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This is the Moto Morini Corsaro (1958 - 1968) owners page
Corsaro Special (125cc/150cc, 1969 - 1975)



Ingo (Germany), Jenny (UK), Anders (Norway),
Ian (UK), Frank (Belgium), Cooper (US),
Graham (UK) are all owners
of a Moto Morini Corsaro.
"Corsaro" in Italian = Pirat in English


Ingo's Corsaro Veloce (below) as the way it was back in 1998. The bike is since then under restoration (on the right).
Corsaro Veloce

the fuel-cap of a Corsaro
Corsaro Veloce (1962) frame Corsaro Veloce (1962) engine
Framenumber E 20750 from 1962 or 1963 January 2004
Corsaro Veloce (1962) cylinderhead Corsaro Veloce (1962) engine
Corsaro Veloce
Corsaro brochure
On this 1960s original factory brochure, you can see the differences of the standard Corsaro (top), or "Pirate" in the States and Corsaro Veloce (or "Veloce Pirate Special" in the US).
Accoring to Ingo, the Corsaro Veloce was the the sports sister model of the regular Corsaro. Introduced 1962 it had a couple of differences and modifications. The mudguards were smaller to give ita sportier look. It had a new tank to support that look. Color scheme was oriented by the 1962 250 cc racer of Tarquinio Provini. Of course it came with special clip on handle bars and a sport seat with hump back. The engine was tuned by increasing the valves and compression due to a new piston and changing to a UBF20BS carburator instead of the 18 mm original. He was told that the cranks were specially balanced too. The overall performance of the bike was noted at 12 hp. Top speed according historical brochures and data was increased to 120 km/h. The Corsaro Veloce was sold untill 1963 in it's color scheme as you can see on the original add from Italy. Then it was changed to the schemes of the year 1964 (more horizontal stripes and scheme). Since then it was also exported to the US were it was sold under the name ,,Veloce Pirate Special,, (see add). After 1964 the name Veloce Pirate Special was no longer used, but changed into Corsaro GT.
Ingo Kreuschner with the fuel tank of his Corsaro Veloce

the Corsaro in it's present - nearly finished - state
Corsaro brochure
Corsaro brochure super
The Corsaro 150, or Super Pirat
Jenny's 1964 Corsaro (125cc) on the right. Jenny believes it to be a 1964 model. She bought it from the late Phil Smith a couple of years ago. The engine runs, although it makes a bit of a whining noise when pulling away in gear. It is more or less complete... She has the rear light and number plate somewhere, and has bought a new (though shorter) silencer, and a new speedo drive unit. She still needs to find a new speedo as the old one is broken. Apart from that the bike just needs a cosmetic restoration, and the wheels need to be rebuilt. It's just a question of time and money.

And this is Cooper's 1962 Corsaro on the left. Cooper hopes to complete restauration in the Spring of 2004.
"The bike was brought over from Italy in a container of Ferrari's. The owner collected cars, and just wanted to fill the container, so he bought some motorcycles. Lucky for me. The motor Id is "E". The bikes 47k miles are on the roads of Italy, and I don't think it's really been driven here in the States".
Anders from Norway owns this 1961 Corsaro. Right now it sits engineless in the barn, and the engine is under Anders' workbench in some boxes, waiting for a new big-end bearing. Framenumber: E10476. Corsaro (1959)
Corsaro 125
Ander's son Even on his Corsaro
Corsaro 125
The same bike as on the left, but a year later....
Corsaro (1961) Corsaro (1964)
Above Gert Ruytjens 1964 Corsaro how it was: below a nearly finished restauration project !
Corsaro 125 (1964) Corsaro 125 (1964)
Corsaro (1964) Corsaro 125 (1964)
Corsaro (1964) Corsaro (1964)
Corsaro 125 (1964) Corsaro (1964)
Corsaro Super Sport (1971)
Corsaro Super Sport (1969-1975) was the last Corsaro model.
Corsaro Country (1971)
Corsaro 125 Régolarita or Country
Corsaro GT (1966) Corsaro GT (1966)
Lars from Denmark, already owner of a more recent Moto Morini 3½, recently bought this early Corsaro (or perhaps even a 98cc Sbarazzino ?) at the Imola swapmeet in Italy (on the right). (Sbarazzino ?)
Corsaro brochure (1966) Below a picture of a rather rare Corsaro Regolarita (=off road). When ing. Franco Lambertini applied for a job at Moto Morini he had to do a test. In an interview Lambertini stated that he drew a "heron" cylinderhead for the Corsaro Regolarita. With the new head, the output of the bike improved to 18hp at the rear wheel. This particular Corsaro Regolarita with the modified head was then used by the official factory Six-days team. The experience of the use of an engine with a heron head was then used for the development of the later V-twin models, which were standard equipped with a heron cylinder head. (With a heron cylinder head, the head itself is flat: the combustion chamber is situated at the top of the piston !)
(Corsaro Regolarita (1966)
Corsaro Regolarita (heron)
Corsaro Regolarita (1962) Corsaro Regolarita (1965) Corsaro Regolarita (1967)

the 125cc Regolarita's from 1962, '65 and '67
Corsaro Regolarita (1967)
Ian's 125cc Regolarita
Corsaro Regolarita  (1967) Corsaro Regolarita  (1968) Corsaro Regolarita  (1971)

