MRC Forum- brought to you by www.morini-riders-club.com Member: g7AW3f

I've recently aquired a 1980 350 Strada and am doing that chin stroking excercise that accompanies a 'new' bike where I'm trying to assess what I actually have in front of me.
Most of it is obvious cosmetic stuff, while tatty it seems mechanically sound and in due course I'll get round to all of it hopefully.
Registered in Feb 1980 I suspect its a bit earlier with its A marked engine and while I can see the frame numbers the paint makes them illegible so I'm just going on the V5 for the moment, it also assigns an engine number but I cant see that so maybe am looking in the wrong place.

I do have couple of queries though and am open to suggestions. My only previous experience of Morinis was my mate had a sport in the late nineties, enough to interest me in eventually getting one but thats where my knowledge runs out, I've been firmly in the Ducati side for the past fifteen years.

paintwork, the frame is decidely orange compared to the tank and side panels, it may well be the original colour as theres a grubby made in Italy sticker under the headstock. I'm debating whether or not to repaint the whole thing (tank and side panels need it really)or leave the frame as is, wheels will need recoated too



The headlight switch has gone, it still work if I push it with a screwdriver but I'd like to know what else will fit.
I suspect the tape aroung the headlight bezel is for more than waterproofing, haven't had a look yet so dont know whats in there.
Is it meant to have a front brakelight switch? this one doesn't,not that I'm to worried, the rear pedal works fine but I'd like to know what should be there.
Indicators probably disappeared years ago, I'll consider them in due course.
I do have a replacement belt, marked 'MEGADYNE ISORAN 124L 811' ,anyone know if this is suitable, the previous owner seemed to think so but I'm just checking.
I suspect the front cylinder has been replaced at sometime as its black and the rest of the engine is silver(well under the muck it is), the engine has a charming film of oil across the bottom of the case, its source will be more obvious when its cleaned but if theres a 'usual suspect' I'd like to know.

I'll look around here for tyre recommendations, the ones fitted seem fine but as far as I can tell from '1902' they were made in the nineteenth week of 2002 so may be past their best.

The lauded electric fuel tap seems to have been replaced by a standard fuel tap, can you still get the oe ones?


I'm open to general fettling suggestions as I haven't taken on a bike this old before, I'm in no hurry though.
Specialist tools may be a stumbling block and I'd rather know about them before I start something only to find the innaccessible little widget is only removable with a special tool made in one little shop in Volterra which is shut nine months a year.

Hi Monstyr,

In answer to your question become a member of the riders club and you will at least enjoy a 5% discount on all those parts you will need to buy from North Leicester Motors.
Your bike is more standard than you think. Tank and side panels are the correct shade although your frame has been resprayed at sometime. The frame should match the colour of the tank/side panels. Wheels have not been resprayed but the engine was originally all black with downpipes and silencers to match. Send me a pm quoting me you email address and I will send you a road test on the 1980 sport version of your bike and you will see how your bike would have looked. Of course such was the way Morini operated we can never be certain on colour schemes as the factory often used what ever they had on the shelf but at least the road test will give you some bench mark to go from.
Most of us within the riders club have our own ideas on what we want our Morini's to be however rarely will you find two members who agree. If you want to restore this bike to its former glory then that may be expensive but parts are available and you could complete the work well within budget. The Old Bike Mart is a good source of services for any restoration work and you may well save yourself time and money.
Regarding the front brake light switch I don't believe these existed on this model although I stand to be corrected if some other members knows better. Electric fuel taps are often replaced although I still have mine on my 77 Strada. You should have an electric start (unlike mine) although they never worked and most were taken off and left on the work bench. You should have a steering damper but again most were taken off as not a requirement for competent handling. Cam belt, do not take chances, buy a new one, speak to Rob at NLM as he can tell you much you need to know relating to your switch gear, headlamp and any other parts you need to know about.
Above all ride the bike, enjoy for what it is.


Regards

Paul

The film of oil my be being supplied via a kickstart oil seal, or a weep from the main crankcase breather pipe, or even from the oil pressure switch.These can leak through the body of the switch and the oil then blows back under the engine.
Another source is via the clutch oil seals..You'll have to clean it off and go for a run.(especially as I've booked excellent weather for the rest of the week,)
I fitted indicators sourced from vehicle wiring products as they were much lighter and easily available.I would not use those "mini-indicators" as they have a 21w bulb.
Thing's I have found most trying:
pinhole leaks to fuel tank.POR15 seems to work.
Seized exhaust nuts, or chewed castellations.I got a proper spanner and use "BMW specified" grease as I have a similar thing on one of those. Some other heat resistant anti seize grease will do I guess.Beware of cross threading etc.I cleaned out the threads of carbon when I had the heads off.
Swing arm gone. I had a devil of a job getting the old bushes out.
As mentioned somewhere recently there's some clear documents downloadable from Soren's Morini site http://morinist.dk/morini/downloads.php

Switchgear; All my many Morinis have had original switchgear and it's generally reliable unless it's been broken and glued back together. It was used on quite a few bikes (including Ducati) and can be found NOS on ebay although you might have a figure out a different set of wire colours/connectors.

