The Italian company Moto Morini, now under Chinese ownership, displayed a prototype of the X-Cape 650 Adventure model two years ago. The bike now appears ready for production with specifications and European pricing announced.
The 649cc twin will compete with the likes of Suzuki’s V-Strom 650, but at a much reduced price. The base model V-Strom 650 is priced at € 8,840, while the X-Cape 650 will be priced at an introductory offer of € 7,290.
The X-Cape 650 will come with a 50mm adjustable Marzocchi fork, as well as an adjustable KYB shock. Braking is by Brembo, with Bosch ABS. A modern, 7″ TFT display is standard. The engine is rated at 60 horsepower.
Here are the production specifications provided by Moto Morini. You can take a look at the Moto Morini website for more information.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS GENERAL MEASURES:
Length x width x height: 2190x905x1390
Wheelbase: 1470 mm
Dry weight: 213 kg
Seat height: 820mm/845mm
Fuel tank: 18L
Ground clearance: 175mm
CHASSIS: Steel: trellis Swingarm: alluminium
BRAKING SYSTEM: Front brake: 298mm double discs, floating caliper, 2 pistons Rear brake: 255mm single disc, 2 pistons ABS: BOSCH ABS 9.1 Mb (switchable ABS)
RIMS: Tubeless Spoked rims TYRES: Front tyre: 110/80-19M/C Rear tyre: 150/70-17M/C
ENGINE: Engine type: L 2, 4 Strokes Engine capacity: 649 cc Bore x stroke: 83mm x 60mm Compression: 11.3:1 Max torque: 56Nm/7000rpm Max power: 44kW/60CV/8250rpm Injection system: BOSCH EFI injection system Max speed: 175 Km/h Cooling system: liquid Fuel distribution: DOHC twin-cylinders 8 valves Emission: euro 5
COLOURS: Red, Red Passion Grey, Smoky Anthracite White, Carrara White
I’m leaning a couple articles back. 7% more power and 13% less weight than my ‘91 BMW K75S. Maybe the Aprilia Tuareg’s potentially superior suspension should make up for the reduced engine refinement as a replacement touring bike. I won’t kid myself thinking it is a dirt bike or that it will have the same 100,000-plus mile, low (zero) maintenance, problem free reliability but I’ll be dropping into the Aprilia showroom at Arlen Ness to put in a reservation. I just hate that you have to jump full in, blindfolded and drop your hard earned cash on something that might not live up to your expectations. Maybe I’ll just keep the BMW too, like I did when I bought my Duke, in case it’s not a worthy replacement.
BTW the profits from products made in China by Western companies rarely benefit the branding country, they tend to disappear into an intermediate country where they are not taxed. This particular bike is ugly and heavy but so are many of its rivals. The Chinese quality is there as long as you pay for it, even so I think many would be shocked at how cheap bikes are out of the factory doors compared to retail prices in the USA (even more so in Europe where they are an even greater rip-off, the Swiss banks bulging with tax-free profits).
“Chinese quality is there as long as you pay for it..”????
You’re going to “pay for it” alright.
The Chinese are as capable as anyone else now at making stuff well, but it cost more for those better materials and tighter tolerances. However, most companies source from China so that they can charge you a very high margin on a very cheap product. They don’t check the box for high quality on their order sheets.
Every piece of “cheap Chinese junk” you’ve experienced was approved by an American product manager. China can makes goods of the highest quality (look at the electronics they produce) if the contracting company pays for it.
I just don’t understand these bikes.
Riding any bike off road that weighs over 300 pounds doesn’t scream “Good Time” to me.
But, I guess if they can find folks to sign up, more power to them.
Correct sir!
You lost me with “made in China”.
Some very spiffy looking motorcycles from this company. No word on a U.S.A. presence?
Guess I’m the odd man out. I think it’s rather ugly, overweight and most likely of dubious quality.
Looks top heavy or like the rear shock is blown. What a strange stance. Seated, looks like you’re stuck in a pocket so you can’t move much if at all.
Pretty sure the stance is to accommodate standing on the pegs.
The price is right. Though a bike or motor may be made in China, the bulk of the profits are awarded to the branding country. For example, the profit-takers are in Germany for a BMW made in China. The profit-takers of an iPhone assembled in China are in California. China companies and workers make a couple pennies on the dollar. The key to supporting your country, therefore, is to buy a brand from your country. I’ll buy an Indian, Harley, Lightning or Janus.
Producing OE is very profitable for the Chinese. The Italian company branding the bike will profit but the Chinese production house will by no means earn “pennies on the dollar”.
Chinese figured out purchase historic brands of Italian motorcycles that struggle with finances but have all these bright engineers and design, Infuse them with cash build a bike and bring it to market at an affordable price…………Hmmm think we saw this clever plan in the early sixties and i feel its awsome
Went to the website – there’s a lot more information there including pictures of the engine which is a parallel twin.
Will be interesting to see how the bike performs. Hopefully it’s at least equal to the sum of it’s parts which has not been the case in other Chinese engineered bikes.
Ha ha I love in the specs where it says “liquid fuel distribution”. I mean, that’s good to know that it doesn’t run on wood chips or something.
What did you expect, that you’d be shovelin’ coal?
That is what you guess for using Babblefish as a translator.
I would probably buy a MotoMorini made in China for the same reason that I would (and did) buy a Royal Enfield made in India, assuming early reviews indicate that the quality is there. A brand with some history, built inexpensively by new owners, but respecting the brand’s history and traditions. It’s a good formula.
