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Hello All,

Here is my evaluation of the Guzzi V35 vs a Morini K-2 as a high speed land racing platform.

Morini

weight +1
width + 1/2
Transmission +2
Clutch + 1/2
Final Drive +5
Frame +1
___
10 points

Guzzi

Cooling: +4 1/2
Cylinder Head +5
Parts available +1
____
10 1/2 points

Weight: the chain drive Morini is a bit lighter than the shaft drive Guzzi
Width: the Guzzi Cylinders poking into the slipstream is more air drag on the vehicle
Cooling: The Guzzi Cylinders have fantastic cooling compared to the Morini. No small thing with a supercharged motor. It has taken me two race seasons to solve the Morini's thermal issues.
Transmission: 6 speeds is always better than 5 speeds with small displacement motors
Clutch: Morini multi-plate dry clutch will handle more power and abuse than a single disk type
Final Drive: chain drive allows many times the gearing selections than shaft drives have available,,also lighter and more efficient than shafts
Cylinder Head Design: the Guzzi has a bigger bore with lager valves and shorter and straighter intake and exhaust ports. I estimate 10% to 15% better breathing available when supercharged
than the Morini Cylinder Heads.
Parts Available: 2 to 3 times the parts are listed on Ebay for the V35 Guzzis than parts for the Morini.
Frame : the Double loop Morini frame hands down to the Guzzi using the motor as a fully stressed member....Easy to safely modify the Morini,,, and not so with the Guzzi.

Conclusion: The Guzzi edges out the Morini by 1/2 a point based on it ability to make and thermal manage more raw horsepower than the Morini, However, the Morini is a better all round vehicle and its ability to gear accurately and maximize the power it has available could off set the Guzzi power advantage.

Close Call,,, Very Close Call

the guzzi engine and drive line is bullet proof and was used even with the 60 hp 4 valve V75 engine.
probably more power than the supercharged 350 is going to make.
that comes at a cost, weight.
but weight is probably not that important for land speed racing

gearing sounds like a big issue , the guzzi smallblocks use the same final drive for all the engine capacities,
for gearing changes you have to change the primary drive gears inside the gearbox!
not something easily done during a race weekend.

Have a number of different gearboxes available. Still PITA to change but better than having to strip the 'box, too.

The Guzzi probably has a higher loss of hp, crank vs. rear wheel, than the Morini due to the primary gears and bevel drive.

You guys are so right about the gearing issue with the shaft drive...It convinced me to go with the Morini...

I raced a two different shaft drive bikes at the drag strip, and I was able to regear one of them 10% by swapping out parts.... That was it as I wasn't about to spend what it would take to have custom gears made....

According to the facebook post, he went 125 mph and had a gear left to go... 125 mph in 4th gear doesn't sound quite right to me as I just don't know if parts are available to gear a Guzzi that High... Maybe ???

If it will do that, I'd love to buy him a beer as I know just how hard it is to get North of 120 mph with a Heron Head Pushrod 350 motorcycle.

I'm now wondering if he saw that speed on a GPS or the bike's speedometer or some other method...

GPS I would believe,,, The OEM speedometer not so much.....

A well lubed and adjusted chain drive is about 96% to 98% efficient...

A M/C shaft drive system is about 92% to 94% efficient...

4% to 6% advantage to the Morini helps but doesn't off set the 10% to 15% (minimum) breathing advantage of the Guzzi Cylinder Heads...

I have work to do before next race season starts in May 2017.