Moto Morini Kanguro na Dart

Most people tend to plump for one of the well-known Morini Sport or Strada models. Ma na-abụghị nsọtụ nke ọnụ ọgụgụ ị ga-ahụ nke ibu-sleek Dart na rufty-tufty Kanguro. Ya mere, olee otú Ken Philp abịa aka ma?

Mbụ m hụrụ a Kanguro na Earls Court na 1982, na masịrị dị ka ọ bụ ihe anya-ụzọ V-ejima. M nwere nsogbu ahụ ike na 1984, otú ọkọdọ Bibie ọtụtụ anyịnya igwe ma zụta nke a otu, mbụ Kanguro nke NLM nwere na shop.

Ọ nọgidere nnọọ na-aga mgbe ọ bụla m chọrọ ka ọ! Ọ nyere m ọtụtụ ihe ụtọ anya-ụzọ, N'agbanyeghị na ibu, na m a shortie – 5'5. M naanị ọkọdọ tufuo ya na 2003 n'ihi na m na naanị nwere 15% akpa ume ike ugbu a.

M nwere ike ikwu na e nwere ihe ọ bụla na ọ naghị amasị m banyere ya. M na-eji ya maka enduros, nzọ-na-anọkwasị, Weston Beach Race, anya ọnwụnwa, were gabazie, na mgbe kpuchie 720 kilomita na 20 awa na ihe MCC omume.

Na ngụkọta m kpuchie banyere 16,000 kilomita. E nwere ndị na-enweghị ezi nsogbu, naanị ndị e m kpatara!

Onye ọ bụla na-azụ a Kanguro ga na-doro anya nke mbụ X-ụdị. The X1 na X2 nwere tubular okpokolo agba, na X cracks eku nri footrest ebe. The X1 nwere mkwado e.

The headlamp bụ naanị AC kpọmkwem ìhè, otú mmepụta dịgasị na engine ọsọ. Ọ bụ na-a 6-volt ọkụ usoro, na a nnọọ obere batrị!

Ya mere, ọ nwe Kanguro si ọhụrụ, M n'ezie nnọọ mmasị na moto. M wee hụ a foto nke a ọhụrụ Dart na pịa, and wasn’t too impressed – until I saw one close-up at the Earls Court Show in 1998. I positively DROOLED!

So I watched NLM unpack the first one they had from Harglo, and bought it straight away.

It’s a June 1990-registered Moto Morini Dart, so is now almost 16 years old. It’s got 54,000km on it and is still in very good condition. It’s had a few mods, all done by me – like the right foot gearchange / left foot brake, a Honda NTV650 hydraulic adjuster on the rear Marzocchi monoshock, alloy tank, and handlebar raisers.

I also fitted it with a KN air filter, with suitable jet changes, and a Y-piece in the exhaust in place of the unobtainable expansion chamber, and a Micron exhaust can off a Ducati 750SS. The latter was done partly to reduce weight, partly to make it sound a proper V-twin! It’s also had extra spacers slotted in above the internal fork springs.

Without doubt, its best features are its looks, and performance. The Dart is not particularly fast (I’ve seen a max of 101.1mph on my digital cycle speedo – which is very accurate, by the way), but the handling is SUPERB! It’s also economical and has given 64mpg over its life (I have a record of all the fuel used from new).

It’s comfortable for a shortie, and it’s taken us on a couple of Continental tours two-up.

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