Benelli 354 Sport II
Benelli 354 Sport II
. .Three Italian350s: Ducati, Benelli & MoriniWhat do you call an assortment of three lively Latin classics?Russ Gannicott compares and contrasts the various components ofhis Red-Eye collection...A bit corny, I know, but 'red-eye' seemed an amusing title for amini collection of red Italian bikes, all with names ending inthe letter 'i'. Mmm, must be my infantile sense of humour! Thereare some I could add to the collection, and in time might, like;Garelli, Testi and Motobi. Some I might not, the Guzzi V35 tomention one! However, the fact is that I have three 350sspanning a ten year period of development of the Italian bikeindustry. It's an interesting starting point from which to makesome comparisons.
Proof that there is more tomaking red paint than you might think...
A bit of basic history about thespecific bikes first. The Ducati is a 350 Mk3 with a small-time race history. Itwas built from a 1974 French imported road bike for short circuit racing in thiscountry, and as such was campaigned in a soft state of tune with some vigourduring the 1980s and early 90s. The bike is equipped with period NCR singleseat, alloy tank and works rearsets. The tuning is restricted to the top end ofthe engine, with the exception of the total loss ignition system whichfacilitates the removal of the alternator. This gives a little extra zip at thebottom end of the power band but makes night riding interesting, to say theleast!The Moto Morini 3½ Sport is a 1978 model which means it has Grimeca cast alloywheels and single disc front brake as standard. The bike is in originalcondition and was purchased from Mick Phillips of Bike magazine just prior toMick moving to Italy. The only modifications from standard are a Tarrozzi forkbrace and Tarrozzi rearsets which, at six feet tall, I found were necessary toprevent me from adopting the classic 'Italian Monkey' riding position -- whichjust 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 lookingfor a rough 354 that I could build into a race replica for use on parades andtrack days and had ignored a couple I'd found on the grounds of them being toogood to rip apart. However, when a 1981 354 Sport raised its head on eBay alittle while ago, it didn't just look too good, it looked SO good that Iimmediately scrapped my plan for a race rep and set out on what I thought wouldbe 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 somebidders would be put off. I put my usual eBay strategy into action andimmediately contacted the seller and got as much detail and information on thebike as possible. This approach also gives you a pretty good idea of what thecurrent owner is like and how they may have treated the bike during theirownership of it. I was bidding blind for the bike and only had these facts to goon so I set myself a modest limit and kept my fingers crossed. I deliberatelymade myself keep away from eBay until the auction ended as I knew I'd break myown 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 bythe dodgy photo! When it turned up a few days later, the guy who delivered itturned out to be another bidder on it but failed to get his higher bid placed intime as he had to work that evening. Phew. Lucky or what? The bike turned out tobe an immaculate, very low mileage example which had never seen a wet road inits life. Since owning the Benelli I've been approached by several people whosaw it on eBay and have since seen it in the flesh, who have offered me bestpart of a grand more than I paid for it!These three bikes represent very different eras in Italian motorcycledevelopment; the Duke was the final incarnation of a tried and tested formatthat had its roots in the late Fifties and as such was somewhat outmoded by1974. The Morini was a truly innovative machine, with its 72-degree V twin andheron head design which was 'mid development' by the time my '78 model came offthe line. Finally, the Benelli was a last ditch attempt by a flagging industryto try and beat the Japs at their own game. As part of the DeTomasso group theBenelli four cylinder engines were built by Moto Guzzi and borrowed more than alittle in design from their Honda counterparts.Like all Italian bikes these three suffer from dodgy electrics although theBenelli is probably the best in that department. The Duke basically has littleor no wiring now so that's not a great problem. Morini however must have beenaware of this failing and whilst fitting their bikes with an electricallyoperated 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 muchdead weight scrap metal which you take for a ride with you. Thank God it's got akickstart!The finish on all the bikes is best summed up as being functional. The Duke's OKdue to its extensive rebuild but the Morini is original and the paint is lookinga little tired as it was remarkably thin when it left the factory and appearsnot to have an undercoat. At least the mudguards are stainless so 'dodgy Italianchrome' is not too great a problem on this bike. Benelli followed the new andsomewhat trendy route of the early Eighties by cutting down on chrome in favourof 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 beingthat they enjoy unparalleled road-holding characteristics for their respectiveeras. Despite being overweight and underpowered the Benelli corners like a dreamand feels very sure-footed, with no obvious vices. To be honest, you can'treally go fast enough to get into trouble.As expected, the Ducati in its light race trim is a harsh ride and has theability to scare the rider easily. Owing to its lightness it's hard to keep online through a bumpy bend. There have been several occasions when I've been gladthat it only has a drum front brake as I've instinctively gone to grab a handfulof it with the thought; 'I'm gonna lose it, I'm gonna crash!' screaming in myhead. Just when you think you've pushed it too far, the little Duke will pullyou through with just a hint of a warning of what might happen if you forget torespect it.On the other hand, the Morini never fails to amaze me, or some of the modernsports bike riders I've tagged along with. I truly believe this is the besthandling bike I've ever ridden. It has no vices whatsoever, can be totallyabused and is a far better bike than I am a rider. The only shortcoming I foundwas that it would occasionally shake its head a little if I had to roll thethrottle off on a fast corner. This has been cured by fitting a Tarrozzi forkbrace and renewing the steering damper. The bike will now do whatever you ask ofit without complaint -- but once again you have to respect it. I guess that ifit ever does let go on me it will be big time!In terms of direct comparison, the results are quite interesting. The fastestbike is without doubt the Morini with its top speed of just over the ton, whilstthe other two will only manage about ninety. In the Duke's case this is due tothe gearing, in the Benelli's it's just a lack of power. The quickestaccelerating 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 threediscs. The Ducati's brakes may not be great, but it's the kind of bike you wantto ride on the throttle rather than the anchors anyway.Road-holding is very good on all three bikes and there is nothing in thehandling to give away the fact that the Duke has a stressed member, single tubeset-up compared with the semi-duplex frames of the other two. For comfort theBenelli is outstanding, whilst for discomfort the Ducati takes the medal. Anyride on the Duke will necessitate a post-ride nut tightening session, withlonger journeys frequently needing some back up to collect the bits that dropoff! As previously mentioned, the Morini benefits from its rearsets and thesurprisingly soft suspension gives a stress-free ride.