Miscellaneous Cool Italian Bikes

[ducatiz]

Not exactly...

You must own Google stock... 

how did you know??

[mickyvee]

Mickyvee,

Check out my SL from 1981. THESE cast iron Brembos WORKED!  Note how relatively light that front end is. The whole package was ~ 320 - 330 wet. My 796 is better in most respects but not all. A skilled pilot on my old SL could leave many modern Liter bikes for dead TODAY on a nice tight B road or track. http://www.ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=50673.msg929505#msg929505

This is what Tiz means by going seriously assbackwards! 

Yeah, by 1981 the discs on Italian bikes worked. My Jota was one of them. I was talking about the early 70's. Discs were crap. Really crap. And that was in the dry. In the wet, they didn't work at all. The only way to stop my RD350 in the rain, was to just use the rear (drum) brake. Loadsa fun!

[Curmudgeon]

Yeah, by 1981 the discs on Italian bikes worked. My Jota was one of them. I was talking about the early 70's. Discs were crap. Really crap. And that was in the dry. In the wet, they didn't work at all. The only way to stop my RD350 in the rain, was to just use the rear (drum) brake. Loadsa fun!

Those cast iron Brembo discs rusted if you looked at them sideways but worked great.  I used satin black Rustoleum applied with a Q-tip on the vent holes and outer edge. The working surface cleared instantly in use anyway.

The first bike I had with twin discs was a 1974 R90S with stainless rotors. They worked OK if not brilliantly.

[Moronic]

Well you've done it now ...

Two-day run into (wet!) mountains 18 months ago. My ride was the Morini 3.5 Strada at far right, which another participant had kindly lent me. Same as above, or very close. One owner from new.



Apologies for the pic quality. Best I've got. Spent too much time riding.

I had a drum-brake Morini 3.5 Sport around 1978. Loved it. Was funny going back. Motor felt like it came from a lawnmower. Very weird brakes. Same low weight and effortless, accurate steering.

Second from right is another 3.5 Strada, late-version with cast wheels.

Can anybody pick the bike second from left, next to the Pantah?

Thanks for the thread, very enjoyable.  

[Travman]

Nice grouping of Italian bikes. That is an awesome friend you have to have to let you borrow his Morini.  What is the bike second to the left?

[ducatiz]

Nice grouping of Italian bikes. That is an awesome friend you have to have to let you borrow his Morini.  What is the bike second to the left?

That's what he asked!

It's a parallel twin of some kind.  My guess is a Benelli twin, maybe the 650.  The tail and bag of the Pantah are blocking too much, but you can just make out the head.

Those cast iron Brembo discs rusted if you looked at them sideways but worked great.  I used satin black Rustoleum applied with a Q-tip on the vent holes and outer edge.

William, that's brilliant.  I have a stack of iron rotors and I'm going to get them blasted and do exactly that on them.  (slaps forehead)

[Moronic]

It's a parallel twin of some kind. 

Yes!

My guess is a Benelli twin, maybe the 650.

No!

Hint: in the relevant era, a bigger player than Benelli.

Yes Travman, a very good friend. Although I wasn't such great friends with the original seat after a few hundred miles.

Little motor spent a lot of time under plenty of throttle and just ate it up. Looking at the shot you posted of the bike on the stand, I am reminded of just how much Lambertini got right with that bike.

And of a few things he got wrong. The side stand bent plenty of frame rails when people put pressure on them. The early inlet manifolds were some sort of threaded extrusion that inevitably worked loose every couple of thousand miles.

But, wonderful handling, superb suspension for a 350 at the time, a 39hp, 100mph engine, and 70mpg (imperial - about 60mpg for you guys in the 'States). 

[ducatiz]

Yes!

No!

Hint: in the relevant era, a bigger player than Benelli.

hmm.  with that squared off tank and that tail?  gotta be something a bit conservative...

can't be an MV.  Laverdas had rounded tanks...

Maybe it's an MV.. tail looks like an America. 

Jsut cant see enough.

[Moto Motivo]

"Can anybody pick the bike second from left, next to the Pantah?"


How about a Laverda 750 SF3?

[ducatiz]

"Can anybody pick the bike second from left, next to the Pantah?"


How about a Laverda 750 SF3?

tail looks right, but the side cover and the "edge" on the side of the tank looks different to me.

[Moto Motivo]

tail looks right, but the side cover and the "edge" on the side of the tank looks different to me.

You are correct, It then must be a Laverda 500 Zeta.  

[ducatiz]

You are correct, It then must be a Laverda 500 Zeta. 

I was thinking an Alpinia, but now I think the Zeta is more likely

[Moto Motivo]

I was thinking an Alpinia, but now I think the Zeta is more likely

The Alpina was available in Europe as a 350 and 500, but the name was changed very quickly to "Zeta" for the US market and "Alpino" for the rest of the world due to trademark infringements.

350 Alpina


500 Alpino S

[ducatiz]

The Alpina was available in Europe as a 350 and 500, but the name was changed very quickly to "Zeta" for the US market and "Alpino" for the rest of the world due to trademark infringements.

350 Alpina

pic links bad

but there you go!

[Speeddog]

vapor-bike: