Moto Morini 500 Sport

Some years ago came the realization that I knew almost nothing about Moto Morini. Be it potential purchase or writing essay, displacement bias caused me to repeatedly skip Italy’s iconic middleweight in favor of open-class honk. So much for the crack historian title, but 1000cc or more is what’s needed in my environment. Seeing more than one mechanical corpse on the roadside left me with no desire to punish anything smaller than 750cc across the vast Sonoran, and while many owners of small bore motorcycles faced even harder challenges with success, bigger is better proved a hard mantra to shake. Yet, a seed was planted; courtesy of Cycle magazine’s December, 1979 Morini 500 Sport road test. Like most back then, this writer was influenced by the cycle press, but not impressed by the Yamaha Special cover bike meant this issue dropped into the ‘read later’ pile. Becoming aware of Morini when I did, the dramatic intro from photographer Robin Riggs and the spartan profile of Morini’s 500 Sport made me stop. “This is a flashbike,” wrote the editors. “Essentially a smaller version of Benelli’s SEI, the 900 Desmo or Laverda Jota.”

(“The Moto Morini 500 Sport can stay with the pack…but at a cost,” wrote Cycle’s editors in the Fall of 1979. Pinning the softly tuned 498cc v-twin blasted its otherwise impressive fuel mileage average, but the fun steering Morini’s 500 around a mountain road “makes you forget how uncomfortable you are”)

Described as a self made man, founder Alfonso Morini established himself as a solo producer in 1937. Launching his small company in Bologna and rolling out low cost/no cert three-wheel utility trikes, Morini aimed for a specific market and that target never changed. Suffering WWII damage caused by Allied airstrikes, Alfonso Morini rebuilt his prewar works then introduced his first motorcycle – less than two years after the conflict ended in 1945. One year later, Morini set forth another tradition by releasing a Sport version of the 125cc two stroke single, and the firm continued as an active and successful participant in European GP and ISDT events until 1963. Assuming management duties following the passing of Alfonso in 1969 and with splashy new models from Europe and Japan landing everywhere, daughter Gabriella (Bartolini) hired Ferrari’s Franco Lambertini to remake Morini. The low fee 350 Starda (riginally designed as a 500cc, but sliding under regulation being 150cc smaller) made its debut at Milan in 1971. Not seen on the road until 1974 didn’t boost confidence, but it was carefully built by hand. History says Moto Morini’s lovely 3-1/2 Sport arrived one year later, and there’s lots more in the files for a deeper dive. Much was done pre-and-post 72-degree twin, but as this review focuses solely on the flagship 500 Sport, visiting the comprehensive Morini Riders website will fill the blanks.

(For 1957 – Settebello 175 defined Moto Morini as a true GP force. Photo: Ruote da Sogno. First year drum brake 1974 3-1/2 Sport was an instant hit. Among the best handing bikes available and stunning in profile. Probably the most loved Morini ever?) 

Not surprisingly the Morini’s unique 72-degree v-twin dominated my studies. At least, to begin with. Old suspicions confirmed, the 500 Sport’s ability to (just barely) stay with Guzzi’s pure-tour 750 Ambo in a standing start 1/4-mile is hardly the stuff of dreams. Still, as one ponders the sum of 500’s parts and how they work together, that Morini magic becomes visible. Much like Laverda’s first parallel 750’s, Moto Morini’s 500 Sport proves there’s more than one kind of fast. Capable of more grunt with select modifications, the air-cooled, 478cc unit features offset cylinders, and the bottom end is a very Guzzi-like with both big-ends side-by-side on a forged, single throw, plain bearing crankshaft. Nestled at the cylinder base and driven by a toothed rubber belt, the camshaft acts upon pushrods connecting 31.8mm intake and 26mm exhaust valves. Scooped out to make the combustion chamber, the Morini’s dished piston/flat top cylinder arrangement nets a steep 11.2 compression ratio. Most credit the Heron design for the engine’s impressive efficiency – one positive aspect of its soft tuning. Fuel and air are delivered by one 26mm DellOrto per cylinder, and the mixture is fired by a Ducati-made transistor ignition. Also having a power takeoff for the oil pump, a crank mounted helical gear drives the clutch basket, and the 500 fit a centrifugal-clutch electric start or kick. Deemed insufficient for the larger engine, the 350’s six-speeder is replaced by a five speed transmission, and Cycle’s test bike fit a (DOT mandated) linkage and cable system for left shift/right brake orientation.

(Revival Cycles tore down this 500 Strada for a mild makeover. Note single backbone upper frame, wiring arrangement. Morini v-twin cut-away shows oil pump drive below, piston/cylinder detail, and ignition pickup arrangement. 350 or 500? Left-side of Morini’s all red 500 from Made in Italy Motorcycles)  

(Much can be told from a motorcycle’s profile…even a grainy, newsprint thumbnail like this. The Morini’s kicked out rake-n-trail figures might suggest an unwillingness to change direction – not so with the think-and-you’re-there 500 Sport, Credit also its ideal weight-bias, low center of gravity and yards of ground clearance. Photo: Cycle Magazine 12-79)  

In addition to Cycle’s coverage, Cycle Guide’s test of a 500 Strada in January of 1979 provided a wealth if insight. Penned by the underrated Micheal Jordan, the test and evaluation was done working through US Import agent Herman Baver of Hendan Corporation in Port Clinton, Pennsylvania. Otherwise known as Hermy’s and still active selling BMW and Triumph, Baver picked up import rights in 1973 and enjoying a long relationship with the Morini factory. At the time of this writing (fall of 1978) Baver is reported to have brought 200 Morinis a year into the USA, through 35 dealers. With a total production of 4000 units annually averaging out to roughly 75 motorcycles per-month, the Italian twins have remained rare on the ground. Famously visiting twice a year, credit Baver for establishing (or as regulations tightened, insuring the funding to continue) US importation, but Braver also played a part in Morini’s decision to turn down Harley Davidson’s offer to buy. Seemingly written while actually riding the bike, Jordan’s test flowed with keen descriptions and advice on how to keep the Morini on boil. Common test complaints focused on output, shifter linkage, massive wads of loomed wiring and other direct thoughts on the 500’s all Italian componentry. Noting the number of journos who became Morini owners after testing one, Jordan concluded his very best self was found on the seat of the Morini 500.