People buy BMWs made in China and Triumphs made in Thailand, and they buy them in droves.
The styling of this bike is a lot closer to a real rally bike than about anything else in the class. But they clearly made no effort to keep the weight down.
Can you buy parts for it? If you break the clutch cover, can you buy a new one? Or is the engine one part number?
I don’t see much cost saving in this bike. If this bike came from one of the large bike manufacturers, it’s price would be adout what you would expect given that it is a 650 and it weighs more than anything else in its class. So it’s about a thousand bucks cheaper.
But it doesn’t come from one of those manufacturers. So there is no dealer network, no certain availability of parts and no aftermarket. So you should save another thousand bucks. Maybe two.
On subject of weight – you cannot get away from it, they are all heavy. This one is almost exactly the same as Suzuki DL650 (pending version).
I believe the main reason is liability. Manufacturer does not know what the owner will do with it. Sure, there is the other way – the MV Agusta way with superb materials. But then be ready to pay MV price.
The main (only, really) reason these bikes are heavy is economics. Built to a price, many things are non-negotiable, like the liability you mentioned (regulatory compliance). A bike like this but significantly lighter will be significantly more expensive. Not really the Chinese game.
Well the parallel twin 700-900cc motors for BMW are made in China. Not saying they’re great or I care for them but a lot of people do. I think once the Chinese find the balance between price and quality they will produce a decent bike. Not sure they’re there yet. This one is not bad looking from the pictures.
The brand’s inspectors decide where the quality level will be set and maintained. I’d worry the least.
500lbs plus wet weight for a 650? Way too heavy.
The “Adventure” moniker is just a sticker. The true name is Mid-weight adventure tourer. Every trip you take from your driveway is an ‘adventure’. If you are lucky, you come back in the same shape.
of course… We will need a comparison shoot-out; “Middle-Heavyweight Adventure Tour” with this bike v. Aprilia Toureg v. BMW F850 GSA v. KTM 890 Adventure R v. Husqvarna 701 LR v. Moto Guzzi V85 TT v. Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro v. Yamaha Tenere 700, etc. Maybe some of the other online pubs are already attacking this.
I volunteer to fly/ride in and meet wherever to help with said shootout.
Test it against a We-Strom.
That’s all that’s needed…
oh yeah, I just noticed this only has a 19″ front wheel. For some reason I thought it was a dual-purpose/adventure bike like the others I mentioned.
I also consider this a real world adventure bike.
At approx. $7,000, if the proverbial fecal matter hit the fan in central america, I could walk away from this bike and catch a quick flight home.
If I were on a $30,000 adventure bike I’d be much more likely to try and ride the bike out of there as that is a lot of money to walk away from.
Walmart has made China the powerhouse it is. I hate Walmart and the Chinese government. But we’re about to be flooded with good quality merchandise at affordable prices. China is finally producing competitive bikes and soon, EV’s. And I can’t blame anyone for spending $7,000 instead of $10,000. That said, everything about this bike ticks the right boxes. Looks, weight, ergonomics. I looked at the little Benelli TNT135, another Chinese buyout, for my grandaughter, which competes with the Honda Grom. I found the Benelli better in just about every way and cost $800 less. I’ll end up treating these bikes just like I would any of them. Somebody will do a comparison test, and if this bike comes out on top I would buy it. There IS NO stopping the flood, so it becomes futile to make a noble stand just so I can say “I made a noble stand”.
China was going to become the industrial powerhouse it is with or without Walmart. They’re s small piece of the puzzle. Foreign labor markets have always been a thing. It’s China now, it’ll be somewhere else in the future when China’s economy and inflation become too much for their labor to be the cheapest anymore.
When I was growing up…that was Japan.
The thing to keep in mind with China is that the domestic market is massive and growing. Only 10% of their economy is export focussed, these products are all developed for the home market.
China can do very well just selling to China.
Walmart is a one-stop clearinghouse for China. They gave them a great easy boost. I refuse to shop Walmart and avoid buying Chinese products where possible.
Chinese motorcycle manufacturers have really started to step up their game recently.
Price is good.
Components seem decent.
If engine is counterbalanced, I’ll take mine in red.
Mark R: Won’t need much counterbalancing – it is a 90-degree twin. Hard to tell from the photos, but the specs say L2. Which is consistent with past Morini.
The engine is a clone of the Kawasaki ER-6N/Versys/etc. unit, so a parallel twin.
“L2” more likely stands for “longitudinal 2”. “L-Twin” is Ducati marketing speak.
I see too much empty space where the rear cylinder and induction system should be in the photos.
Cool looking bike but I don’t think it’s coming to America as I don’t think they have any dealers here.
This is $8,600 US greenbacks, if we are to pay the same as Europeans. A determined teenager grinding away at the new $15/hr wages folks are tossing around these days can probably afford it, Only 573 hours of work, or 28 weeks at 20 hours per week. Half a year and he gets title!
I only had to work 381 hours @ $1.00 an hour (before taxes) to buy my first street bike, an Aermachhi 50 two stroke. Then again it was only a 50 cc single.
I’d have gladly work another 200 hours for a 650 cc twin, but in 1965 that would have taken an additional 1200 hours.
Looks like tubes in them thar wheels…If true, PASS.
Says in the spec sheet tubeless spoked rims.
Gee, if you only read what little text there is; “Tubeless Spoked Rims”…
It says that but doesn’t look like it in the pictures. Unless they’re Alpina STS style which I had nothing but issues with….18 leaky spokes in 1 month.
So the spokes are tubeless? Did I read that right?