Moto Morini’s revamped X-Cape 700 proves you don’t need to spend big to ride hard
Just over six years ago, Italy’s historic Moto Morini marque narrowly avoided ending up on the scrapheap of motorcycling’s history. Chen Huaneng – owner of Chinese scooter and minimoto manufacturer Zhongneng Vehicle Group/ZVG – rode to the rescue, acquiring 100 per cent equity from its previous Italian owner. Since then, ZVG’s route map to Morini’s recovery has proceeded at pace, initially with five models powered by the well-proven 649cc DOHC eight-valve parallel-twin engine sourced from its rival CFMoto.
With 15,400 examples of its entry-level X-Cape 650 ADV model alone sold around the world in the past three years, Moto Morini’s ride down the comeback trail under Chinese ownership is becoming ever more assured. The X-Cape’s distinctive styling by freelance designer Angel Lussiana gave it immediate personality, which helped it stand out from the plethora of other middleweights entering this market, backed up by its versatile appeal as an accessible, well-equipped and capable model at an affordable price.
Now Moto Morini is building on the X-Cape’s success with a diverse range of new models set to come on stream over the next 18 months, along with plans to expand market reach – including into Australia. Next up, according to the company’s CEO Alberto Monni, will be its 1200cc X-Cape ADV Big Twin model housing a Euro 5 Plus-compliant version of the company’s trademark 87° V-twin Corsa Corta engine. That will be followed by the Corsaro GT, the first of three models powered by Morini’s all-new Italian-designed 750cc 90° V-twin, and two bikes using a smaller 350cc 72° V-twin. In addition, the Alltrhike 450cc parallel-twin ADV – again using a CFMoto engine – will provide well-priced competition to BMW’s new F 450 GS made in India by TVS. All of these bikes debuted at last November’s EICMA Milan Show, and each was conceived and developed in Moto Morini’s plant at Trivolzio, 30km southwest of Milan, to be then manufactured in China.
But first up, ahead of these and available in European dealer showrooms right now, is the heavily revamped 2025 Moto Morini X-Cape 700. This and the 1200cc X-Cape ADV Big Twin are expected to be the first models offered when the brand is available Down Under, possibly as soon as next year.
The X-Cape 700 uses the same considerably improved 83 x 63mm longstroke 693cc version of CFMoto’s well-established liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve parallel-twin engine with 180° (so, one up/one-down) crankshaft, offset chain camshaft drive, and a single gear-driven counterbalancer, which entered the marketplace a year ago in Moto Morini’s Calibro Bagger custom model. Developed by CFMoto for its own use as well as Morini’s, this is a mere 44cc larger in capacity thanks to a 3mm longer stroke – but on the X-Cape 700, a combination of the small six per cent increase in displacement plus lighter pistons and a new, freer-flowing, lighter exhaust with upswept rear outlet (to give extra clearance in rocky conditions versus the 650’s low-slung silencer) helps deliver an 18 per cent increase in power, and 20 per cent more torque.
So there’s a whopping 10hp more on tap than its predecessor, with 51.5kW (69hp) produced at 8500rpm, and an equal dose of enhanced grunt, with 68Nm available at 6500rpm, up from 56Nm at 7000rpm – so, much more torque starting lower down than its predecessor. This is quite an achievement, especially considering the more restrictive Euro 5 Plus emissions standards.
The six-speed transmission now has the slipper clutch it previously lacked – but owing to the cable throttle there’s no quickshifter. However, top speed has been raised from 170km/h to 185km/h.
