Remember the Dainese Legendary Tour? You had to buy € 250 worth of Dainese and/or AGV products and you could win a trip to Italy to tour the Italian Dolomite Mountains with Marco Lucchinelli, Max Biaggi and Giacomo Agostini.

Dainese has put online this highlight video of the 2009 tour, so we can turn green with envy about what we missed out on; magnificent motorcycles, legendary riding companions, breathtaking scenery (except for snow in September) great Italian food, heady wine, what more can anyone ask for.

Source | motoblog

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Moto Morini must have received dozens of phone calls today asking them if they actually shut down production after thatFrench website motorevue revealed that the company had closed down.

Our Italian cousins over at Motoblog and English website MCN have both talked to the people over at Moto Morini, who have confirmed that there is no change from the previous financial situation and they are still searching for a buyer, but the company is still operating even if at a reduced capacity.

Seventy people are employed at Moto Morini and only female workers assemble the 200 to 300 odd bikes that the company produces each year.

Source | panorama

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According to French website motorevue, Moto Morini has stopped production and facilities at Casalecchio di Reno have closed down.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for us) today is a holiday here in Italy and many companies have taken a long holiday weekend and we cannot officially confirm the news that Moto Marini has truly stopped production.

In September, the Italian marque announced that they had gone in what is called voluntary liquidation, and was selling off some of their assets in order to continue working and make the company more attractive for eventual buyers and investors.

Despite financial problems, Moto Morini debuted their new 2010 Granferro 1200, a restyling of the Granpasso 1200 SM at the EICMA show.

More news when we get it.

Source | asphaltandrubber

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After our Moto Morini live pics from EICMA, we promised a closer look at the new Granferro 1200 model. The Granferro is designed to be a fun bike to ride; slim, aggressive and powerful, it’s what you want on a road with plenty of corners to play with. It’s equipped with a twin-cylinder Bialbero Corsa Corta engine at 1187 cc, and has 125 hp. We could probably take Morini’s word for it, that this is a fun bike to ride, but seeing the pictures, we’re just itching to have a go.

Other Granferro features include a twin-exhaust, 17-inch light alloy wheels, monobloc calliper brakes, fully adjustable fork and suspension, and carbon fibre structure. The bike is designed by Rodolfo Frascoli from Marabese Design (responsible for many modern Morini bikes), and has a look with plenty of grunt, and a trellis frame. The front has double headlamps and a beak, and the central and rear fairing of the bike is made from carbon fibre.

The fuel tank is based on that of the Granpasso and has a larger capacity than a standard motard tank, with about 27-litres for longer range riding. The engine produces 126.5 hp at 8,500 rpm, and the torque is 11.4 Kgm (110 Nm) at 7,000 rpm. It has four-valves, double overhead cam technology, and a 107 mm piston. A six speed gearbox is included, with a radial pump clutch and Magneti Marelli fuel injection system.

Moto Morini Granferro 1200

Continue reading: Moto Morini Granferro 1200: pics and details

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The Moto Morini Granferro 1200 is live at the EICMA, and we’ll be bringing you more details and pics soon. It is what was previously called the Granpasso 1200 SM and is the new twin-cylinder from Morini.

The Moto Morini stand also includes an unusual Corsaro restyling. If you’re curious to know more about what is a great motorcycle brand, stop by the Moto Morini stand to what Morini fans get excited about.

Moto Morini at EICMA 2009

Continue reading: Moto Morini Granferro 1200 at EICMA

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Here’s a gallery of the first pics of the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 SM version, as we wait for all the official EICMA presentations to kick off today. The twin cylinder is very much a road enduro model, designed for hard road use, with a couple of aesthetic tweaks, including an attractive twin exhaust pipe.

The new Moto Morini Granpasso SM builds on the standard version and confirms the Morini Motard version spied back in August. While we wait for more details coming from the EICMA show, check out the Granpasso 1200 SM gallery below.

Continue reading: Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 SM pics

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After the new MV Agusta Brutale 1090RR video by Tor Sagen, here’s another onboard video, this time of the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200. We’ll have more from the man again: stay tuned for a Ducati Hypermotard 796 onboard video! This video also includes a look at the Moto Morini Corsaro 1200 Veloce model.

Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 2010

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Here’s a look at the new 2010 Moto Morini Granpasso 1200, which gets a few updates to make it one of the real road-enduro bikes on the market. The off-road characteristics of this new Granpasso are even more marked, accentuating its all-terrain style.

The bike can now take a heavier load, and Excel tubeless wheels and tyres with an even greater tread make the Granpasso more off than road. The handle bars can be adjusted to match the individual rider’s style and the heavy duty off-road pedals show what this bike is made of.

Technically speaking, the only difference to the previous model is the new injection system which has repositioned the oxygen sensor, now housed in the front cylinder collector. The heat shield panel has also been modified for better insulation and to isolate more effectively the Ohlins shock absorber. For more details, see the technical specs after the jump.

Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 2010

Continue reading: Moto Morini 2010 Granpasso 1200

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Moto Morini has gone into voluntary liquidation in what is surprising and unwelcome news for the Italian motorcycle industry. According to reports, Moto Morini is in a state of serious crisis, although facilities at Casalecchio di Reno are remaining open at the moment in hope that a solution and possible financierswill be found in the short term.

The company had difficulty in paying the 65 salaries of September and has voluntarily entered liquidation in quite an extraordinary move which will involve breaking down and selling assets. It’s an unusual situation given the sales record of Moto Morini this year. In the first eight months 300 motorcycles have been sold, which is 40 more than 2008. So why the sudden crisis and is it the fault of the worldwide economic downturn?

It seems Moto Morini’s voluntary liquidation would suggest a move to sell off parts or all of the company, or to facilitate the entrance of new shareholders bringing fresh capital. No statement is currently available from the company, while unions have reacted negatively thus far. We’re still hoping to see Moto Morini at the 2009 EICMA show in Milan. The company is known for its interesting and innovative projects, and so fingers crossed they will continue their work as an important part of the Italian motorcycle scene.

Source | Motoblog.it

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Those lucky guys at Motociclismo were present at the Adria racetrack when they caught the sound of a big twin cylinder motorcyle and then saw the motard version of what will be Moto Morini’s brand new motorcyle.

Andrea Strada, Morini’s development manager after trying to deny that they were only testing brakes and suspensions finally admitted that this new bike is not based on their Corsaro, but is based on the Granpasso with a CorsoCorto engine, dual-exhausts, Brembo monobloc brakes and single Ohlin rear shock on the rear.

Strada wouldn’t go so far as to say if the bike would be present at the Eicma show, but if the company based at Casalecchio di Reno is this far ahead, expect to see this new bike at the Morini stand in November.

Continue reading: Moto Morini's New Motard

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