New Bikes - News
25 September - 2009
An official photo of the new hyper-motard, the GranFerro.
126.5 bhp and a 27 litre tank.
Also (below) a photo of the new GranFerro at the 2009 EICMA show
4 November 2009
Gran Motard
Following hard on the heels of the MRC visit to the Factory in early October, Motociclismo rode the prototype motard in Italy at the end of that month. Taking styling cues from the Gran Passo ridden earlier in the year at the tough Austrian Erzberg competition (check out the Italian roundel on the side, plus the traditional "MotoMorini" tank badges), the machine is a long way from the lithe Ducati Hypermotard…
Although many of the styling appears to be from the GP, differences are there to be spotted. Casing at the front of the engine appears to house an oil cooler, the tank may be narrower than the GP, and of course suspension, brakes, forks and trail (but not wheelbase, which is 1,504mm) have all changed to complement the 17" wheels. The front mudguard has a curious angular styling, with the running light centrally mounted beneath the fork, echoing the plastic front engine casings. The rear end is much sharper than the GP, with a slimmer seat which, whilst it has a space for pillions, doesn't appear to have footrests! The riders feet are also set well back in a riding position more extreme than even the Veloce on this prototype. It looks like a true fun bike
The name "GranMotard" is just a working title for the project - it is to be hoped that something a little more original will be chosen! Motociclismos' initial impressions were favourable, as they found the bike capable of lofting the forks in second and third - not surprising as the engine puts out 126.5 bhp at 8,500 rpm and has torque of 11.4 kgm at 7,000. Compression ratio has been reduced to 12.2:1, the clutch is hard to operate, but the brakes have plenty of response. With the Milan show only a few weeks away, Morini will be working hard to finalise design for presentation there - much rides on the next few weeks if the Factory is to survive… [Taken from Motociclismo]
Café Racer and Superstock;
If a brains out Motard style bike isn't enough, Morini are reported to be working on a Superstock sports bike, based on their experience with the racer which has so successfully competed at the Italian domestic Roadster Cup competitions, where Frank Zenatello has again finished first in class, repeating his performance of last year. As well as a revamped engine, reported to push out 168 bhp at 9,800 rpm, Velicchi are working up a new chassis for the bike. Lambertini has raised power through a revised exhaust, elliptical throttle bodies and re-worked cylinder heads. Whilst Morini management are reported as not being "prepared to enter racing themselves, there is every intention to provide customers with a kitted version of the bike to provide a turn-key racer, as well as a leading edge road bike".
In addition, a design for a half-faired café racer has been drawn up by Marabese design, who have been involved with the new Morini models from the original Corsaro design of 2004. Both these projects are currently awaiting the outcome of the refinancing discussions which caused such a stir at the end of September, when British headlines screamed that Morini were bankrupt. Whilst re-financing is not good news for any company, we have to hope that these model plans and Morini management ability can combine to ensure the survival of the factory. [Taken from Motorcycle Racer, November 2009]
25 September - 2009
Moto Morini says it is “hitting back against internet rumours that have exaggerated the challenges facing the Italian manufacturer”, claiming it has paid all salaries owed to its 65 staff – though admitting its suppliers’ bills will continue to go unpaid.
“Moto Morini stated categorically that its own intention is to go straight ahead with all the company activities and all actions to date have been made with this in mind” they say – an acknowledgement that entering voluntary liquidation yesterday was a deliberate step to avoid having to pay suppliers, who have been unpaid since June.
Under Italian law suppliers now have no right to bring a criminal action against the company for not paying their invoices.
Morini assures us that “The commercial offices, technical, after-sales and spare parts departments are all working normally.
"Moto Morini is currently completing the updates on its range of products and expects 2010 models to be available from middle of October ‘09.”
Morini has sold more bike this year than last but too many of those sales have come from dealers’ running down of stocks rather than ordering more. It’s believed the firm has eight months under protection of Italian law to re-establish its finances.
Morini planned to sell 2000 bikes in 2009, on track for a break-even point of 2500 bikes in 2010.
A source close to the firm says they expect to actually hit a little over 1200 sales this year.
24 September - 2009 Bad news from the MCN website
Italian firm Moto Morini has entered voluntary liquidation after failing to pay its staff or suppliers in September.
Morini now enters a period uncertainty tinged with bleakness. Voluntary liquidation is normally a precursor to a firm’s assets being broken up and sold off, but it could trigger the appearance of a buyer for the whole firm.
The news comes as a real surprise – Morini has sold 15% more bikes in the first eight months of 2009 than it did in the whole of 2008, and development work on new models was apparently in full swing.
Only last month the firm was spied testing a rival to the upcoming new Ducati Multistrada in the highly-promising form of the new Granpasso.
