Amid the hypercycles from Bologna, the geese that emanate from near the shores of Lake Como, the big triples from the North-East and the raucous and maniacal former kit bikes from Rimini, there is another Italian scooter that brings us full circle back to Bologna: Moto Morini. Started in 1937 and once under the mighty wing of Cagiva, Moto Morini went under in 2010 only to bounce back under a new owner. Today, Moto Morini continues to build motorcycles, scooters and ebikes under the Zhongneng Vehicle Group umbrella. But during the heyday, Moto Morini built some of the sweetest – if not a bit sedate – twins in all of Europe.
1980 Moto Morini 500 for sale on eBay
The Moto Morini 500cc engine is of 72 degree v-twin orientation. The narrow angle maximized space efficiency and balance and dictated the rest of the bike’s packagig. The capacity comes from punching out the cylinders of the 3 1/2 (350cc) model, itself a clever re-use of bits from the 125cc single that preceded it. Many pieces of the running gear are shared with other Moto Morini models. Reuse of components, and especially commonality of components (for example, the swap-able cylinder heads on the twins), betrays the thought process of the Moto Morini engineers; working on a budget as well as sticking with stuff that works. Speaking of stuff that works, Moto Morini was also well known for being an all-Italian brand. Everything on the bike came from Italy, for better or worse (and which is probably why a kick starter was included as backup to the electric start).
From the seller:
1980 Moto Morini Strada in very good condition. Starts, runs and shifts well. Bike has been refurbished and recently serviced with synthetic oil. Clean NH title. I just have too much stuff !
The Moto Morini 500 produced somewhere around 45 HP from its basic air-cooled design. The heads incorporated only 2 valves (operated by pushrods) but they were extremely efficient, resulting in a strong and flat torque band. And, as mentioned above, the heads were identical between the cylinders – making major reassembly that much easier. The rest of the bike was relatively simple, with a stiff frame, twin shocks and disk brakes. Handling was purported to have been the bike’s true strength and where this expensive Italian import beat up on the Japanese competition.
Examples of the classic 500cc Moto Morini are rare in the US. The company did not move very many units, and stuck with the same 3 1/2 & 500cc examples long after competitors moved forward with new models. Today these are very classic motorcycles, usually well loved and cared for. Today’s example shows the care, but it is difficult to get a great view of the bike in the crowded space. Still, what is there looks great and I’m sure the next owner will be the envy of many. This one is located in New Hampshire and is nearing the $5k mark with reserve still in place. That is still in the good money territory for “that other Italian v-twin” and interested parties should check it out here before it’s gone. Good Luck!!
MI
I’m interested in one of these. Anyone out there with experience of the 500cc? How does it compare with the 350cc? Thanks