The Italian 650cc ADV You've Never Heard Of

The Moto Morini X-Cape is priced slightly higher than the Kawasaki Versys 650

When it comes to Italian two-wheeler manufacturers, Ducati and Aprilia are two of the most popular brands across the globe. However, there’s another motorcycle brand from the land of pizza and pasta, and no, it isn’t Piaggio but Moto Morini. The brand has been around since the pre-war era manufacturing motorcycles. 

Fast forward to 2021, Moto Morini is owned by the China-based Zhongneng Vehicle Group. Moto Morini has an extensive lineup of bikes and for 2021, the Italian brand is aiming at re-launching its mid-capacity ADV motorcycle, christened the X-Cape. While it won’t hit Indian shores, we can still drool over pictures. 

Firstly, the X-Cape has a slight resemblance to the BMW F 900 XR and the Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin. What makes me say that? The headlight shape and the swooping fuel tank. The turn indicators too are mounted at an unusually high position. 

On the features front, it gets LED lights all around and a 7-inch TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity. It displays the tachometer, odometer, gear position, ambient temperature, fuel level, turn-by-turn navigation, distance to empty, and the engine temperature. 

Moto Morini has plonked a 649cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled motor in the X-Cape. It’s mated to a 6-speed gearbox and expected to produce 48PS of power. 

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Suspension duties on the Moto Morini X-Cape are handled by a 50mm fully adjustable USD fork and a monoshock with preload and rebound adjustability. The bike’s seat is 830mm high, which is tall but shorter than the KTM 390 ADV.

Braking hardware comprises dual 300mm discs up front and a 255mm rear disc. Dual-channel ABS comes standard.

The X-Cape sits on a 110/80-19 front and a 150/70-17 spoked wheel setup wrapped in Metzeler Tourance tyres. 

While the bike is yet to be launched, it is expected to be priced around 7,000 GBP in the UK, roughly Rs 7.09 lakh. That’s a good price for what the X-Cape has to offer.

The mid-size ADV segment in the country isn’t under hibernation anymore. We have the freshly launched Benelli TRK 502X, Honda CB500X, Kawasaki Versys 650 and the Suzuki V-Strom 650 XT.