New Moto Morini

I'm a big fan of Italian bikes, which isn't news to the one person who reads this blog of mine.  I like Italian bikes because they're full of passion, desire and eccentricity.  They can simultaneously make you love them and hate them.  And they're so pretty, which instantly makes you forget that they'll only work when they feel like it.  That's the kind of stuff you just don't get in a Honda.

So when I read about the return of Moto Morini, I couldn't help but feel joy.

Moto Morini is back with the Rebello 1200 Giubileo, a limited-production machine built to celebrate the company's 75th anniversary.  The new Morini is powered by their 1187cc V-twin and puts out 130 hp.  Surrounding the V-twin is all-new boxy bodywork that's...interesting.  Brakes and suspension are from the usual suspects: Brembo, Marzocchi and Ohlins.

The Giubileo's party piece is an electronically adjustable seat.  With the push of a button, the seat transforms from a monoposto to a biposto.  Whether Also sprach Zarathustra plays while the seat is moving remains to be seen.


I have to say, I like the Giubileo.  The styling is boxy and different.  It looks a bit squat but it also doesn't look like anything else on the road.  The V-twin, which is something the Italians do well, is powerful and has been in production for a number of years, so it should be reliable.  The engine was designed by Franco Lambertini, the same engineer who designed the V-twin in the classic Moto Morini 3 1/2.

A big downside, other than the fact it won't be sold in the U.S., is the price.  It's priced at 14,000 Euros, which equates to $18,500.  In other words, it's expensive.

While the Giubileo looks like it was crafted by 1980's Volvo stylists, it looks good.  The electronic seat looks like the bum-stop from a classic endurance racer.