morati cranks

[shovelon]

They were cheap

Too cheap me thinks.

They should have sold for twice that. They are that good.

I've read articles/pages online stating they had quality control issues. Must have been another eastern European brand.

I've never owned a set, so in no position to make a review one way or the other. Why are they that good?

I have 2 sets. I early set, and 1 later like the ones that just sold.

The early set I got for $200, but had a crack in the drive side. After careful consideration I concluded it was an easy repair, and has held up perfectly after some 5 years of abuse.

I liked my early set so well, that I looked for another. Had seen 1 set sell for $1800, and another for $1300. When I saw a Buy-it-now for $900 I went for it. The second set if you look closely is a work of art.

I know there have been stories of breakages, but knowing who these cranks were marketed to, and the price tag that went along with them, they get a bad rap. At the time, only the fanatical, steroid driven professionals, and semi-pros bought these. I don't have the legs to put 1/4 the power to them. So I really don't ever see me breaking these.

The reasons I think they are that good is this;

1. At 310 grams per set, the rotating mass is phenomenal.

2. The slight inherent flex loads up the drivetrain giving very smooth pedal strokes, as well as absorbing the micropulsing of each rotation.

3. The slight torsional flex absorbs vibrations when out of the saddle, and actually acts as a suspension. For a hardtail, it gives a feel of softail.

4. The pedal threads and square taper will last a lifetime, unlike alum, and will never rust like steel.

5. And they are rare and pretty.

 

[shovelon]

I bought them as quick as I saw them. Basically half price. Will go good with the other NOS set I recently acquired.

I would have too. Nicely done.

I could not see if they had serial #s engraved at the tapers. I could not see the etching either. It is strange that they got the labels without these details.

You might want to have these checked to see if they got the heat treat. I will work with you on that if you wish. I have a spare non-drive side crank that we could use for comparison.

 

[jbsteven]

thanks for the heads up. I am a week into a 3 week MTB race/vacation trip and will be putting the NOS set I have on my Ti Mojo when I get back. not sure what I am going to do with these yet. I have plenty of bikes to put them on, just have to figure out which one is most worthy.

I love aftermarket cranks (compared to Shimano) and these are pretty much at the top of the list for me. If there are a better/lighter/cooler set out there I'd like to know what they are......because I want a set or two or three.

 

[uno-speedo]

 

[jbsteven]

niiiiice

what serial numbers are they?

 

[shovelon]

Sweet!

Those are also the late ones. They are truly beautiful.

This is what the early ones looked like

 

[uno-speedo]

 

[GoldenEraMTB]

They were cheap

Too cheap me thinks.

They should have sold for twice that. They are that good.

I've read articles/pages online stating they had quality control issues. Must have been another eastern European brand.

I've never owned a set, so in no position to make a review one way or the other. Why are they that good?

I have 2 sets. I early set, and 1 later like the ones that just sold.

The early set I got for $200, but had a crack in the drive side. After careful consideration I concluded it was an easy repair, and has held up perfectly after some 5 years of abuse.

I liked my early set so well, that I looked for another. Had seen 1 set sell for $1800, and another for $1300. When I saw a Buy-it-now for $900 I went for it. The second set if you look closely is a work of art.

I know there have been stories of breakages, but knowing who these cranks were marketed to, and the price tag that went along with them, they get a bad rap. At the time, only the fanatical, steroid driven professionals, and semi-pros bought these. I don't have the legs to put 1/4 the power to them. So I really don't ever see me breaking these.

The reasons I think they are that good is this;

1. At 310 grams per set, the rotating mass is phenomenal.

2. The slight inherent flex loads up the drivetrain giving very smooth pedal strokes, as well as absorbing the micropulsing of each rotation.

3. The slight torsional flex absorbs vibrations when out of the saddle, and actually acts as a suspension. For a hardtail, it gives a feel of softail.

4. The pedal threads and square taper will last a lifetime, unlike alum, and will never rust like steel.

5. And they are rare and pretty.

great explanation!
Thanks for taking the time to write that

now to find an affordable set