First ride: Moto Morini 9½ and Corsaro exotic road bikes

It’s just as well-mannered on the brakes, solid and planted unless you’re looking to bounce up a stoppie, in which case the 9½ will happily comply. Similarly, slow-speed u-turns are an absolute breeze. It’s very hard to fault the 9½ as an all-round riding experience – the pegs will limit cornering angles, and the suspension would need to be firmed up for trackdays, but both are trade-offs for the bike's exceptional comfort and ease of use. In fact, despite the wall-of-grunt engine, it’s so friendly and confidence-inspiring that I’d happily recommend it as a first large-capacity bike…

The evil Corsaro

…Which is definitely not the case for its big brother, the magnificent Corsaro, which was unveiled to awed applause at last night’s Melbourne launch by Moto Galleria manager Dean Tomaselli.

The Corsaro is a genuine stunner to look at from any angle – its upswept tail section gives it the attitude of a custom streetfighter. The angular tank instantly evokes the MV Brutale, the boldly-painted trellis frame screams Ducati and the headlight puts a more aggressive spin on Triumph’s Speed Triple. The twin bazooka exhausts divide opinions – personally I think they look fantastic. The whole bike is a class act style-wise, and draws adoring eyeballs wherever it goes. Park it next to a Monster S4R, and the Ducati looks like a relic.

For everything the Corsaro shares with the 9½, it couldn’t be a more different riding experience. Where the 9½ is soft and friendly, the Corsaro is hard, angry and skittish. The same engine that was so smooth in the 120hp 9½ feels peaky and raw in its full-blooded 140hp state. The hard seat, flared tank and higher pegs combine to give the Corsaro a muscular, aggressive sort of riding position, and the clutch feels twice as heavy.

Lord knows why Moto Morini fitted that pillion seat – only extremely flexible and endlessly tolerant size sixes need apply. Actually, putting it that way, perhaps the Italians know what they’re doing.

Where the 9½ gives instant confidence, the Corsaro delivers stern warnings. Much stiffer, fully adjustable Marzocchi forks and Sachs shock show no interest in soaking up pavement ripples and speed bumps – they’re not here to stuff about making your life comfortable. U-turns are now wobbly affairs as the engine coughs and surges at low revs with its higher gearing, and the steeper steering head angle makes you feel like you’re sitting straight over the front wheel, making hard braking feel like you’re diving off a cliff.

Get right up it on a smooth road, however, and the gorgeous Corsaro gets a chance to do what it’s built to; the engine roars and rips upwards through the gears, throwing the front wheel upwards and forcing your butt back into the stepped pillion seat. Launch it hard into a corner and the uprated suspension finally wakes up and feels like it’s starting to take an interest. Roll on hard on the corner exits and you’re treated to a very close-up view of the clocks as the front wheel becomes purely ornamental.

...continued