Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128371
Monster magnet? Ignoring the data acquistion "hump" where the rear pillion should be, it's easy to envision the Corsaro as formidable opposition to Ducati, MV and Aprilia in the Italian naked bike sector. W th MV Agusta, Bimota and Benelli building bikes again, the baton for underwriting Mota Guzzi's revival passed from Aprilia to Piaggio, and with Laverda and Mondial marking time and Fantic floating on the horizon, yet another of Italy's lost legends has now set out on the road to revival: Mota Morini. A small but illustrious member of the Bolognabased band of brother biking brands that made up Italy's rich panoply of two-wheeled heritage in the classic era a quarter century ago or more - but defunct for the past 12 years since the last Excalibur 500cc Vtwin custom model was manufactured by then-owners Ducati - Moto Morini rose from the dead at the Bologna Motor Show this past December, with two new models powered by the firm's own brand-new, V-twin eight-valve liquid-cooled, 87-degree, CorsaCorta (as in, short-stroke) motor. It's intended this will be produced in various capacities to power a range of different models being launched over the next five years, all the work of Moto Morini's designated stylist, Luciano Marabese. Already a key player in Italy's design-led motorcycle culture, the hitherto unsung Marabese has been responsible for a wide range of models from different manufacturers, including several Piaggio scooters, the Moto Guzzi Centauro, the Breva and acclaimed Griso prototype the Aprilia Atlantic scooter, and several Gileras, including the best-selling Nexus. By linking himself long-term to the nascent Moto Morini marque, Marabese is set to give the new company's products a strong identity. That's certainly the case with the two bikes launched at Bologna: the range-topping twin-headlamp 1200 Corsaro (meaning corsair, or pirate in Italian), a naked sportbike whose 1187cc motor produces 140 bhp at the crank, and the retro-styled 9 1/2 roadster, powered by a 998ccl I05 bhp version of the same V-twin engine. The chance to ride one of the two well-worn 1200 Corsaro prototypes, which have between them covered more than 90,000 kilometers (over 55,800 miles) so far this year in development testing, came at the insistence of Gianni Berti, the third and youngest brother, who's concerned with product development and marketing. My test ride took place on a sunny but shivery December day before the new bike - indeed, the born-again marque as a whole - was launched to the world at the Bologna Motor Show. It was to prove quite an eye-opener. Though self-evidently the veteran of many miles of highway in all weather conditions, festooned with sensors and telemetry instruments, as well as a GPS sensor packed into the seat hump for ease of location in the event of a breakdown in the heat of Sicily or the snows of the Dolomites, test bike number two was in final preproduction guise. It had a a revised, stiffer chassis package, thanks to an extra engine-mount picking on the front cylinder to lock the engine into the frame more securely as a fully stressed chassis member and, thus, resolve the understeer on part throttle which was apparently a problem of the earlier frame design. The Corsaro's relatively low 810mm seat height should allow riders of any stature - women, especially - to feel at home on the Moto Morini. And for a 6-foot rider, there's a comfortable if quite upright stance which lets you see very well over traffic to plot your next rush-hour move on the Bologna Tangenzionale, yet it is just reclined forward enou~h to ~ive a sporty feel and to stop you from being blown backward at speed. And I found the footrests ideally placed to let my knees snuggle into the flanks of the distinctly shaped IB-liter (4.68-gallon) fuel tank, giving a great sense of control of being at one with the bike. Morini is thinking of raising them and pulling them back a little for production, but I think that would be a mistake on a bike like this, where you don't want a sportbike stance but a relaxed riding position. The Corsaro's 87-deg.- V-twin features double overhead camshafts and a six-speed gearbox. CYCLE NEWS • MARCH 30, 2005 31