Starting /battery issues

[MRC500v]

Hello All,
I have recently acquired a Moto Morini 500 sei-v and I am just looking for some advice.
It has a slimline Odyssey sealed battery fitted which was low on charge and subsequently placed on an Optimate conditioner charger and now shows as fully charged.
However on refitting on bike it is not turning starter motor and lights don’t appear overly bright. There is some confusion as to whether these batteries require a specific type of charger.
Also I am struggling to get the bike to start using left foot kickstarter and would appreciate any advice on this such as best position for handlebar mounted choke etc.
I have heard the engine running and all seems really good and the bike has come with a 40 year history file including original purchase invoice, every mot and tax disc and literally dozens of receipts from NLM, Benjy Straw’s WeeVee, Lusso Veloce and others as well as service tools and original tool kit.
I previously owned a Kanguro 350 X3 over thirty years ago which was very easy to start and sadly was stolen from a car park in West Yorkshire and never heard of again.
I am also wondering if any other Morini owners are local to me in the Tameside/Stockport/Manchester area as I have never seen another Morini around these parts and finally are there any decent specialists in the North West of England.
Hoping for some good riding in the near future.

[3potjohn]

Is this the PC680 battery? Can you remove it or disconnect from the loom, measure the voltage at full charge, then again after 24 hrs. Should be around 12.8V.If reconnected does the voltage drop over time? If it does not hold charge probably time for replacement.A suitable replacement is the Xtreme600 at 2/3 the price.
At my local battery centre they will load test the battery and sell me a new one.
In the meantime remove and clean all earth points, e.g. on the crankcase behind rear cylinder and the frame behind the headstock. Also clean the fuse contacts and if possible replace both fuses or check carefully that have continuity. My PC680 lasted about 11 years.
With a charged battery the lights, indicators brake light and horn should all work.
The starter motor certainly needs a good battery but may in any case be in need of a rebuild to restore optimal functionality.See Youtube videos by Paul Compton.
If you get it started by kick or bump what is the effect on the lights and horn? The battery voltage should rise when the motor is running and revved a bit.
Do you have the Blue Book manual? There are some diagnostic checks towards the rear.
Someone else should be along be to help.
Happy hunting! John

[morini_tom]

Sage advice from John regarding electrical checks on the bike, starter motor overhaul (very minimum check it’s oil!) and the blue book.

I have AGM batteries on all my bikes (Odyssey and Motobatt) In my experience an optimate doesn’t have the current to charge most AGM batteries. It will keep a full one full but once they get discharged it’s hopeless. It takes quite a large amount of current to charge a discharged AGM battery. The optimate saying it’s full May just be because the optimate can’t provide enough current to get it charging, rather than it being full.

I once sent a nearly new PC310 (the small one) back to odyssey as it was continually flat and they tested it and sent it back as completely fine. I questioned them and they said it was deeply discharged but they had recovered it and given it a clean bill of health. I was sceptical but they correctly guessed I was using a low power charger (optimate, only an amp or so) and advised me to use a higher power workshop charger. I now use a 6 Amp smart charger for general charging and maintenance and a 20 amp workshop charger if they ever get discharged and need a good wallop.

It would be worth disconnecting the battery from the bike, charging it for a period and then disconnecting and measuring it’s voltage periodically over a few days. Will give you an idea of whether the battery was actually charged and if it is holding it.

For what it’s worth I’ve had excellent experiences with odyssey batteries and even the tiny pc310 off my dart was able to start my 1200 Corsaro when it’s original battery died.

Incidentally I have a Motobatt MB51814 in my 350 sport and you barely hear the starter turn, the engine just fires up

[3potjohn]

The good news is you can get an Odyssey charger suitable .It is rated at 7amps. Waterproof too.Bad news is it is around £120. Looking again at all my chargers, max is 4 amps.
What about this?
https://www.electric-fence.co.uk/batter ... eries.html

[MickeyMoto]

I havea a C Tek charger which has a car and bike setting as well as an AGM setting.

[MRC500v]

Thank you for your replies.
I have borrowed a powerful booster charger and now have Odyssey battery connected to it.
Hoping this may be a success.
What is the best position for the handlebar mounted choke when starting from cold?
Also are there any good specialists in North West.

[Emmohaswheelsagain]

All good advice some of which I will use myself when looking to charge/replace the battery.
Fortunately I acquired my 500 (5 speed) from an elderly member of the VMCC who had spent sometime and money improving the electric start. The issues were resolved once the cracked starter clutch drum was replaced and a new relay was fitted.
So far I have not had to use the kick start! Regarding the handle bar choke I decided to replace this with the flick up chokes, this avoids the problem of routing the cables under the tank and allows for one choke to be used when appropriate. These are easy to fit and are relatively low cost solution from Eurocarbs. Concerning servicing specialists are hard to find and in the case of Lusso Veloce they charge £60 per hour so you should be careful to specify what work you require doing and keep them to an agreed budget. If you or any one else uses a good specialists then let me know, always prepared to travel as long as the service is good and rates are reasonable.
Enjoy the bike.

Regards

Paul

[mbmm350s]

Moto Hub in Stoke are modern Morini specialists and are building expertise on the air cooled twins. However it's a 70s motorcycle, nothing too hard for a competent person.
Cheers
Mark

[Daddy Dom]

Aside from electrical issues, using a LHS kickstarter requires some adjustment so here's my advice for getting the best kick.

With the bike on the centre-stand and LH enricher/choke up, I straddle the bike with my right foot on the passenger footrest and kick it. No throttle needed. That way my weight and balance give me a far better kick. Try it.
DD

[Vitesse]

Aside from electrical issues, using a LHS kickstarter requires some adjustment so here's my advice for getting the best kick.

With the bike on the centre-stand and LH enricher/choke up, I straddle the bike with my right foot on the passenger footrest and kick it. No throttle needed. That way my weight and balance give me a far better kick. Try it.
DD

I would never recommend starting the bike on the centre stand with your weight on the bike. That's how you get a bent/broken stand or frame. Personally I have the bike on its wheels, me on it and kick with left foot. They're not hard to kick over.

[MickeyMoto]

Stand beside, stands up, chokes on, right foot on kick start, turn slowly and find compression then a sharp swing. Bingo

One of my many pet hates is sitting on a bike on the stand. Caught a guy sitting on my Laverda on the side stand. Asked him politely to gerrorf. He refused saying the bike was ok. I pointed out it was my bike, my rules then walked over to his bike and started fiddling with it. He got off...

[mbmm350s]

I agree with above comments from Mike and Vitesse.
Best not to kick start a Morini with your weight on the bike while the bike is on either stand.
Never kick start a Morini on the side stand weight on bike or not.
Modern water cooled Morini manuals warn against sitting on the bike with the weight on the side stand.
I doubt anyone really thinks that In 1972 Franco Lambertini went out of his way to design a bike that would be difficult to start, that would be like a Yamaha SR500 from the same era.
Preferred methods.
Stand beside bike on centre stand right foot kick.
Straddle bike off stand left foot kick
Stand beside bike off stand right foot kick (kind of moto cross style for bikes without stands)

Used regularly and that's the key, they are easy to start.
Left to moulder in damp sheds with stale fuel less so.
Mark

[Vitesse]

One of my many pet hates is sitting on a bike on the stand. Caught a guy sitting on my Laverda on the side stand. Asked him politely to gerrorf. He refused saying the bike was ok.

I would be apoplectic!

[MickeyMoto]

He did ask why I was upset. That is when the Tourettes kicked in....

[Daddy Dom]

I would never recommend starting the bike on the centre stand with your weight on the bike. That's how you get a bent/broken stand or frame. Personally I have the bike on its wheels, me on it and kick with left foot. They're not hard to kick over.
[/quote]

Sure, but I weigh 60kg and in any case, find it hard to lift my leg as high as needed when standing. I haven't bent a thing in almost 16 years of doing it this way so I think I'm okay so far.
DD