This number-crunching essentially tells you what Moto Morini engineers have done here, which is to significantly uprate the X-Cape from the cheap-‘n’-cheerful entry-level model it was previously pitched as, to a more refined, better-equipped middleweight contender with genuine offroad capability – at the same price as before. The X-Cape 700 now represents a real alternative to the sector-leading Yamaha Tenere 700 – but at a much lower price. So, whereas the Japanese model costs €10,999 in Italy (it’s priced at $A21,399 rideaway in Oz), the Morini starts at €7190 (around $A13k) for the Black Ebony version (which is essentially a streetfighter, with cast aluminium wheels shod with 19in front/17in rear street tyres, no centrestand and no remote rear preload adjuster). Fork out €7590 and you get the wire-wheeled dual-purpose X-Cape 700 – a direct competitor to the Tenere 700, and the even costlier Aprilia Tuareg 660 and Suzuki V-Strom 800DE.
This is available in a choice of three colours – Red Passion, Carrara White or Black Ebony. It comes with the same-size wire wheels with alloy rims as the Streetfighter variant – there’s no 21in front wheel option – with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres. It has both a centrestand and a remote adjuster for the Kayaba/KYB cantilever rear monoshock that’s adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping, with 165mm of wheel travel. That’s a massive price difference. So, what else can be missing besides the RBW throttle?
Well, the answer is… nothing, really, for Morini’s 700 adventure model is extremely well equipped, with subtly restyled and more protective bodywork designed by the Trivolzio factory’s in-house design team, which still retains the distinctive X-Cape signature appearance. A new spring-loaded mechanism makes the windscreen now properly adjustable on the go with just one hand – previously it was a pretty convoluted operation that you could really only do safely while stationary. The screen is also now 25mm taller and the same amount wider at the top, and can be raised 50mm higher than before for improved wind protection.
The twin headlamps are now LED, there are handguards and engine heat guards, and the 7in colour TFT screen (whose revamped graphics sadly still don’t show the ambient temp reading) offers integrated navigation via the Moto Morini app, along with Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connectivity for music, phone and on-screen navigation.
On the ADV version of the bike, there’s also a dashcam that records what it sees directly to your cellphone via that app while numerous minor touches include a tyre pressure sensor, new dual USB-C sockets to add to the two USB ones already there, giving the rider four ports altogether for phone recharging etc. Oil changes are now easier with a new, more accessible oil filter design.
BUILT TO TAKE A BEATING
The X-Cape 700’s robust-looking tubular steel frame, which employs the engine as a fully-stressed member, is unchanged from the 650 version, delivering a rangy 1490mm wheelbase thanks to the fully-adjustable – yes, at that price – 50mm Marzocchi fork set at a 25.5° rake, with a hefty 123mm of trail. At the rear there’s now 165mm of compliant wheel travel, a hefty 30mm more than before, controlled via the 20mm longer aluminium swingarm working a direct-action cantilever Kayaba monoshock that’s adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping.
Less impressive on paper, however, is the X-Cape 700’s unchanged weight, scaling 213kg dry split 48/52 per cent rearwards, resulting in a 232kg kerb weight with a 90 per cent full 18-litre fuel tank, which should deliver a 320km-plus range. Although this is identical to the smaller-capacity older bike, it still remains pretty porky versus the sector-leading Yamaha Tenere 700’s 205kg kerb weight, or the Aprilia Tuareg 660 at 204kg fully fuelled, and just 187kg dry. To stop this, the X-Cape’s brake package features switchable Bosch 9.1Mb ABS and a trio of Brembo twin-piston calipers with steel-braided hoses gripping twin 298mm front discs and a fat 255mm rear.
A Bosch ECU also powers the fuel injection system which has Off-Road and Street maps to sort-of make up for the lack of electronic riding modes. As before, the ABS system can be switched off completely in the Off-Road map.
Seat height is either 845mm, as on the bike I spent a warm early summer day riding through the twists and turns and offroad gravel sections of the Ticino River valley south of Milan, or an optional 820mm one that’s part of the list of accessories. This presently includes a rally exhaust, heated grips, high and low engine guard bars, a rally seat, an aluminium sump guard, plus hard and soft luggage.
