What do you call an assortment of three lively Latin classics?
Russ Gannicott compares and contrasts the various components of
his Red-Eye collection...
A bit corny, I know, but 'red-eye' seemed an amusing title for a
mini collection of red Italian bikes, all with names ending in
the letter 'i'. Mmm, must be my infantile sense of humour! There
are some I could add to the collection, and in time might, like;
Garelli, Testi and Motobi. Some I might not, the Guzzi V35 to
mention one! However, the fact is that I have three 350s
spanning a ten year period of development of the Italian bike
industry. It's an interesting starting point from which to make
some comparisons.
Proof that there is more to
making red paint than you might think...
A bit of basic history about the
specific bikes first. The Ducati is a 350 Mk3 with a small-time race history. It
was built from a 1974 French imported road bike for short circuit racing in this
country, and as such was campaigned in a soft state of tune with some vigour
during the 1980s and early 90s. The bike is equipped with period NCR single
seat, alloy tank and works rearsets. The tuning is restricted to the top end of
the engine, with the exception of the total loss ignition system which
facilitates the removal of the alternator. This gives a little extra zip at the
bottom end of the power band but makes night riding interesting, to say the
least!
The Moto Morini 3½ Sport is a 1978 model which means it has Grimeca cast alloy
wheels and single disc front brake as standard. The bike is in original
condition and was purchased from Mick Phillips of Bike magazine just prior to
Mick moving to Italy. The only modifications from standard are a Tarrozzi fork
brace and Tarrozzi rearsets which, at six feet tall, I found were necessary to
prevent me from adopting the classic 'Italian Monkey' riding position -- which
just looks damn silly if you catch sight of yourself in a shop window!
It was a bit of an accident buying the Benelli. To be truthful, I was looking
for a rough 354 that I could build into a race replica for use on parades and
track days and had ignored a couple I'd found on the grounds of them being too
good to rip apart. However, when a 1981 354 Sport raised its head on eBay a
little while ago, it didn't just look too good, it looked SO good that I
immediately scrapped my plan for a race rep and set out on what I thought would
be the hopeless task of winning the bidding for this little gem.
The description sounded really good but the photo was a tad fuzzy so I knew some
bidders would be put off. I put my usual eBay strategy into action and
immediately contacted the seller and got as much detail and information on the
bike as possible. This approach also gives you a pretty good idea of what the
current owner is like and how they may have treated the bike during their
ownership of it. I was bidding blind for the bike and only had these facts to go
on so I set myself a modest limit and kept my fingers crossed. I deliberately
made myself keep away from eBay until the auction ended as I knew I'd break my
own rules and increase my bid if I wasn't winning.
I was amazed when I discovered I'd won the bike… I guess others were put off by
the dodgy photo! When it turned up a few days later, the guy who delivered it
turned out to be another bidder on it but failed to get his higher bid placed in
time as he had to work that evening. Phew. Lucky or what? The bike turned out to
be an immaculate, very low mileage example which had never seen a wet road in
its life. Since owning the Benelli I've been approached by several people who
saw it on eBay and have since seen it in the flesh, who have offered me best
part of a grand more than I paid for it!
These three bikes represent very different eras in Italian motorcycle
development; the Duke was the final incarnation of a tried and tested format
that had its roots in the late Fifties and as such was somewhat outmoded by
1974. The Morini was a truly innovative machine, with its 72-degree V twin and
heron head design which was 'mid development' by the time my '78 model came off
the line. Finally, the Benelli was a last ditch attempt by a flagging industry
to try and beat the Japs at their own game. As part of the DeTomasso group the
Benelli four cylinder engines were built by Moto Guzzi and borrowed more than a
little in design from their Honda counterparts.
Like all Italian bikes these three suffer from dodgy electrics although the
Benelli is probably the best in that department. The Duke basically has little
or no wiring now so that's not a great problem. Morini however must have been
aware of this failing and whilst fitting their bikes with an electrically
operated solenoid fuel tap they at least backed it up with a manual reserve.
Nice one Morini!
We won't even mention the Morini's infamous electric start which is just so much
dead weight scrap metal which you take for a ride with you. Thank God it's got a
kickstart!
The finish on all the bikes is best summed up as being functional. The Duke's OK
due to its extensive rebuild but the Morini is original and the paint is looking
a little tired as it was remarkably thin when it left the factory and appears
not to have an undercoat. At least the mudguards are stainless so 'dodgy Italian
chrome' is not too great a problem on this bike. Benelli followed the new and
somewhat trendy route of the early Eighties by cutting down on chrome in favour
of satin black where possible, so at least that can be retouched when necessary.
Impressions on the road are pleasing for all the bikes, the most obvious being
that they enjoy unparalleled road-holding characteristics for their respective
eras. Despite being overweight and underpowered the Benelli corners like a dream
and feels very sure-footed, with no obvious vices. To be honest, you can't
really go fast enough to get into trouble.
As expected, the Ducati in its light race trim is a harsh ride and has the
ability to scare the rider easily. Owing to its lightness it's hard to keep on
line through a bumpy bend. There have been several occasions when I've been glad
that it only has a drum front brake as I've instinctively gone to grab a handful
of it with the thought; 'I'm gonna lose it, I'm gonna crash!' screaming in my
head. Just when you think you've pushed it too far, the little Duke will pull
you through with just a hint of a warning of what might happen if you forget to
respect it.
On the other hand, the Morini never fails to amaze me, or some of the modern
sports bike riders I've tagged along with. I truly believe this is the best
handling bike I've ever ridden. It has no vices whatsoever, can be totally
abused and is a far better bike than I am a rider. The only shortcoming I found
was that it would occasionally shake its head a little if I had to roll the
throttle off on a fast corner. This has been cured by fitting a Tarrozzi fork
brace and renewing the steering damper. The bike will now do whatever you ask of
it without complaint -- but once again you have to respect it. I guess that if
it ever does let go on me it will be big time!
In terms of direct comparison, the results are quite interesting. The fastest
bike is without doubt the Morini with its top speed of just over the ton, whilst
the other two will only manage about ninety. In the Duke's case this is due to
the gearing, in the Benelli's it's just a lack of power. The quickest
accelerating up to about sixty is the Duke, once again because of the gearing.
Needless to say the Benelli stops best despite its weight, thanks to the three
discs. The Ducati's brakes may not be great, but it's the kind of bike you want
to ride on the throttle rather than the anchors anyway.
Road-holding is very good on all three bikes and there is nothing in the
handling to give away the fact that the Duke has a stressed member, single tube
set-up compared with the semi-duplex frames of the other two. For comfort the
Benelli is outstanding, whilst for discomfort the Ducati takes the medal. Any
ride on the Duke will necessitate a post-ride nut tightening session, with
longer journeys frequently needing some back up to collect the bits that drop
off! As previously mentioned, the Morini benefits from its rearsets and the
surprisingly soft suspension gives a stress-free ride.