew I had seen that motor on this forum.
I found this Motobi at a museum in Beverly, MA.
Canuck750:
--- Quote from: Pescatore on February 18, 2023, 07:17:19 AM ---Hey Canuck, I knew I had seen that motor on this forum.
I found this Motobi at a museum in Beverly, MA.
--- End quote ---
Thanks for posting that picture. I think it’s a 5 speed with a gear driven tach and it’s a sport model with the clip ons and shorter fork shrouds, very cool.
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