Tyres; 90/90-18 front and 100 or 110/90-18 rear in either Avon Roadrider, or Bridgstone BT45 according to taste or prejudice.

Cam belt; I wouldn't use any belt I didn't know the povenence of. The last owner may have left their spare belt lying on a shelf in full sunshine for a couple of years. I use Gates belts at a cost of about £5 delivered. They should fit just fine if you have a 'B' grade cam pulley (most common). You need a flywheel puller (under £10 from NLM) and there are many threads on belts/changing on this forum if you have a look through.

Front Brake switch; Not a legal requirement until 1983. The master-cylinder can be drilled and tapped (1/4" UNEF thread!) for a switch, or you can fit a hydraulic switch if you feel the need.

Engine number; Not stamped by factory. Official UK importer would stamp the frame number on the engine if it came into the country via them. Might still have kph speedo even if it did.

Special tools; Other than the flywheel puller, the only other 'special' tool I use is the tappet adjuster key (little bit of metal with a square hole) that was supplied in the factory tool kit.

Advice; Change the oil, change the belt and ride it! Find out what it's like to ride! Oh and add your location to your profile.

After a cursory clean enabling me to see things a bit clearer it would seem the oil is coming from under the clutch side cover on the left of the engine, I notice from the manual I looked at theres also an oil pump in there somewhere too, not going any further at the moment, this will be a winter job as theres a few things to sort first and the engine may be coming out to enable the frame to be powdercoated so that may be a better time to look into that further.

A small but annoying find is the reason for the tape around the headlight, the screw securing it at the bottom has gone, I'm guessing here but theres a C shaped bracket attaching a blue wire( an earth I guess) with two holes on it , a small one to attach it to the bowl and a bigger one which perhaps once held a captive nut for a screw to attach through the bottom of the bezel. Not a difficult fix but if anyone can suggest the actual size of bolt/nut/screws then that would save some guesswork on my part.


BTW, I was given a flywheel puller by the previous owner who was intending to do the belt himself, it's still in its cardboard sleeve so I dont think its that old, I was just wondering whether it was the correct one, guess I'll find out when that side comes off.

Oh and I found my engine number stamped between two stars on the back of the crankcase.

..and I've become a member of the owners club.

The oil from the clutch cover means the clutch oil seals need replacing. It's not too bad a job. Though a clutch centre holding tool (I use an old plain plate bolted to a bit steel strip) makes life a lot easier.

I just got round to changing my belt. I've had the bike 30 years next year and have done it several times but riskily hadn't got round to it again for 6 years (though not many miles in that time). Once again, a good tool to hold the flywheel is a help. Mine is fabricated from alloy plate with bolts inserted at the correct centes and a hole to get at the nut. For the first time ever I had to cut the old belt. Corrosion on the cam wheel I guess. The springs were certainly a bit rusty and stuck to the shaft. The new one went back on OK after cleaning things up.

Not sure about the size of the headlight bezel screw, but it's small. Small enough to be fiddly for an old gimmer like me. If no-one else knows I'll have a look and check.

I've started tentatively to unbolt bits from the bike, taking photos and labelling things like bolts.
I'm still assessing what to do and have a couple of questions that hopefully someone will be able to answer.
Were the original (grey) wheels painted or powdercoated?, I was quite prepared to take these up to a coating firm but the definition of the lettering on the rims makes me think its paint and I may then just get them repainted if thats the case.
Can anyone photograph the strada switchgear from a 1979/1980 model?, as I'm sure mine is from different bikes on either side.

Is there a carb refurbishment kit for this ? , I will take the carbs off tomorrow and try and clean them, while it runs at present its not great, that could be solved by a good clean out but just in case I'd like to know theres a plan B and how much it'll cost.

Is the starter motor worth fixing?

I got carb rebuild kits from Eurocarb in the UK.I use the starter motor but it's taken a bit of work to get it satisfactory.Bit of a weight though.And I have burned out the starter relay once.