IN THE SADDLE
Where the X-Cape 700 immediately stood out when I climbed aboard via the left footrest was how even with the taller of the two seat options you feel yourself nestling into the bike in a way that can’t help but make you feel at one with it. Like its 650 predecessor, the X-Cape 700’s riding position is super-comfortable, with the dished but quite well-padded seat slotting you into the bike rather than being on top of it, plus there’s adequate if not exactly spacious room for a passenger. But the taper-section handlebar mounted on 60mm risers is well shaped, with just enough pull-back to deliver a comfortable, straight-backed, untiring stance, in which all the controls just fall to hand in best cliche mode.
The 845mm seat height may appear to be a little tall for shorter riders, thanks to the narrow, waisted stepover behind the fuel tank, but it was the perfect height for my 1.78m stature in terms of putting both feet on the ground at a stop. It will be super accommodating and very welcoming for novice off-roaders, including women, who will appreciate its accessibility. This is a bike you can’t help but feel in control of, thanks to what seems a very well-balanced layout, with little sign it’s as heavy as it is when I rode it on gravel tracks or offroad through local risotto paddy fields.
It’s a genuine go-anywhere motorcycle which, thanks to its carefully designed seat and flanks, is really easy to ride standing up on the ‘pegs. It’s slim and narrow just where it matters, making this in many ways a bike that thinks it’s a single-cylinder in terms of its agile handling, while delivering the accessible drive and bottom end punch of a twin.
The parallel-twin engine is torquey, free-revving and smooth. The single gear-driven counterbalancer and hefty balance weights in the ends of the handlebar ensure there’s zero vibration at any revs, right up to the hard-action 10,500rpm rev-limiter, and especially no tingles in the footrest or seat as you sometimes get at a constant cruising speed from comparable single-cylinder models, and even some of the X-Cape’s twin-cylinder rivals. This makes the Morini both pleasant and practical in high-speed use on the open road, as well as ultimately untiring to ride, with a pleasing and distinctive syncopated lilt emanating from that revised Euro 5 Plus-compliant 2-1 exhaust.
There’s a completely linear build of power all the way to that 10,500rpm revlimiter, and you definitely notice the extra torque now available and especially the wider spread of grunt all through the powerband. This not only allows you to cut down on gear-changing, but also use a gear higher than the 650 would have dictated in order to maintain momentum through successive twists and turns, helping fuel consumption. However, there’s still only a conventional cable throttle, which means that without RBW there’s not only no choice of riding modes, but also zero traction control. You just have the option of switching off the Bosch ABS at both ends for use offroad, in which case an ‘Off-Road’ icon appears on the dash, as if you’d selected a different dirt-friendly riding mode. Except you didn’t!
SHIFTING THE GAME
The six-speed transmission with chain final drive features a Japanese-developed FCC oil-bath clutch, making the X-Cape a model of rideability thanks to its flawless gearshift and light clutch action. Your left hand won’t ever cramp up riding this bike in traffic, so expect it to be a courier favourite, especially at that price and with a good view ahead over traffic. This makes balancing the X-Cape at low speeds easy for riders of all levels of experience, with walking pace, feet-up U-turns dead easy with a very tight steering lock.
Also novice-friendly – but also sure to be appreciated by more experienced riders – is the X-Cape’s responsive but well-mapped fuelling. There’s no trace of an abrupt pickup from a closed throttle; just a smooth, liquid response that adds to the sense of controllability. With torque peaking at 6500rpm, so little more than halfway to the redline, and spread so widely through the powerband that there’s no point in revving it anywhere near that 10,500rpm limiter, on the open road I shifted up at 7500rpm and found myself back in the fat part of the torque curve every time.
The way the X-Cape 700 pulls so strongly from just off idle and accepts full gas wide open in sixth gear from just 2000rpm with zero transmission snatch, is proof of that.