(Cropped from Cycle’s December 1979 test, components of Morini’s 500 Sport ‘Heron’ engine shows the design’s distinctive scooped piston and flat cylinderhead top end. Valve adjust is via screw and locknut. Oil is filtered through a screen. Main wiring junction lives under the right side cover) 

High praise indeed, especially for a budget bike. Not the buyer’s, but instead Morini’s modular approach that overlapped and reused key components across the entire line. For example, the engine’s fore-and aft cylinders and heads are identical, and interchangeable. Cycle’s editors deftly passed on the time and money saved on the castings alone, yet praised the design’s exacting combustion efficiency and fewer moving parts. As an enthusiast used to 1000cc power, the 500 Sport’s lack of giddy-up might be offset by other virtues, but the lack of an oil filter takes us back to cheapskate mode. Especially living in the dusty desert. After 1981 the SEI-V fit a new 6-speed transmission and some with Guzzi Le Mans inspired bodywork, but specification and output was otherwise unchanged. Noting low vibration and its fairly lazy attitude, the editors at Cycle weighed in on Morini’s design and application; “Overall, the Morini engine seems more designed for simplicity and longevity, than sport.”

(500 Strada is basically identical in spec to the Sport version, save for 1-piece touring handlebar and badges. Accessory bodywork was available)

Despite those goofy mid-set footpegs and stubborn linkage, the Morini’s chassis saves it. Doubled up, the frame is cross-braced at the front engine mounts, and the steel cradle was modified in 1977 for a larger 12v 18AH battery needed for the electric start system. Research shows Laverda used the same 35mm Marzocchi fork (set on the Morini at a rakish 29-degrees) and Marzocchi twinshocks on its acclaimed 500cc twin. Interestingly, Cycle’s testers complained about the fork’s harshness, while other testers strongly urged buyers to bin the OEM shocks for a higher quality set. An editorial pattern repeated, harsh criticism for the Morini’s ride and ergonomics was usually followed by descriptions of unflappable confidence at full lean. Uniform 18″ seven-spoke cast wheels mate to triple 260mm rotors and 2-piston calipers, all from Grimeca. Speaking of those, Cycle Guide’s test recalled when the factory began testing cast wheels for its new 500, it used “a sledgehammer, not a computer,” to find the toughest set. Always coming back to the Morini’s road manners, Jordan concluded Cycle Guide’s test by writing; “You have to relearn how to ride a Moto Morini. When making time through the corners, trust the bike’s ample ground clearance and just pin the gas.”

(We assume the accessory fairing was an option, and even more elaborate sections were available. Factory installed on both the 350 and 500 twins. Sport features a smooth upper clamp with badge. Handsome Grimeca cast wheels, brakes and Marzocchi suspensions – all part of the Morini’s all-Italian build)

In some old notes saved from four or five computers ago, one Moto Morini enthusiast told of his journey into the brand; “I’d built up a really nice RD 400 Yamaha,” wrote the owner, who recalled a time frame somewhere near the late 1980’s or early 90’s. “There was a group of us who’d meet for breakfast, then ride through some of the nearby twisties. One dude – a bit older than the rest of us, would sometimes come on his Morini 500 and nobody could catch him. I’d consider myself a pretty decent rider, and my RD had extensive mods to both the engine and chassis. No matter how well I was going, the Morini would zip by while I was setting up for a corner. Just blow by, and keep going.” Turns out Mr. Morini was the friendly sort, and bikes were swapped. “For me, it was amazing to experience a motorcycle that is so easy to ride. For sport riders, easier means faster…and more fun. It took a while to find, but the 500 Sport I did eventually buy remains my favorite bike. I still have the Yamaha too!”      

To summarize this review, Moto Morini’s 500 Sport is a flawed but fabulous motorcycle with a riveting history and a worldwide following. For me personally, the chance to finally put some Morini coverage in this space comes with an additional benefit – a deeper appreciation of a very unique machine. Of its contemporaries, Yamaha’s much celebrated SR 500 single is closest in specification, producing roughly the same power from the same displacement, and weight. A deeper look into the Morini twin must include the more popular and highly cherished 3-1/2, which might be a more concise package with its six-speed gearbox. For me, I’ll take the extra grunt offered by the larger version, and even though it isn’t much faster, Morini’s 500 Sport would be less burdened by extended speed or steep grades. Some quick checks turned up running examples throughout Europe, the UK and USA, all in the $4000 to $6000 range. Our next Morini feature will include aftermarket sources – still being researched. Following a long line of people who discovered the same thing, Morini’s midsize 500 is a lot more bike than I thought. Nolan Woodbury                

Gallery

(Listed FS in Iceland June 2024, this 1983 500 Sport looks to be very original. Note black driveline paint and exhaust, factory airbox arrangement)

(Switching to a new 6-speed transmission for 1982 resulted in the SEI V, produced until 1985 according to the Morini Riders Club. Minimal detail changes include a plastic chain guard and mechanical tachometer. Bodywork was done in homage to Guzzi’s Le Mans 850 II)