Legendary Italian brand now under Chinese ownership releases big-bore adventure tourer with high spec and solid performance at a decent price
It’s easy to see why a traditionalist would be sad about legendary Italian brands like Moto Morini being bought out by firms from overseas. We’ve had it ourselves in the UK with the likes of BSA and Norton now owned by Indian parent firms. But if the alternative is for those classic names to disappear completely, surly it’s a better move?
Moto Morini was in a fairly parlous state at the end of the 2000s. It had been relaunched after cash woes in the 1990s, with fresh financing and a smart new engine design – the Bialbero Corsacorta (twin-cam short-stroke) unit released in 2004.
Designed by the firm’s renowned design guru Franco Lambertini, the 1200cc unit was a corker for the time, with a really strong torquey power delivery that stood out amongst the 1,000cc V-twins of the time from Ducati, Aprilia, Suzuki and Honda.
The 2008 credit crunch hit at the worst time though, and Morini languished in tricky fiscal waters once again until the Chinese firm Zhongneng took over in 2018.
Now, in 2026, the Zhongneng group is relaunching the brand in Europe, as part of the general wave of Chinese machinery. The UK importer is Moto73, and it’s announced this new X-Cape 1200 as a 2026 model, with bikes hitting dealer showrooms about now.
At the heart of the bike is the latest ‘Evo’ version of Morini’s classic 1200 engine, now brought up to date with Euro 5+ compliance, ride-by-wire engine management, and a decent suite of rider aids.
The 1,187cc 87° V-twin powerplant makes 129bhp@8,750rpm and 106Nm@7,000rpm thanks to a 12.4:1 compression ratio, four valves per cylinder and DOHC heads. That compares with 140bhp on the original 2005 bikes, and while it’s a solid figure for an adventure tourer, it’s some way off the class-leading big-bore machinery from the likes of Ducati and BMW.
Chassis-wise, the Morini is fairly conventional: there’s a hybrid steel/aluminium frame, with cast aluminium swingarm, and Kayaba suspension both ends. Both the 48mm USD forks and rear monoshock are fully adjustable with 180mm of travel, and wear tubeless wire-spoked wheels with a 19” front rim and 17” rear.
Tyres are Pirelli Scorpion Trail 3s, and the brakes are proper sporty Brembos with four-piston radial-mount monobloc calipers, 320mm discs and a Bosch IMU-assisted ABS setup.
As ever, the Chinese firm has provided a solid set of luxury touring kit and useful rider aids. There’s an up/down quickshifter, switchable ABS, three-level traction control, rear-facing radar with blind spot and collision warning systems, all operated via a large 7-inch TFT colour dash with the usual Bluetooth phone link for navigation and the like.
Rider and pillion get heated seats, and there are heated grips with handguards too, as well as adjustable windscreen, centre stand, tyre pressure monitoring and even a built-in 1080P HD forward-facing dash cam.
Downsides? Well, it’s all pretty hefty when it comes to spec-sheet mass: the X-Cape weighs in at 259kg wet with no fuel, and you’ll be nearer 280kg when the 24.5 litre fuel tank is topped off.
Add in the optional aluminium three-case luggage for an extra £499, fill it with holiday kit, and the X-Cape will need Geoff Capes to lift it back up should you topple over…
The price is the key here though: the Morini is light on the wallet with an RRP of £11,299 plus otr charges, which is a couple of grand less than a Honda Africa Twin. More info at your local dealer, or at www.motomorini.eu
MOTO MORINI X-CAPE 1200 Highlights
- UK Price: £11,299 (+otr)
- 19″ front / 17″ rear tubeless wire-spoked wheels
- Pirelli Scorpion Trail 3 Tyres
- Up/down quickshifter
- Slipper clutch
- Fully adjustable Kayaba suspension
- Brembo brakes with Bosch 6-axis cornering ABS
- Rear collision avoidance and blind spot radar
- 1080p front dash camera
- 7” TFT dashboard with navigation
- Heated seats (rider and pillion)
- Heated grips
- Cruise control
- Traction control
- Adjustable windshield
- Centrestand
- Tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
Moto Morini X-Cape 1200 Technical Specifications
Engine: 87° V-twin, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled, DOHC 8-valve
Capacity: 1,187cc
Bore x stroke: 107mm x 66mm
Compression ratio: 12.4:1
Power: 129hp(95kW)@8,750rpm
Torque: 106Nm@7,000rpm
Transmission: six-speed with up/down quickshifter and hydraulic slipper clutch Frame: hybrid aluminium/steel frame with aluminium swingarm
Front suspension: 48mm KYB USD forks, fully adjustable, 180mm travel
Rear suspension: KYB monoshock, progressive linkage, fully adjustable, 180mm travel
Front brake: Dual 320mm discs, Brembo monobloc radial calipers, Bosch 6-axis Cornering ABS
Rear brake: Single 280mm disc, Brembo caliper, Bosch 6-axis Cornering ABS
Wheels/tyres: tubeless spoked rims; 120/70-R19 (F), 170/60-R17 (R) /Pirelli Scorpion Trail 3
Seat height: 840mm
Fuel tank: 24.5 litres
Dry weight: 259kg
Colour options: Arctic White, Energy Red, Viper Black
Luggage option: 3-piece aluminium (£499)