Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport Revives 1974 Icon With 350cc V-Twin and Radial Brakes

Part of Throttle Times’ live coverage of EICMA 2026.

Moto Morini has officially revived one of the most celebrated badges in Italian motorcycling history at EICMA in Milan, pulling the wraps off the production 3 1/2 (Tre e Mezzo) Sport.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Franco Lambertini’s legendary 1974 original, the modern 3 1/2 Sport makes an emphatic mechanical statement by refusing to follow the industry’s default budget blueprint. While virtually every rival in the sub-500cc neo-retro class has succumbed to utilitarian parallel-twin or upright single-cylinder architecture, Morini engineered a clean-sheet, liquid-cooled 60-degree V-twin engine. Housed in a lightweight double-cradle chassis with radial-mount braking hardware, it joins a wave of Italian roadster debuts in Milan like the parallel-twin Moto Guzzi The Trip 500, immediately shaking up the best European A2-compliant motorcycles.

The 350.3cc 60° V-Twin: Character Over Mass-Production Convenience

The heart of the 3 1/2 Sport is an all-new 350.3cc, liquid-cooled, 60-degree DOHC V-twin engine producing 32.6 hp (23.9 kW) at 8,500 rpm and 31 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm.

Rather than buying an off-the-shelf commuter parallel twin from an external supplier, Morini committed to the packaging and acoustic soul of an authentic V-twin. With a short-stroke 58 mm bore and 66.3 mm stroke running a 12.8:1 compression ratio, the Euro 5+ compliant powertrain delivers an immediate, rhythmic low-rpm pulse before revving cleanly out toward its 9,000 rpm limiter. Power is managed via electronic fuel injection and a smooth-shifting 6-speed transmission equipped with an assist-and-slipper clutch, enabling a top speed of approximately 150 km/h.

“Franco Lambertini proved in 1974 that a 350cc V-twin could out-handle and out-charm bikes with twice its displacement on twisting mountain passes. We built the new Tre e Mezzo to prove that mechanical character still matters more than cylinder count.”

Lightweight Chassis, Inverted Forks, and Radial Anchors

The chassis pairs a steel double-cradle frame with an aluminum swingarm and 43 mm upside-down front forks offering 120 mm of wheel travel, contributing to a dry weight of just 154 kg.

Up front, braking is handled by a single 300 mm floating disc clamped by a radial-mount 4-piston caliper with steel-braided hydraulic lines, backed by a dual-channel Bosch ABS system and a 255 mm rear disc. The 17-inch alloy wheels (shod in 110/70-17 front and 150/60-17 rear tires) offer agile turn-in, while an accessible 780 mm seat height and 15-litre fuel tank ensure real-world commuting versatility.

The cockpit features a circular 4-inch colour TFT display styled after a vintage mechanical chronometer, integrating Bluetooth smartphone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation without cluttering the clean, clip-on handlebar line.

Side-by-Side: Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport vs Rivals

The Rider’s Trade-Off: Authentic V-Twin Soul vs Raw Single Punch

The mechanical trade-off of the Morini 3 1/2 Sport is its displacement handicap against 400cc singles. A modern 400cc thumper like the Speed 400 punches out 40 horsepower and pulls harder from a dead stop off the line. The Morini’s 350cc V-twin demands more active footwork at the shift lever to keep the revs singing between 5,000 and 8,000 rpm where the 60-degree firing order comes alive. But that active engagement is precisely what budget commuters lack. For European A2 riders who want an agile 154 kg machine with Italian provenance, radial brakes, and an authentic V-twin exhaust bark, the revived Tre e Mezzo is a rare breath of mechanical individuality.

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Official source: https://motomorini.eu/en/bikes/3-half-sport/

Reporting via: motoplanete.us, 1000ps.com