On-road the X-Cape’s handling was also confidence inspiring, partly because of its balanced feel, and partly due to the excellent grip from those dual-purpose Pirelli tyres. The steering is precise albeit relatively slow, thanks also to that large amount of trail, which does however pay off in stability in turns. Riding it on the dirt, where using however much of that 165mm of wheel travel I ended up needing, all felt so well controlled. Using the twin Brembo discs up front hard for a panic stop didn’t cause the front end to collapse – sure, the nose did dive a little, but only controllably. And it did indeed stop pretty well despite the extra kilos.
There was unexpectedly good feedback from that meaty Marzocchi fork, and whoever arrived at the settings knew what they were doing, with the cantilever rear shock more compliant than you might have expected. Ride quality was also pretty good at both ends, too.
Morini’s test rider Gabriele Manzi (my companion for the day aboard an alloy-wheeled streetfighter) and his colleagues deserve a pat on the back for a job well done thanks to the unexpected sense of all-round refinement you get from this €7k motorcycle. You can tell it was developed by people who actually ride bikes day in, day out, and wouldn’t rest until they’d achieved their goals. Take the rear brake, for example, which is perfectly set up for offroad use, with just enough bite, delivered progressively as you work the pedal, with heaps of feel and a sense of control. It didn’t just get like that – someone had to work on the pad choice, the leverage ratio, the choice of disc material and master cylinder etc… then test it repeatedly till they hit the right setting.
Little things mean a lot. And, judging by the way the X-Cape 700 has turned out, Moto Morini’s Chinese owner appears to have hit on the ideal formula for producing appealing but also cost-effective Sino-European fusion models.
PRICED TO TEMPT
Competition has never been so fierce in the mid-size adventure bike market, with would-be buyers of all skill levels now spoilt for choice. With pretty high build quality and a strong identity delivered by its styling, the Moto Morini X-Cape 700 is as capable and pleasing – as well as practical – a ride as any motorcycle costing twice the price, with half the looks. Providing a fully adjustable front end from as respected a brand as Marzocchi on a truly versatile bike is pretty incredible value for money at this price, especially with Brembo brakes, Bosch ABS and Pirelli tyres included.
The X-Cape 700 is a genuine contender in a crowded middleweight adventure market. Moto Morini had a strong presence in the Australian market in the 1970s-80s. Can history repeat?
Competition
Yamaha Tenere 700 from $21,399
KTM 390 Adventure R from $11,295
Suzuki V-Strom 800DE from $16,990
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE
Capacity 693cc
Type Liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve parallel-twin four-stroke with 180° crankshaft, offset chain camshaft drive and single gear-driven counterbalancer
Bore & stroke 83mm x 63mm
Compression ratio 11.6:1
Fuelling EFI with twin 38mm throttle bodies, single injector per cylinder
Transmission 6-speed gearbox with gear primary drive
Clutch Wet, multiplate
PERFORMANCE
Power 51.5kW (69hp) @ 8500rpm (measured at crankshaft)
Torque 68Nm @ 6500rpm
Top speed 185km/h
ELECTRONICS
Type Bosch
Rider aids ABS
CHASSIS
Type Tubular steel diamond with engine a fully-stressed member
Rake 25.5°
Trail 123 mm
Wheelbase 1490mm
SUSPENSION
Front Fully-adjustable 50mm Marzocchi fork, 175mm travel
Rear Kayaba cantilever monoshock adjustable for spring preload & rebound damping, 165mm travel
WHEELS & BRAKES
Front 110/80-19 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR on 3.50in cast aluminium or wire-laced alloy rim
Rear 150/70-17 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR on 4.50in cast aluminium or wire-laced alloy rim
Brakes
Front: 2 x 298mm steel discs with twin-piston Brembo calipers and switchable Bosch 9.1Mb ABS
Rear: 255mm steel disc with twin-piston Brembo caliper and switchable ABS
DIMENSIONS
Weight 232kg kerb weight with 90 per cent fuel load
Seat height 845mm as tested (optional 820mm available)
Fuel capacity 18L
BUSINESS END
Price From €7190
Contact: motomorini.com
