In one of their reviews of the Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport, Cycle World said, “For the lucky few, the Morini is worth what it costs.” Considering the fact that this bike (with a 39 horsepower, 344cc engine) cost as much as a Honda CB750, it should tell you how much Cycle World enjoyed the Morini. Few were sold in the US and fewer still remain today, but the original US importer is still in business if you need spare parts.
The Sport was never more popular than a cult classic, but those devoted fans rave about the handling that was possible due to the 320 pound curb weight. For more on what make this bike interesting (and why straight-line speed isn’t as crucial if you can make up ground in the corners), check out this profile on Motorcycle Classics. There’s just something about that giant “Sport” emblem on the triple tree that makes me happy – seems like the kind of thing that would make you want to go even faster with your head tucked in and the “Sport” taking up a large part of your peripheral vision, constantly reminding you of what the bike is.
This example (VIN: A314777) shows 11,678 miles on the odometer and the seller calls it “very well preserved.” It’s titled as a ’78 as that’s when it was sold, and it’s being offered by the second owner, who has had the bike for eleven years. When the current owner acquired it, the bike had just 2,300 miles on it as it had been sitting for a while, so he replaced the timing belt, tires, seals, and brake lines. He had the forks and carbs rebuilt, rewound the stator, and remagnetized the alternator rotor. Non-OEM parts include Tarozzi rearsets, NLM (North Leicester Motorcycles) adapter block to help the left-mount kick start lever clear the rearset, Magura 11mm master cylinder, Hagon shocks, and an earlier Morini 3 1/2 Sport seat.
NLM also provided a new regulator/rectifier as well as an ignition system. The seller says that “the bike is a great runner and has appropriate patina for her age. This is not a cosmetically perfect restored bike but still a very dependable one. Included with the sale are the original tool kit, service manual and sales fliers from the original purchase.” The original master cylinder and turn signals are included with the sale, as well as a few spare parts.
Find this Morini for sale in Sonoma, California with bidding up to $2,805.55 here on eBay.