Forgotten Era Speed Hill Climb 350 Morini MKII

[72degrees]

Jobs that are quite tricky with only two fingers working properly on one of your hands. No.1 in an infinite series: putting on a new Morini throttle cable when using PHBH28 carbs. I finally worked out a strategy. The 375 has no filters on currently (borrowed for the project) so I unshipped the front carb to allow the top to be removed without getting the tank off. Getting the throttle inner cable attached was a bit fiddly but I managed to keep the spring compressed with the V-sign only hand while getting the slide back on. Imagine my delight when I discovered that once hooked up to the standard Verlicchi twist grip the slide was half open! Even with the carb top adjuster wound in it still is Checked the specs. on the Venhill website: 250/350 SPORT MODELS, FRONT CYLINDER | MORINI PART NO 36.01.26 | 774mm Outer | Clearance wire from ferrule to carb nipple set @ 78mm (3 1/16"). That's exactly what this one is, but the clearance is at least 10mm too short. Looked at the old ones that got trashed in the off. They are Venhill ones with midway adjusters (well a few cms from the twistgrip) that have been on for years. They clearly have more clearance (with those adjusters wound pretty much right in to be fair). Annoyingly Venhill don't give a spec. for the 500 cables but I'm guessing those have more clearance to suit PHBH carbs? I must have just got lucky 30 years ago.

I've ordered a couple of universal throttle cable kits for the project anyway as that's the best (only safe?) way to use the twistgrip cable adjusters on the fancy Tommaselli QA unit. Lots of careful measuring will be required before cutting to length, though what will suit the current handlebars in terms of outers will suit anything. Then I'll modify these for the 375, possibly incorporating the adjusters that come with the universal kits. The project is definitely going to get bar end plugs/weights this time, even if I don't fit 'bark busters'.

Might as well do the NLM ignition module and super-whizzo coils conversion next.

[norbert]

The cables for the 25 Dellortos do not fit with PHBH 28. You need more clearance. I make the carbcables myself using a standard inner cable with the nipple for the slides already fitted, and for the grip I take the oldschool small ajustable nipples. Never lost one

[72degrees]

The cables for the 25 Dellortos do not fit with PHBH 28. You need more clearance. I make the carbcables myself using a standard inner cable with the nipple for the slides already fitted, and for the grip I take the oldschool small ajustable nipples. Never lost one

Makes sense.
Sounds like a cunning plan I hate having to solder a Bowden cable nipple even more than having to shorten the outer.

[norbert]

If you have the posibility and time and the fingers you need for it you can try to resolve the problem of the awful adjusting of the cables on top of the caburaters like this:

k-DSCI0246.JPG (20.09 KiB) Viewed 27727 times

k-DSCI0248.JPG (22.03 KiB) Viewed 27727 times

k-DSCI0091.JPG (66.4 KiB) Viewed 27727 times

ciao
norbert

[72degrees]

The replacement Tommaselli Quick Action twistgrip for the project comes with cable adjusters anyway, but I may see if the packet of odds and ends that is included with Venhill universal throttle cables allows for a similar dodge on the 2C/375.

[72degrees]

Manipulating things is a bit slow, but I managed to get the OEM transducers off and offer up the NLM module and separate coils. More room to play with than on the 375 as the project has no reg/rec. Not that much though because I've done away with the 2C side panels (one was missing anyway) and replaced them with light plastic covers that hug the frame more tightly.

The module will sit in its rubber anti-vibration sleeve carried by a short length of alloy strip fixed to the frame bracket that the transducers normally mount on. I was going to use a length of alloy 90 degree angle section bolted to the reg/rec mountings to fix the coils to, but there wouldn't be enough space behind the panel. With a 500ml oil bottle sitting in the battery holder as a catch tank there isn't much space. The tool can has been removed though and I reckon I can tuck the coils up under the seat with one mounted each end of the short tube the can usually bolts to. A bit tight but well away from wet and within reach of the module wiring. I'll not use the fancy orange leads and caps that came with them as one isn't long enough anyway. New HT lead and NGK caps from good old sparkplugs.co.uk will go on. That will make a swap back to standard a bit quicker if ever needed.

Must find out if NLM have got a front brake lever. It looks very like the lever on the GFR, but probably just different enough not to fit, but Domino seem to do one anyway for 9 quid. I should possibly buy two

http://www.splatshop.co.uk/domino-f-bra ... imeca.html

[George 350]

For future reference,
Brake lever: Yamaha RD250/350 LC levers (and probably most Yamaha levers of the period) will go straight into a Grimeca master cylinder. You will need to get the Yamaha adjuster and lock nut as from memory, the adjusters are/were 6x0.75 thread not 6x1.
George.

[72degrees]

For future reference,
Brake lever: Yamaha RD250/350 LC levers (and probably most Yamaha levers of the period) will go straight into a Grimeca master cylinder. You will need to get the Yamaha adjuster and lock nut as from memory, the adjusters are/were 6x0.75 thread not 6x1.
George.

