Giancarlo Morbidelli is a very wealthy & successful businessman who also happens to be a true motorcycle enthusiast. His dream of building his very own bike came to fruition in 1994 after 5 years of development. He wanted (and got) his own personal sports-tourer, for the styling he went to Pininfarina and based the bike around it's own purpose built 848cc V8 engine.
The previous bikes bearing the Morbidelli name were blue and white Grand Prix racers during the 70's, which proved to be successful private machines. The bikes were built and prepared in his woodworking factory and won the 125cc World Championship with Paolo Pileri in 1975 and Pierpaolo Bianchi in 1976 and 1977.

150mph, 850cc liquid cooled V-eight. The engine, which forms a stressed member within the tubular steel space frame, sits low down , but Morbidelli has found plenty to fill the space between and above the V. The airbox and radiator are up there, contributing to a leg stretching 33.4 inch seat height. Dry weight is 200kg (441lb).

The Engine:
The Morbidelli V8 has a wonderful spec:
a 90-degree, transverse V8, a capacity of 848cc, with 32 valves, it's four camshafts are driven by gear and then toothed belts at the front of the motor (as seen in pic below).
Peak power is a very modest 100bhp at 11,000rpm, with claimed torque at 54lb.ft at 7,500rpm. The potential of such an engine layout could be huge. The Morbidelli V8 is a softly tuned, shaft drive machine with a 5 speed gearbox (bolted onto the rear, using a twin plate dry clutch). It is certainly no revvy sportster.
Pininfarina, more reknowned for their work with Ferraris and other car bodies, is responsible for the bodywork. It's certainly 'distinctive' as you move from back to front, the finale being the layered, snub-nosed fairing and raised cruising bars.

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Last revised: February 07, 1999.

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