red kanguro pickup in 76 strada

[Haboola72]

Hello .
I'm new to this forum but with long history with things Morini.
Last year I bought a 76 Strada here in Catalunya , Spain. It had been customised with cow horn bars and leather tassles.it was the filthiest and most neglected ( barely ) running motorcycle I've ever come across. My wife reckons my 6 month restoration wasn't much of a cosmetic improvement. 'Tart's handbag' is the phrase that springs to mind. It did go well though ... until the other day when it started running on the back cylinder only.
I soon narrowed it down to a faulty pickup (red)
This was a second hand item kindly supplied by Rob Koster of Morini Service N.L.
His help over the last 2 years has been invaluable. He rewound my stator ( now 314 ohms )and tested and supplied new and second hand ignition parts. I have to say his charges were very reasonable.
The red pickup lasted many months before playing up . I thought I was going to have to bite the bullet and shell out for a new one when I remembered I still had the old one that came with the bike kicking about somewhere. This pick up had the wider metal strips . I was told this was for the 350 Kanguro.
I fitted it this afternoon and the bike runs very well.
What difference will this pickup make to the performance of the bike and is it a wise replacement?
Any reply appreciated.
Changing the subject. I built a little 420 engined 250 2c Morini in the late 90's reg.HWY 719Y. Fantastic bike. Is it still about?

[boris tarpit]

. . Tasteful tart's handbag would be more fair . . . . the 420/250 2C is still around and still mine, I'm the bloke you sold it to and I'm very pleased to have it . . I fitted clip-ons and re-made the rearsets so it no longer needs the displacer block, it also sports a set of Lafranconi competizzi reservato silencers and a cross over two into two exhaust system (front pot goes to the left rear pot to the right, both pipes equal length) . . I had to do a bit of re-jetting but it now pulls even harder and the exhaust note is pure vee twin music, makes a Ducati sound limp . . I also resprayed it to match the original frame paint and replaced the swingarm bearings and tyres . . next on the wish list is a better front brake and a fork brace . . . You might remember I was having a bit of a rough time around the time I bought that bike, I think having such a nice thing to play with got me thru those times . . . All the best to you and thanks for the bike .

[EVguru]

The red pickup lasted many months before playing up . I thought I was going to have to bite the bullet and shell out for a new one when I remembered I still had the old one that came with the bike kicking about somewhere. This pick up had the wider metal strips . I was told this was for the 350 Kanguro.

There are early and late versions of the Red pickup (picture from; http://www.motomoriniclub.nl/tech.html)


Whether they felt the later pickup was better, or if it was just changed for production reasons, who can tell (the Germans have probably written an article!). The Black pickup setup moved the diodes out of the pickup and into the transducers and can be used with earlier transducers by putting a diode in each pickup line.

[Haboola72]

Boris!
I'm glad you still have it, what a fabulous engine eh?
Can you post a picture of it? I'd love to see what it looks like now. Better still send me the soundtrack!
You are right about the rearsets,the spacer should have been meatier. It used to flex a tiny bit when pressing on...
As did the ex Benji Straw second hand 2 into 1 exhaust complete with riveted patches , the muffler blowing clean off at one memorable Cadwell, with not a murmur from any of the marshalls despite the terrible din.
We should count ourselves lucky that these great toys sustain us through the good times and the bad. All the best, and I hope to see the bike in the metal one day.

Thank you Paul for the information on the pickup. I must say it continues to run better on the old one..!

[morinipete]

Hi Haboola72.

I've sent you a PM about that 420 engine. 'Wondering how you did it what with 500/350s having both different little and big end sizes?

Cheers

Pete

[EVguru]

You used to be able to buy 500 pistons with the 350 pin size especially for the 420 conversion. I've seen a couple of sets come up on the email list or ebay over the years.

You could probably bush stock 500 pistons down.

[Haboola72]

Thank you Pete.
But please,I take no credit for the great motor!
I can manage top ends and both sides of the crankcase , but the bit in the middle I leave to the experts!
The engine was bought in Hampshire in the late 90s from a bloke who raced classic Italian bikes. It was based on a K2 engine with a 501 top end. It had a lightened flywheel ( even more so ), balanced everything, special cam and zero miles. The project was still-born and he sold me the engine. Expensive but worth every penny.
I used to make regular trips to Phil Smith down in Croydon ( great bloke, sadly missed ) and between litres of very bad coffee he sourced me a second hand 2 into 1 exhaust and helped me shoehorn the engine into the frame, once I'd bent one cradle tube clear of the oil temp. sender ( if memory serves ).
Then all that needed doing was re-jetting and tuning, fork stanchions rechroming and sealing. I drilled the front disc and fitted new rear shocks , re-profiled and covered the seat and fiddled about with the cosmetics..painting the cast wheels black. ( arrgh! 'elf an safety ! ) Well it was the 90's.

I clearly remember the ride back from Croydon .
A 250 rs Aprilia pulled up at some lights.
At the next set he flipped open his visor and gave the engine a long hard stare...

[72degrees]

I clearly remember the ride back from Croydon .
A 250 rs Aprilia pulled up at some lights.
At the next set he flipped open his visor and gave the engine a long hard stare...

I still get the occasional quizzical look at the 2C/375

[Daddy Dom]

Last year I bought a 76 Strada here in Catalunya , Spain. It had been customised with cow horn bars and leather tassles.it was the filthiest and most neglected ( barely ) running motorcycle I've ever come across.

Call me morbid, but I really want to see the "before" shots!
Cheers,
Dom

[Haboola72]

Call me morbid, but I really want to see the "before" shots!
Cheers,
Dom

For Dom's delectation..
The concreted oil and muck together with the dry climate here did a pretty good job of preserving things. No rust.
I decided to leave the original paint on the frame, even though it had worn in places.

[solviken]

I remember riding 'Huwey' (HWY 719Y) at Cadwell after you very kindly let me have a go. What a fantastic engine! It just revved and revved so clean and freely, the best Morini I've ever ridden!
You may remember our 'ding dongs' together? Me on my clapped out 350/2C I rescued from a skip! Happy days!
I still have the photo you sent me of 'Huwey' in 380 tune.

Nick (Your Nemesis)

[Haboola72]

Hello Nik!
it's been a long time since that Cadwell, 2002 was it? Still flapping round in that yellow set of overalls ?( I seem to remember )..
I hope to pick up where we left off when I return to the uk...won't be long now, I'm restoring an 88 Camel 501 so you should run rings round me as usual!


I only let you ride it because you were so damn quick!!

best regards
Pete