Useful info. I haven't checked but does the Members Area feature a list of compatible replacement parts? The GeN has a (very short admittedly) 'Pattern Parts Page' for things like speedo cables, brake cylinder seal kits and even Nordwest piston rings (Nissan).

[MarkB]

As a slight aside to all this Pete, on Sunday I was at the local village fair admiring a Triumph 650 racing sidecar outfit on the Stevenage & District Motorcycle Club display and its owner came up and introduced herself as Shealagh Neal. I remarked on the Vincent twin-drum front brake on the outfit and she explained that the standard Triumph brakes were rather marginal at Cadwell, hence the upgrade. I mentioned what fun Cadwell is on a Morini and she said that she'd always wanted a Morini and knew someone who hill-climbed one. 'He's not called Pete is he?' I asked. You know the answer! Apparently there were a couple of sidecar riders who came off worse than you at Loton that day...

[72degrees]

I mentioned what fun Cadwell is on a Morini and she said that she'd always wanted a Morini and knew someone who hill-climbed one. 'He's not called Pete is he?' I asked. You know the answer! Apparently there were a couple of sidecar riders who came off worse than you at Loton that day...

Indeed. I know Shealagh from way, way back when she used to passenger for her father Ossie on his Scott outfit. She once picked me up off the road after an off (riding an SWM not a Morini) through the finish at Hartland 34 years ago (it's shorter now but just as bumpy).

It was a trike crew that came to grief. Apparently a rear wheel strayed on to the grass just before the finish at 90+. Three-wheelers like that (two-wheel rear drive) are flighty when the reach the limit at the best of times. No grip on one side and lots on the other with the front probably going light is not a good recipe for stability. They ended up cartwheeling the plot. Both rider and passenger with breaks in both arms We were very relieved after an air ambulance arrived to hear that they were "up and walking around".

[72degrees]

Today's exciting episode.

Got the NLM ignition module mounted and then made sure the Naraku coils still work before continuing (though I'd jury-rigged them before). They did. Even though I'd already taken the mashed twistgrip off, it started very easily with the starter jet open on just the front pot and ran long enough to confirm sparks present and correct on both cylinders. Not mounted them properly yet but there's definitely enough room, and sufficient length of cable on the Module for my cunning plan. Then taking the throttle cables off ready for the new ones was made easy by having a 125H tank not a 2C one. It pivots at the front enough to raise the back sufficiently to make access to the PHBH28 caps easier. On removing the cables I remembered that I had raised the needles during the running in phase. On the X1s it has been taking a long time to warm up to the point that you can snap the throttle open fairly rapidly without it bogging. The needles are on the bottom notch now, so perhaps I need 'richer' needles or experiment with different atomisers - perhaps a P instead of a T in the same size rather than the next size up. Hours of fun, which I should have taken advantage of the Curborough test day for. It seems to go fine WFO once hot though so probably best to stick with the 125 mains after its Loton baptism experience last year.

Once running, I realised it was sounding rather throaty. The stainless 2:1 has been 'adjusted' by the fall so that the silencer is better tucked in, however, that has strained and opened up the joint on the stub that the rear header slips in to. If all else fails, gun gum will probably sort it, but having already experimented with using special stainless welding rods in my ancient arc welder I should be able to blob up the slight fissure well enough. The rear header could do with an inch or so taking out of the vertical section to improve ground clearance but that can wait for a bit.

I might as well get a new front race tyre (Avon) and put it on the wheel that came with this 2C as the silver finish on it is in better condition than the 77 350 fitted with the ancient Dunlop. I had to strip awful gold paint off that one and it's going a bit scabby. I *think* I know which shed that wheel is in. The disc will need swapping back though as I haven't got another one in decent condition.

[72degrees]

Some insight in to the 'why' of this project. Only available on Facebook as far as I can tell - sorry.

https://www.facebook.com/visualhybrid/v ... 386249014/

[acemorini]

What a very interesting film, thanks for sharing it.
Regards Pete.

[EVguru]

It's on Vimeo

https://vimeo.com/216249291

[72degrees]

Well the tip about solderless throttle cable nipples was very useful. The Tomaselli QA twistgrip is finally on. Note to anyone else going for one - it needs very different nipples to a Verlicchi item. I had to get inventive with the 6mm solderless ones I had acquired for the job but it's on.

It certainly is quick action. So much so, that it has accentuated the bogging on blipping until fully warmed up. Definitely needs to be richer in the atomiser/needle range. Probably made worse by the small crack in the pipe/silencer joint though, so that needs addressing before fiddling too much.
Starting very easily with the upgraded ignition but I think I will try to make some kind of rubber boots to go over the LT connections to the scooter coils.

Time to put new cables on the 375 now, but with a standard twistgrip the inner/outer cable clearance just needs to be made about the same as on the trashed ones that worked OK with PHBH28s.