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I have a 1983 31/2, can anyone advise me where the engine and frames numbers are located. Also, was this model fitted with a rectangular headlight or the usual round one? Thanks in advance.

Hello,

Frame number is at the rear of the engine on the cross piece. My MoT man hated it, especially as the powder coat had partially filled in the indentations. The engine number, if there is one, will be on the casing at the rear of the engine near the frame number. A lot of Morinis did not have an engine number.

If the bike is a K1, with the duck tail and triple discs, the headlight was square. The indicators will also be oblong and black. Of course, this all depends on what Luigi pulled out of the parts bin on the day of manufacture.

Thanks for your reply Mickey, very interesting. I checked the bike and found K - * 23569* and underneath DGM - 195553 - OM. I didn't see any numbers on the engine casing. My V5c states the frame number as 23569 and "Not Known" for the engine number which confirms your statement about not many Morinis had engine numbers. A bit cavalier. Regards Bongo.

My frame number too was clogged up with paint, so to make my MOT man’s life a bit easier I stripped the area and gave it just a thin recoat.
John

Bongo wrote: ↑19 Feb 2022 18:55 Thanks for your reply Mickey, very interesting. I checked the bike and found K - * 23569* and underneath DGM - 195553 - OM. I didn't see any numbers on the engine casing. My V5c states the frame number as 23569 and "Not Known" for the engine number which confirms your statement about not many Morinis had engine numbers. A bit cavalier. Regards Bongo.

Perfetto. The DGM is the type approval number or something and nothing to do with the frame number.

Bongo,

Yours is about 1200 on from mine. You don’t say if yours is a sport or strada but if it’s a sport, other than the 2 into 1 pipe on mine, mine is pretty damn near ‘correct’ - not that you’ll find too many in the club who are concerned about absolute originality.

The K1 (as this is) had the ‘duck tail’ fairing as mickey says, and triple discs (you’ll sometimes hear it referred to as 3FD). They had square headlamps and the huge rectangular indicators. Bodywork, headlamp and indicators frequently gets changed for something more classically styled but I love the 80s look and this model of bike resonates with my memories growing up around them.

There was an optional handlebar fairing and leg shields, although I prefer without.

Just to prove us all wrong! A single disc duck tail.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203832039005 ... SwekRiCjDs

Quite Mickey, like my Strada ! Thank you for your input gentlemen.

I did mention Luigi...

If you are trying to get your first MOT, or first for a while, take the V5 and turn up early as they can have a lot of trouble getting it on the system due to frame and engine numbers not exactly matching. Particularly with non official imports leading zeros, spaces, characters like * all cause trouble. We spent more time with my Kanguro trying to match what the system wanted for a frame number than doing the MOT!

When I went for my first MoT the tester put the wrong digits in. He added the K, which was not on the paperwork I sent to DvLA for registration. That added 6 weeks delay and another MoT to the list.

I say Morini, you say Moroni ……

Hi Bongo,

A very nice last series K strada in the rare in the UK blue paint scheme. A relief from so many red Morinis !
Even has the more usual chrome silencers on these K stradas.
Page 192 of Sempre Piu Forte shows exactly this model (Sempre Piu Forte is the most definitve book on Moto Morini available in English)
The other magic number on the frame is the homologation number for the K series frame.

Mark

MickeyMoto wrote: ↑21 Feb 2022 09:08 When I went for my first MoT the tester put the wrong digits in. He added the K, which was not on the paperwork I sent to DvLA for registration. That added 6 weeks delay and another MoT to the list.

6 week delay? you were lucky! I had to wait around 10 weeks and send a new MoT because the first MoT certificate chappie had added 3 characters in the VIN field for my Kanguro X that weren't part of the frame number I'd sent to DVLA for registration. And he did so even though I'd taken a copy of the V55 and the NOVA with me and explained it needed to match. When I returned to the MoT garage after my application had been rejected by DVLA he redirected me to his colleague to do the replacement MoT. They kindly didn't charge me for the second one and DVLA did accept it eventually. Ho hum...

Despite the best laid plans, these are old bikes with short frame numbers rather than the standardised VIN number. Thankfully mine are starting to become members of the Historic Vehicle taxation class where MoT's are no longer mandatory.

Eee lad, 6 weeks delay, you were lucky... sounds like the three Yorkshiremen sketch.