c.1988 Moto Morini 344cc Kanguro
Registration no. E315 CGO
Frame no. 350X303160

Before the arrival of its family of 72-degree v-twin roadsters, Morini's reputation had rested mainly on its highly successful double-overhead-cam single-cylinder racers. An entirely different approach was adopted for the v-twins: each cylinder's two valves were pushrod-operated by a single camshaft while the combustion chambers were located, not in the flat-faced cylinder heads, but in the piston crowns. Coupled to a six-speed gearbox, this superb motor's performance belied its lack of capacity, endowing the lightweight, nimble-footed Morini with a top speed of around 100mph. Following the works prototypes' successes in the Paris-Dakar Rally and ISDE, Morini introduced its first off-road v-twin – the 500 Camel (or Sahara) – in 1981. A 350 version arrived the following year and soon became Morini's best-selling model in its home market. Early versions were characterised by round-tube frames and drum brakes while later ones had a square-tube chassis and disc brakes. We are advised that this original and un-restored Kanguro was running well when purchased two years ago. The machine is offered with Swansea V5C document and a new indicator to replace the broken one.