Moto Morini 1200cc adventure bike in the works

Moto Morini is working on a new 1200cc adventure bike which will be powered by the same 1,187cc V-Twin engine that was fitted to its model lineup before it was taken over by the Zhongneng vehicle group. 

• Gets wire-spoked wheels, USD fork and radial front brake calipers

• Silhouette seems very reminiscent of X-Cape 650

• No traditional ‘beak’ at the front  

Moto Morini 1200cc Adventure bike: Details

Before its takeover by the Zhongneng vehicle group in 2018, Moto Morini’s entire lineup was largely based on some variation of its Bialbero CorsaCorta V-Twin engine, which in this particular bike displaces 1,187cc. This engine made its debut in 2004, making it one of the oldest engines to be fitted to a modern bike (when it does finally go into production). This engine briefly went off the grid when it failed to meet the ever-stringent Euro-5 emission norms which kicked in 2 years ago, but it seems Moto Morini has been able to update it for usage in this upcoming adventure bike. 

The overall silhouette is very reminiscent of the Moto Morini X-Cape 650 middleweight adventure bike that recently made its way to our shores. Hardware too appears befitting for a bike in this ultra-premium category. A chunky USD fork and monoshock can be seen, while braking is taken care of by a pair of radially-mounted calipers at the front and a single caliper at the rear. Considering that this bike will boast some off-road capability, switchable ABS might be on offer as well. A large screen is visible in the cockpit as well and it is most likely going to be a TFT unit, given the fact that even the smaller X-Cape 650 gets one. As is the case with a bike in this category, a comprehensive suite of rider aids will most likely be on offer.  

Moto Morini 1200cc Adventure bike: Launch, pricing and rivals

When the Moto Morini 1200cc adventure bike does finally go on sale, the bike may make it to our shores. Considering the fact that this is potentially the flagship bike from the storied Italian bikemaker, expect it to carry a price tag reflecting that. In terms of rivals, it will square off against other large-capacity adventure tourers like the BMW R 1250 GS, Triumph Tiger 1200, Ducati Multistrada V4 and the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250.

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Would you pick the Moto Morini adventure bike over its more established competition? Let us know in the comments section below.