125cc Regolarita's from 1967, '68 and '71
Corsaro 125
this Corsaro 125 has seen better days, but will have a second life as a racer
Corsaro 150
this Corsaro 150 will probably be restored into it's old glory
Hurricane
the US version of the Corsaro: 150cc Hurricane, owned by John

the US brochure of the 60s
According to John, the Hurricane is a 150cc. "I bought it from a friend who bought 5 of them brand new in 1965 as pit bikes for his race car team. I got the last one he had. The bike had 513 original miles. The piston was stuck from sitting. I found the last piston in the USA at Herdans in PA. The other repairs I made were new rims and I refurbished the spokes. The paint is original as well and took some hours of waxing to bring it back to its luster. It is a very smooth running bike with a nice power band, oh yea, nice sound too!!! I don't know enough about the Italian version to compare but I do think they are relatively the same".
Corsaro 125 (1959/60)
Corsaro 125
Corsaro 125 (1959/60)
Pictures above: the black Corsaro 125 of Graham in the United Kingdom. The bike is from 1959/60. Graham is currently working on it's restauration. Black seems a rare, but genuine colour of the Corsaro. Also the 175cc Tresette from the same period was available in black.
Corsaro 125 Veloce (1964)
Corsaro 125 Veloce
Corsaro 125 Veloce (1964)
Corsaro 125 Veloce (1964)
Corsaro 125 Veloce
Corsaro engine
engine of the Corsaro 125
Corsaro 125, technical details
(Source of text below: roadtest motorcycle magazine 'Motor' (Dutch), 1970. These details on the engine seem very similar to the Corsaro 125 Veloce engine, except for the number of gears).

click for original size
Engine: single cylinder 4-stroke 123cc capacity pushrod engine with parallel vertical valves. Bore/stroke 56x50mm. Compression ratio 9.6:1. above a datasheet from MotoCiclismo in Italian
Measured output 9.2hp @ 8.700 r.p.m.
Max. torque: 0.88 kgm@6.500rpm. Ignition: by flywheel magneto and coil.
Carburettor Dell'Orto UBF22BS, diameter 22mm. Lubrication: semi-wet sump system, pressure lubrication by an oilpump driven by the cranckshaft. Engine contains 1.4 liters of oil.
output as measured by Delft Technical University Transmission: primary transmission by helical gears, ratio 3.263:1 (19/62 teeth). Secondary transmission by open chain. Clutch: wet in oilbath. Gearbox 5 speeds with footh change on the right.
Electrics: flywheel alternator, 6V-28W, headlight 6V-25/25W, parking light 6V-3W, rear light/brake light 6V-5/15W. No battery.
Frame: double open tube with hydraulic front-fork and rear-fork with swing arm and hydraulic shock-absorbers.
Wheels/Brakes: Alloy rims with drum-brakes and wheel pins (quick release). Brake diameter 135x30mm.
Tyres: front 2.50x18, rear 2.75x18. Wheelbase 1270mm. Seat-height 790mm. Ground-clearance 190mm.
Weight (dry) 90.5kg's. Fuel tank capacity 10 liters (incl. 1 litre reserve).
Corsaro 125, models "Special" and
"Super Sport", technical details

(Source: Motormagazine 1974-1975 catalogue (Dutch).

Engine: single cylinder 4-stroke 123cc capacity pushrod engine with parallel vertical valves. Bore/stroke 56x50mm.
Compression ratio 9.8:1. Output 12.4 DIN-hp @ 9.400 r.p.m. Max. torque: -. Carburettor Dell'Orto.
Transmission: primary transmission by helical gears. Secondary transmission by half-open chain. Clutch: wet in oilbath. Gearbox 5 speeds with footh change on the right. Kickstarter.
Electrics: Ignition: by flywheel magneto and coil. Alternator, battery 6V – 7Ah.
Frame: cradle frame. Hydraulic front-fork and rear-fork with swing arm and hydraulic shock-absorbers.
Wheels/Brakes: Alloy rims with drum-brakes and wheel pins (quick release). Brake diameter 135x30mm.
Tyres: front 2.50x18, rear 2.75x18. Wheelbase 1270mm. Seat-height 790mm. Ground-clearance 190mm.
Weight (dry) 90 kg's. Fuel tank capacity 10.5 liters.

Corsaro Country 125

(Source: Motormagazine 1974-1975 catalogue (Dutch).
Engine: see above, but output 14.6 DIN-hp @ 9.600 r.p.m.
Wheels/Tyres: front 2.50x19, rear 3.00x19.
Weight (dry) 94 kg's. Fuel tank capacity 9 liters.
Corsaro Super Sport (1972)
Corsaro Super Sport (1972)
Corsaro 125 Corsaro 125 Veloce
Corsaro 125 Corsaro 125 Veloce
Corsaro 150 Turismo Corsaro 125 Veloce
Corsaro 150 Turismo Corsaro 150 Grandturismo
the last generation Corsaro's (below). Brochure is from 1972. All 4 models have the new cylinderhead (according to the "Heron" principle), which was introduced by ing. Franco Lambertini. Read more about the reason in the interview with ing. Lambertini, published in 2002
Corsaro Supersport 125 (1972) Corsaro Gran Turismo 125-150 (1972)
Corsaro Supersport 125 Gran Turismo 125-150
Corsaro Special 125-150 (1972) Corsaro Country 125 (1972)
Corsaro Special 125-150 Corsaro Country 125

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