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I've recently acquired a 3 1/2 and am sorting out the various odd things that the previous owners decided to do....

The headlight however appears to be unusual, it's a CEV with the connector block in the shell



but the sealed beam unit is retained only by a rubber front ring which fits over a lip


it has 3 cutouts around the edge to orient the headlight properly

so it looks period if not orignal.
As you may imagine the rubber has relaxed a bit over the years so the sealed beam unit has a jaunty tilt, but it must be held in place well enough given its age!

My question is - is this a 'normal' headlight? I haven't come across any photos of a similar unit on another bike, they all have chrome front rings which presumably attach via a self tapper or two and hold the reflector/lens in place.

Look down the page at the first picture in the 'Early sport' thread. Those two bikes look to have the same headlight as yours - see the rivets on the outside of the shells and the mounting-point stamping itself. Perhaps US market bikes (I don't know where your bike was originally sold) were fitted with these headlights (by Morini or the importer?), which appear to be larger than the headlights fitted to Aussie market bikes and probably Euro market bikes as well.

Al B wrote:My question is - is this a 'normal' headlight? I haven't come across any photos of a similar unit on another bike, they all have chrome front rings which presumably attach via a self tapper or two and hold the reflector/lens in place.

It's normal for a US spec bike, but perhaps others as well. I have the same headlight on my '74 Sport, which was imported from the US last year and is 'original' in that respect.

The headlight assembly is the same as used on US spec Moto Guzzi V7 Sport and the shell will have 'CEV 02980' stamped on it. My 1972 US spec V7 Sport has the exact same headlamp.

Why would US spec bikes be different ?.....well, anyone that's imported bikes from the US - particularly from that period - will know that lighting is an area that they have some distinct differences. This is because their design/registration requirements contained in the US 'Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards' (FMVSS - the equivalent of Australia's ADR's) stipulated particular lighting specs that was'nt met by the 'standard' lighting for Europe, etc. It is not hard to understand that Morini would have wanted a 'simple' solution to this 'problem' for selling bikes into the US market, and 'bolting on' an already homologated/complied headlamp in the form of the Guzzi unit was the obvious way to go (I'm speculating, of course, but it does seem a reasonable explanation and the number of US spec Sports with this headlamp tends to lend weight to the theory). The tail light lense is likely another 'unique' component since the FMVSS of the time stipulate red reflectors to both sides and to the rear, and the lenses fitted to these bikes have 'extra' CEV174 (red) reflectors bonded (glued) to the sides and rear face of the lense.

The FMVSS's also require yellow reflectors be fitted, usually at the front on each side of the bike. I've seen pictures of US spec Morini Sports from that period that have yellow reflectors fitted at/near the headlight.

If you want to see a glaring example of how the FMVSS's can impact on the appearance of a motorcycle, look at pictures of a US spec Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans and compare with pictures of one from Australia, UK, etc. With the US spec bike you will see that the headlamp assembly 'sticks out' from the nose of the fairing by about 50mm or so compared to the others (quite ugly, actually). This is totally down to the different headlamp assembly required to meet the FMVSS's of the time (or, more accurately, Guzzi's solution to the problem).

Thanks for those replies, I've subsequently noticed that he headlight lens has SAE moulded in which would imply American origin.

The documents show the bike was imported but they don't say where from!

Al

Al B wrote:Thanks for those replies, I've subsequently noticed that he headlight lens has SAE moulded in which would imply American origin.

The documents show the bike was imported but they don't say where from!

Al

Check for the frame number stamped into the crankcase between the front engine mounts. This seems to be a feature of (some ?) US spec bikes as mine also has this. See Mepstein's thread for a photo of this 'engine number' on one of his bikes:

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