New Italian stablemate for the tribe

[canuck750]

I was able to purchase this 1978 Moto Morini 500 (1st year of the 500) last weekend.  It came with 8 large boxes of parts including gas tanks, side panels, mufflers, air boxes and much more.

These small V twins were known for their handling and excellent brakes, unfortunately the small V Twin was not known for its power and the bike struggled to break 100 mph. They were very expensive when new and not many were sold in North America.



It has new pistons and rings, rebuilt brake calipers and sports Mikuni carbs, the stock carbs and air box came with it. This is a Heron head engine, push rod with belt driven cam. electronic ignition standard. The steering damper is stock.



Interesting history is that it was bought for a lady to ride alongside her Harley V Twin husband's bike, and then some 15 years ago the previous owner purchased the bike. It has been converted to right hand shift abandoning the complex right hand shift linkage and has the 1980 Sport triple clamp and Tarozzi clip-ons.



All the pin stripe lines are hand painted. The Moto Morini used all Italian components; La Franconi exhaust, Grimeca wheels and brakes, Marzochi forks and shocks, CEV lights, electrics and switch gear, DeLorto carbs, Veglia instruments and originally cam with Pirelli tires.



Moto Morini was a niche manufacturer that produced around 4000 motorcycles a year. Eventually Morini was absorbed into the Cagivia empire and the hand built wee vee's were discontinued.

One day I will give it a cosmetic restoration.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Looks great already. Hope you have as much fun with it as I have with my K2!

[Demar]

Very nice! 

[huub]

nice bike!looks like previous owners took good care of it.
i have a bad morini habit myself ( think i own 7 right now 350 and 500) these little bikes really work very well.
over here in the seventies a new morini twin cost the same as a honda 750 four, so they are pretty rare here too.
i suggest going back to the original airbox, with pod filters sticking out they tend to react to cross winds and headwinds.

The ignition can be troublesome ,but very good ( and cheap, guzzi content ) alternatives are available.

what about a ride report?

[canuck750]

nice bike!looks like previous owners took good care of it.
i have a bad morini habit myself ( think i own 7 right now 350 and 500) these little bikes really work very well.
over here in the seventies a new morini twin cost the same as a honda 750 four, so they are pretty rare here too.
i suggest going back to the original airbox, with pod filters sticking out they tend to react to cross winds and headwinds.

The ignition can be troublesome ,but very good ( and cheap, guzzi content ) alternatives are available.

what about a ride report?

I am going to put the stock air box and DeLorto's back on, the carbs are all apart and need rebuild kits and a good cleaning. I unpacked the boxes of spares and found two complete air boxes, several new air filters and plenty of other 'stuff'. There was an old piston in one of the boxes, I have never seen a Heron head piston so that was interesting for me. My older son thinks the Morini is a pretty cool bike, my two boys have never had much interest in any of the other vintage bikes I own so this is a first!

I was warned that these Morini's will attach themselves to their owner and that in due course I will be in regular contact with Stuart at NLM to feed the habit

[Cal3]

Very nice......I have always had the desire to try one.....

[guzzi ride]

Nice score! I've always wanted one as well.

[GuzziDog54]

Very nice!

[Hahnda]

That color is one that you don't see very often. My Strada is the same color as yours.

Have to slip a "strega" picture in here as well. 

[Lannis]

That's a nice looking bike and should complement the Guzzis very well!

Always loved the idea of that light, simple V-twin.

Lannis

[Mr Pootle]

My cousin's got a 50cc bike made for the under 10s. It's got a Morini engine. Great little thing.

[huub]

I am going to put the stock air box and DeLorto's back on, the carbs are all apart and need rebuild kits and a good cleaning. I unpacked the boxes of spares and found two complete air boxes, several new air filters and plenty of other 'stuff'. There was an old piston in one of the boxes, I have never seen a Heron head piston so that was interesting for me. My older son thinks the Morini is a pretty cool bike, my two boys have never had much interest in any of the other vintage bikes I own so this is a first!

I was warned that these Morini's will attach themselves to their owner and that in due course I will be in regular contact with Stuart at NLM to feed the habit

your son has a good taste for bikes :-)
If you ever remove the heads you will wonder how something with valves that small can actually run!
really interesting design.

My cousin's got a 50cc bike made for the under 10s. It's got a Morini engine. Great little thing.

that is actually a different morini brand,( motori morini versus moto morini) having said that the founders were nephews.

[MotoChuck250]

Excellent example.  I have always thought those ought to be wonderful bikes.