Europe: An October Release for the Moto Morini X-Cape

The Italian-designed, Chinese-made Moto Morini X-Cape 650 will soon be in Europe – and bargain pricing promises to follow hard on the heels of the October release date. 

According to a report from RideApart, the adventure bike first turned heads at the Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori (EICMA), or the Milan Motorcycle Show, in 2019. 

Moto Morini has been making cars in Italy for over a hundred years, with the brand experiencing a rebirth after the company was purchased by Zhongneng Motors.

This bike still showcases elements of the Moto Morini brand, the most notable being the rather sharp features of the X-Cape’s head, similar to that of the eagle present on Moto Morini’s crest. 

The middleweight bike features a 649cc parallel-twin engine sporting a sparse 60 horsepower – hardly anything special, especially considering that the engine itself is being considered ‘the budget approach for the company’, being Zhejiang Chunfeng-sourced and sporting a Bosch EFI system.

Pair that with Euro 5 compliancy, and we’ve got a package similar to what we find in the Kawasaki Versys 650…not the hyped-up niceties of its more mature (and admittedly more fun) competition, the Yamaha Ténéré 700.

Other perks of the X-Cape include a full-color TFT display, the ability to connect via Bluetooth, and a built-in pressure monitoring system for the bespoked tyres, as well as three color options: Red Passion, Smoky Anthracite, and Carrara White.

Here’s a more detailed list of the specs available in today’s model:

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

The Standard model of the Moto Morini X-Cape will hit European showroom floors for the pretty sum of €7,290, or around $8,600 USD. The Italian company will also have ready a restricted variant, available to A2 license holders.

Sticking to the asphalt and want a better bang for buck? No problem – there will be a street-focused variant, complete with alloy wheels for just over €7,000, or $8,366 USD. 

Stay tuned for updates – and a good ride today!