Eicma

[hombre]

I never really liked those 650's, being Chinese Kawasaki's, and too modern etc, but this one struck me, looks pretty good, also in the flesh

[BumbleBee]

Very Milano-like. I like the clip on trim over the passenger seat. And a proper number plate holder

[hombre]

Very Milano-like. I like the clip on trim over the passenger seat. And a proper number plate holder

Exactly what I was thinking, those licenseplateholder around the rearwheel are always very ugly

[MickeyMoto]

Very Milano-like. I like the clip on trim over the passenger seat. And a proper number plate holder

Exactly what I was thinking, those licenseplateholder around the rearwheel are always very ugly

And dangerous when they fail...

[hombre]

Very Milano-like. I like the clip on trim over the passenger seat. And a proper number plate holder

Exactly what I was thinking, those licenseplateholder around the rearwheel are always very ugly

And dangerous when they fail...

Talking from experience? I reckon they should be sturdy enough (?)

[MickeyMoto]

Yes

[corsaro chris]

"Yes" as in talking from experience.

I also had one of the hugger style plate holders fail (on my ZZ). Luckily it wasn't broken all the way through and I saw its condition when I arrived home. Others have not been so fortunate!

CC

[hombre]

So what's happened, not sturdy enough apparently, hope they didn't end up between the spokes... :/

[MickeyMoto]

I was overtaking a line of cars on the two lane A19 betwixt York and Thirsk and as I accelerated I felt a very high frequency vibration. I stopped further up the road to fill up and a guy came over and said my number plate was missing. Surprised, I looked and the whole thing had fractured down by the swinging arm and was trapped between the frame and the hugger. The guy then tried to help even after I asked him not to and burnt his hand on the exhaust, the sill sod! I was lucky in that the whole thing did not manage to find it's way between the hugger and the tyre, although the tyre had a lovely wear mark on the tread.

I took the guard out, took off the number plate and placed in on my tail pack and rigged up the indicators with lock wire. I managed the 75 miles home with no further drama. Morini eventually supplied a new arm, which was beefed up around the swinging are connection.

However, this was not the end of the problems as on the way to the Isle of Man the vestigial mudguard broke up. After a lot more lock wire the number plate was fixed satisfactorily, but the IoM billiard smooth tarmac (yes, I play on some awful snooker tables) finished it off. Stopped in Peel, a German walked past and looked at the mess and said 'ah yes, an Italian bike'!

All this was after the original mudguard had fallen off going across a cattle grid on Exmoor.

A stupid design and the bikes should have been recalled to sort out the problem. However, I must give credit to Moto Hub for helping me out. Nice to see the new, improved Milano with a proper rear number plate holder.

[hombre]

I was overtaking a line of cars on the two lane A19 betwixt York and Thirsk and as I accelerated I felt a very high frequency vibration. I stopped further up the road to fill up and a guy came over and said my number plate was missing. Surprised, I looked and the whole thing had fractured down by the swinging arm and was trapped between the frame and the hugger. The guy then tried to help even after I asked him not to and burnt his hand on the exhaust, the sill sod! I was lucky in that the whole thing did not manage to find it's way between the hugger and the tyre, although the tyre had a lovely wear mark on the tread.

I took the guard out, took off the number plate and placed in on my tail pack and rigged up the indicators with lock wire. I managed the 75 miles home with no further drama. Morini eventually supplied a new arm, which was beefed up around the swinging are connection.

However, this was not the end of the problems as on the way to the Isle of Man the vestigial mudguard broke up. After a lot more lock wire the number plate was fixed satisfactorily, but the IoM billiard smooth tarmac (yes, I play on some awful snooker tables) finished it off. Stopped in Peel, a German walked past and looked at the mess and said 'ah yes, an Italian bike'!

All this was after the original mudguard had fallen off going across a cattle grid on Exmoor.

A stupid design and the bikes should have been recalled to sort out the problem. However, I must give credit to Moto Hub for helping me out. Nice to see the new, improved Milano with a proper rear number plate holder.

So serious troubles, did you report this to the factory or importer?

Poor sod, burning himself, you can be too nice too apparently Did you tell the german chap it's actually Chinese?

[MickeyMoto]

More photos... including my attempt at a tail tidy.

A great bike spoiled by a design fault and a tank that needed to be 17 or 18 litres. When the fuel ran low, if you braked or went down hill the bike would cut out as the fuel pickup for the pump was at the rear of the tank. The most I got out of a tank was 134 miles. It was like owning an electric car but without the worry of finding a charge point as I carried a jerry can.

[MickeyMoto]

So serious troubles, did you report this to the factory or importer?

Poor sod, burning himself, you can be too nice too apparently Did you tell the german chap it's actually Chinese?

Yes I did, but the problem is that the importer had changed to Moto Mondo, who failed to contact me, but would probably had said it was nothing to do with them.

Ben at Moto Hub was the importer, and he did obtain the new parts from the factory and he also helped me afterwards. 5 star service. The factory must have been aware as the new arm was highly modified as per the photos.

Unfortunately, it was all Italian, the only Chinese parts being the USB key with the manual, the leather wallet and the tyres. My X-Cape managed 8,000 miles in a year with only one bolt falling out.

I ride a BMW now because that is reliable - no wait - the Morini was very reliable it was the stupid design of the rear end.

PS The BMW has a recall of the footpeg circlips and now I hear the shafts are being replaced at 50k miles as they break. Good job I have a 50 year old one and a 40 year old Morini.

[hombre]

Ah okay, I thought this was about your X-scape. Talking reliability, my Scrambler is now at 56000 kms, only thing I changed was the regulator