No comment has yet emerged from the firm, or UK importers Three Cross, but the firm still has a booking at November’s EICMA show in Milan.
Fingers crossed they make it that far.
Update:
Statement from Moto Morini UK importers Three Cross Motorcycles:
“Moto Morini has gone into “Voluntary Liquidation” - this does not have the same implications as under UK law - it is a technical step necessary for any company to block legal action against them from unpaid suppliers. It will enable Morini to continue normal activity and allow the possibility for new investors to come into a "going concern".
Production and ex factory deliveries of bikes so far this year is similar to last year but this is below the budget to break even at 2000 units and this has caused a cash flow problem.
All daily activity at Morini is as normal, so supply of bikes and aftersales service are unaffected.
Production of the new model Supermotard 1200 is scheduled for January.
Morini are currently in negotiation with two potential investors and a third has just come onto the scene, so a positive outcome is predicted.”
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/General-news/2009/September/sep2409-moto-morini-bankrupt/
24 August 2009
These spy shots from Motociclismo.it show Moto Morini is building a road-biased version of the Granpasso adventure bike to take on Ducati’s forthcoming 1098-powered Multistrada replacement.
The new motorcycle was spotted track testing in Italy, and is complete bar the screen assembly (the mounting holes for which are visible on the distinctive front fairing.
The chassis is almost identical to the Granpasso adventure bike, but instead of large diameter but narrow on/off road wheels and long travel suspension the new machine is equipped with thick, high-spec road forks and 17” cast wheels with sportsbike tyres.
The increase in grip also means Morini can fit stronger brakes – and they’ve gone for some of the strongest in the business, equipping it with Brembo monobloc four-piston calipers and 320mm discs.
New twin silencers are also fitted in place of the Granpasso’s single can.
The Italian magazine caught up with Morini’s development manager at the Adria circuit test, who revealed that they were working on suspension settings and taming the front brake response, which was initially deemed too much for road riding in earlier tests.
He also claimed the engine is the same as the standard Granpasso, rather than the more powerful engine from the Corsaro streetfighter.
Suggestions that the bike is a pure supermoto can be dismissed by the Granpasso stickers on the side fairing – with the presence of mount points for the screen, it’s clear that Morini intends to keep the Granpasso’s comfort and styling alongside the newfound performance.
17 August 2009
Most Italian factories close in August and Morini are no exception. However, this does not mean that all is quiet with Morini. The Factory has been road testing prototypes of the new model, revealed by Motociclismo September issue cover to be "50% Enduro, 50% Motard - 100% Morini" and based on the Granpasso platform but with 17" cast wheels and sticky tyres. It is unsure whether this is the version that will be launched at the EMICA show in November - a 27 litre fuel tank takes some lugging around. The Italian press seem very taken with the bike, and if this bike makes it into production, I would anticipate that the UK press will have a similar reaction!
It is possible that the production line will be running at reduced tempo during the time of the clubs' visit in October, with full stream production likely to be paused during that month. There should still be much for members to see - at the time of our last visit in 2007 the staff were working on the single cylinder 400cc engine. Stocks of bikes have been high prior to the summer shutdown, with offers on several models designed to shift the older versions held at the dealers.
The Granpasso has been the subject of several modifications; a revision to the headlamp mounting to cure blowing bulbs due to insufficient vibration damping and a redesign of the front indicator lens to stop water entering the bulb holder are two that have been reported.
UK News
In the UK Three Cross have announced a number of new dealers; these join the ten or so existing around the country (some of which are more active than others); several have stopped selling Morinis either through lack of interest, concerns over supply / reliability or for financial reasons. It appears that the importer is keen to pick knowledgeable and enthusiastic dealers ahead of those focused on sales targets - which should be good for Morini in the longer term.
The new dealers certainly give Morini something close to a pan-UK spread (although Northern Ireland still has no appointed dealer) with ATV Adventure Extreme of Glasgow joining Tim Adamson in Elgin for Scotland; Ital Sport in Bury and LMT M/C of Louth (that'll be somewhere else to visit at the next Cadwell meet, then) adding to representation in the North, and Streffords of Worcester adding to a cluster of Morini men in the Midlands (QB M/C at Dudley and the very well known NLM at Leicester). The south still has the lowest representation with 3X themselves, the enthusiastic and knowledgeable Richard from Tec Moto in Essex, and Real World and Garland M/C flying the flag in south Wales - Red Dog and central London dealers Italmoto no longer feature. There are other dealers in the pipeline, some of which may plug these gaps, but we are a long way from the halcyon days of the 70s and 80s, when there were over 30 dealers across the UK.