Quote:
Originally Posted by Snapper33
One of the two Morini restorations on this board is my K2. I will be updating my thread soon, as I am finally, near completion.
Being a socialist country, many Italian motorcycles share similar parts. There are a few parts on my Morini stamped "Ducati".
If you are looking for an investment, do your math closely. If you are building for your personal satisfaction, after your heart's lust, then be more fuzzy with the accounting pencil. Consider that a modern bike which would make you feel the same inside would cost xxx much money, then decide if you want to lay out the expense.
While my Morini is not as old (it's a 1985), it was grossly neglected, had a cracked frame, over 33,000 miles, former race circuit steed... it has been a good project. My goal was not to restore it to show room or new condition, but rather to look like a well-maintained race bike.
My figures:
$500 to purchase
$1,600 to restore
Total: $2,100
I have no idea what it's worth on the market. I do know what it's worth to me.
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I had the other Morini which I didn't so much as restore as refurbish and get back on the road.
Snapper's project is much nicer than what I did with mine(and I can't wait to see the finished bike!)
I had a 1980 500 Sport, which was for the most part a complete bike when purchased as a literal "barn find"--from an actual farmer who was the original owner. Having a complete bike to start with made things easier.
As Snapper mentioned, the Morini shared components with the other Italian makers--so there is cross-compatibility. The biggest hurdle I faced was getting seemingly simple parts(throttle cables, caliper rebuild parts, the correct Dellorto carb rebuild parts). So you may have to get some parts custom-made (as I did with the cables) or use generic pieces and make them work.
My two best friends during my back-porch rebuild project were Herdan Corp--who was(and may still be) located in Port Clinton PA--they were a big Morini supplier/dealer and I was able to get manuals and parts from them and E-bay international sellers--. I spent many hours combing through listings.
If you have the ability and drive, I say why not? After all it is just a bike, just like any other--nuts, bolts, etc. and once you tear into it, will find the end result that much more rewarding getting an unusual bike back onto the street.
edit--as for the math--I had a total of around $2,800.00 in the bike, including purchase price and ended up trading it straight-up for a mostly stock 16K mile Honda 78 CB750F Super Sport 5-6 years ago(IIRC)