Manky Monkey Motors

The final year we raced, 1987, the bike a 125cc MBA, an Italian rocket, twin cylinder,disc induction, 2 stroke,40 BHP, yes 40!, a "toolroom" special from a company whose main buisness was manufacturing woodworking machinery, a family concern called Morbidelli, now where have you heard that before?The rider, Gordon Daniels, ex. Manx GP winner on a Matchless G50, and my oldest mate,oh and me, I built the motors, heady days......Morrag

Disc induction? Whaddat?

Well, y'know the most basic type of 2 stroke induction is a piston controlled system, and a refinement of that is Reed valve induction, where the petrol/air charge enters the crancase via leaf spring controlled reed valves, well Disc valve induction is a disc, usually stainles steel in a side chamber of the crancase with the caburretor mounted on its outer face, then a hole or slot in the crancase wall lines up with a similar hole in the disc which is crankshaft mounted, and bingo, the charge enters the crankase for primary compression, and is infinitely variable as you can time the 'match' of the fixed and moving components, so is the ultimate system for high performance 2 stroke motors, now sadly banned for top level racing, the reason, well supposedly expense, which is why we were able to run the MBA once they were banned from GP's,in nationals, it also had one cylinder too many by that time! still it was a flyer.....Morrag

Ahh -just as I thought  :P

Chap in our club had a disc valve bike - a Bridgestone, can't remember the cc but it was damn quick for the size of the engine!

Think it was one of these - a 175DT

(http://www.motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/classic_bikes/bridgestone-175dt.jpg)

That was the same company that make the tyres now, once they realised where the max. profits were they shelved motorcycle production, but your right, that was a disc vave motor, using fibre discs, and very upmarket for its time, in fact the designer is once more building bikes to special order in Japan, based on those self same models,Morrag,( Mr MM am I boring you?)

 :) 'Course not, just way too techy for my little Monkey brain.  :P

I remember Morbidelli vaguely and another rare one Aspes Juma, I had a racing 50 with 8 gears for a week or two.

Did it really take you that long to blow it up?  :P

or could he not handle the power  :o ;D ;D

Track bike and it was too small to be comfortable.

Bet you blew it up!  :P

What are you suggesting, I only blow up Reliants. :P