Cam opinions

[Bison]

Hello Folks,
OK, my K1 Strada engine is going to be stripped, way too much play in the output sprocket.
I haver a spare sport cam which I could fit, but as I've never ridden the bike, I have no idea what the power characteristics are.
I like torque rather than top end urge, and I have a sport with a standard sport cam, so I know what that's like. I don't ride particularly quickly.
What are the opinions?, Strada cam or sport?
Thanks,
Alan

[George 350]

Hi,
Having one of each, the Strada feels much more 'torquey' than the Sport, upto around 5000rpm, but as you might expect, it has less urge than the Sport above that.
This might suggest that you might want to stick to a Strada cam, but there was some discussion recently that there is another cam that gives the best of both?
Hopefully someone will also recall the discussion and the cam name for you as I can't remember what it was.
Then again, if your existing cam is still good, why go to unnecessary expense for what could be small gains?
Hope this helps,

Regards,
George

[Andy_C]

One solution would be to blag a ride on a sport, that way you can feel what is is like to ride one, perhaps go along to a local Morini meet and see if anyone is willing to let you have a ride.

I have a book called the "Moto Morini 3 1/2 & 500 Performance Portfolio 1974-1984" which is just a compiliation of various models road tests, worth getting a copy if you can, as you see what road testers of the day thought of the various models.

The book has no engine performance curves showing torque / power at various revs so you cant compare the 2 models but the road tests make interesting reading.

I have only ever ridden 1 Morini which is my Strada which has a sport motor fitted, I certainly dont have any issues with the motor, in fact for a 350 it has a surprising amouint of torque in the lower revs.

[Andy_C]

One solution would be to blag a ride on a sport, that way you can feel what is is like to ride one, perhaps go along to a local Morini meet and see if anyone is willing to let you have a ride.

I have a book called the "Moto Morini 3 1/2 & 500 Performance Portfolio 1974-1984" which is just a compiliation of various models road tests, worth getting a copy if you can, as you see what road testers of the day thought of the various models.

The book has no engine performance curves showing torque / power at various revs so you cant compare the 2 models but the road tests make interesting reading.

I have only ever ridden 1 Morini which is my Strada which has a sport motor fitted, I certainly dont have any issues with the motor, in fact for a 350 it has a surprising amouint of torque in the lower revs.

[MickeyMoto]

Alan,

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7636&hilit=Cam

My untouched , 40,000 mile Strada went extreme.y well on the Duns to Coldstream road on Wednesday. It pulls from low revs through to the upper reaches of the rev range. It often surprises me that I am in a higher gear than I thought.

I always found the Sport to have a bit of a hole in the middle and lots of gear changing required to get it back into the fun zone, although it pulled well from low revs until it hit the dip. This is especially true here in the tundra where the roads can be wide, fast and empty and heading West means a headwind, top gear would struggle at 60mph. The Strada does not have that problem. Mind you, on the East bound leg the Sport used to fly!

[Bison]

Thanks for the replies folks,
Andy, I'm lucky enough to have two sports, a 77 and a 79, the 79 has a completely stock engine, including cam, and the 77 is 402cc with an NLM grind cam, which I am led to believe is an L5?, it also has a Powerdynamo ignition system, so although it goes VERY well and is mostly mid range torque, which is very impressive, I have no idea whether that is mainly down to the cam, or a combination of all the mods. What I haven't done is ride a stock Strada, as my one was in a terrible mess when I got it, so although it's been started, and sounds fine, I haven't had the chance to ride it. Unless otherwise advised I'll probably go with the stock cam in the Strada.
Mike, I agree with your impressions, on the way home from Duns the 79 sport held speed no problem, but if you wanted to move on you have to change down a gear or two.
Alan.

[MickeyMoto]

Alan,

You should have said, you could have taken mine for a ride.

[rossguzzi]

Im guessing to change cams, it`s a split the engine job ?
My 74 Sport has the s cam but I think I would prefer the strada one.
Jeez, I must be slowing down !!

[norbert]

To my opinión the best 350 standard cam is the "M", to be found in the last Kanguros X- motors (x2 and x3) , 350 Excalibur and K2 (probably all 350 with Nicasil cilinders).
Fine toque from low to high revs, no hole about 4500, nace idling. Here in germano even a lot of the racing guys prefer them instado of the "S".