Parts interchangability with the 3 1/2?

[SPEIRMOOR]

Not an owner (Yet) of any Morini but definitely an admirer of the brand and the machines. Looking for my first one. A question for the people that have and have experience with the 500 and the 3 1/2. The bikes look similar to me tank and seat wise and I was wondering if they are the interchangeable between both bikes?

[Jaydub]

I expect somebody with a bit more knowledge will be along soon but as I understand it the models are practically the same year on year. There were slight changes made to the frame when the 500 was introduced but this was then shared with the 350, I believe to accomodate the battery for the electric start which the 350 had not previously been fitted with. I don't know how you would get on swapping bits from earlier models but I have seen it done - a late bike made to look like an earlier (more desirable) model - and can't imagine that it would be difficult.

[SPEIRMOOR]

Cheers Jay. I really like the Red Black color combo of the 3.5 tank and the the seat with the rounder hump.

[EVguru]

I'm pretty sure the 500 seats are side hinging, so you'd need to add brackets for a round tail Sport seat. Tanks have different fittings depending on year.

It's not going to be a straight swap on all stuff.

[Jaydub]

Yep, our '84 500 Sport has a side hinged seat - wasn't aware that the 350s were different in that respect. Before I bought ours I tried to research as much as I could but my knowledge is still only very general. I have seen an '84 Sport fitted with the early (therefore 350) bodywork tho' and mighty fine it looked too...

[MickeyMoto]

Earlier 3narfs had a seat that was held on by 2 lugs at the rear held by thumb screws that screw into the frame...

Question - what does a 'standard' Morini look like? Even the later Corsaro 1200s are all different...

I love this type of manufacturing, drives the rivet counters crazy.......

[SPEIRMOOR]

http://bringatrailer.com/2012/06/25/198 ... 500-sport/
I'm just a learner so taking it all in. Now the Bike in the link, one of the comments says red frames get red tanks and black tanks got black frames? Is that true. Also are they painted on pinstripes or stick on?

[SupermotoDave]

Early ones had black frames, later ones had red or black frames with matching colour bodywork, other colours were available( I have seen grey).
Early ones had 5 speed later ones had 6 speeds, bodywork is not interchangeable with 350s, they did not sell them as sport and Strada derivatives but later models at least were AS and AT derivatives with high and low handlebars, there was no difference in the engine tune. Finally there was a model known as the 500 special produced which looked a bit like the 350 K2 model.
UK importers Harglo sold the later 5 speed as the Maestro, but as I understand it this was a UK only name, a bit like the Camel/Sahara name change.
Frames are similar but not the same. Later 500s were also kink framed just like 350s, all 500s were triple disc, swing arms are longer on 500s
Some had painted pinstripes, later ones had painted flashes.
Not easy to find any original morinis these days as so many have been repainted with different year colour schemes, and the factory basically assembled them with the parts they had in stock at the time so there are a number of non standard original bikes about that were built to use either new or remaining parts. 500s are much rarer than 350s

David

[SPEIRMOOR]

Thanks everyone for your knowledge.