Buying a Moto Morini - Is it worth it and what's it worth?

[Alex A]

I've been looking for a new bike, and I'm after an all rounder. Something that will be fine for a short run to the shops. Good for a daily commute to work. Comfortable enough to do 400 miles in a day (it's worth saying, I don't find an SP-1 particularly uncomfortable on long runs). Dependable enough not to leave me off the road for weeks at a time. And capable enough to have decent pace and performance on the occasional trackday. And powerful enough to keep pace with pretty much anything up to 120. And it's not just for show on a sunny Sunday. It must have potential for every day use year round, and be happy doing 6000+ miles a year.

In that search, I was on the cusp of making a deal on a new Fireblade, and then spotted a Moto Morini Corsaro 1200 at a local dealer. I've been interested in them for a few years, and the main UK dealers are miles from me, but I decided to take a test ride before committing to anything else. And it exceeded all my expectations. It ticks all the performance and aesthetics boxes. It's comfortable. Unlike every performance V-twin I've tried, it's happy in slow traffic. And it's absolutely mental if you let it rip. I've ridden a few Buells and always been a little disappointed. The Morini is everything I think a Buell should be.

But, as far as i can gather, the factory has been under receivership for the last 4 months and is currently closed. All the stock has been sold off, and the future of the firm is very much in doubt (it will be announced at the end of the month whether anybody manages to buy it and restart production). Does that make a Morini a very bad choice?

I understand they're very well made bikes as far as Italian exotica goes, and that they aren't high maintenance, but am I likely to suffer with niggles and problems that will see the bike off the road for weeks at a time due to minor design flaws and patchy parts availability (especially in a few years time)? And what if I bin it in 3 years time and need a replacement tank, or set of lights, or clocks? I absolutely adore the bike, but is it worth the risk?

And if it is, what are they worth?

There are three used bikes I can find from dealers at the moment, from £5.5k for a '57 plate Corsaro 1200 to £9k for a brand new Corsaro 1200 (should be £10,700). I've been offered a good trade in value on a couple of bikes I currently own. But I'm really not sure how the state of the firm affects the values, and what I should expect to pay for one. And is it likely to be impossible to redeem that value if I needed to sell up?
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Current: Ducati Panigale R / Ducati Streetfighter S / Suzuki GSX-R1000 L5

[Teflon-Mike]

My experience of Morini's extends as far as the old 3 1/2 Strada & the later slab side 350S.....
Seemed reasonable for the first few words... all-rounder.... commuter..... but thought it may be stretching it a tad when you said 'comfortable'..... 400 miles a DAY?!? Track-day, 'fun', I thought, may be possible, even dependability not too bad compared to some Iti-Iron... even 120mph.... if you believe the hopelessly optimistic speedo!

THEN I spotted the Corsaro 1200 bit & thought WTF!? So I googled it, & realised you'r not talking about an old Heron Head push-rod twin! And REALLY I have absolutely No Idea.

But..... think it comes down to risk and whether you can afford to take a hit on one or not.

It looks a nice bike, and if you like riding it, and it ticks the boxes and you can afford it..... how much 'support' do you really need from the dealers?

I mean, few of us use franchise dealers for routine maintenence anyway, and parts we most often get as pattern replacements, not gen-spares.

Sure that one way or another bits WILL be there to support then, though may take a bit more tracking down, and there will always be some-one to twiddle spanners and do repairs, even if they dont work somewhere that has the same name over the door as on the tank....

Can you afford to dare and be different?

(Or maybe an old Strada? )
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[hmmmnz]

they are pretty damn sexy, but i'd be hesitant to buy, just because of the limited amount of spares,
have you thougt about a ktm Rc8 1190?
they are considerably more powerful, are arguably as good looking,
and parts are easily had, and you can pick up a low milage one from between 5-7 k
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_J9bnnRgW4f8/SSuk79NdlqI/AAAAAAAADV0/8AKeD9hCTtI/s1600/2009-KTM-RC8R-4.jpg
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Alex A]

[Alex A]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Seems they have been bought back in April but suspect their long term future depends on someone with enough money to support them for a decade or so while they get established.

I would be tempted if it was the bike I really wanted, but only at a price that reflected the risk. Not sure just a 15% saving would be enough.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Alex A]

[Kickstart]

Hi

Reading round it seems the Berlesconi deal has fallen through (blamed on the unions). What might happen is that the tooling, designs and rights are bought (given VW were showing off a Morini with their badging a few years ago even that is possible) but it seems unlikely that they will continue as a going concern.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing