BMW’s 2026 F450 GS lightweight adventure bike is on its way – but the Germans better hurry up we reckon. Because for the second time in ten days, we’re reporting on a new 450 twin-cylinder adventure tourer from one of the new Chinese-backed firms out there.
The last one was the QJMotor SRT450RX Rally, and this time it’s the Moto Morini Alltrhike 450. Now Alltrhike is a horrendous moniker, no doubt (it’s ALL TeRrain HIKE we think), but the Moto Morini name is a real classic, packed with Latin heritage dating back as far as 1937. Older readers will remember the neat 350cc and 500 roadsters from the 1970s, designed by engineer Franco Lambertini, which had great performance for the time.
Even back then, the brand was making its name with advanced technology: the 72° V-twin engines were air-cooled OHV units, but used novel ‘Heron’ cylinder heads, with the combustion chamber formed in the piston top.
Performance was brisk and the bikes looked great, but as the Japanese took over in the 1970s and 80s, Moto Morini was hammered financially, and the brand fizzled out after being sold to Cagiva. There was a revival in the early 2000s that saw a new range of 1200 V-twin super-naked roadsters, with brilliant performance from the 140bhp Bialbero Corsacorta motor, and smart style.
But the 2008 credit crunch hit the firm hard once again, and it drifted from financial crisis to revival and back under various management, before being resurrected in 2018 by a sale to the Zhongneng Vehicle Group in China. Since then, the firm has been revamped with the now-familiar model of R&D and styling work carried out in a European head office, and production based in China.
All of which brings us nicely back to the new Alltrhike 450. There’s little of the Moto Morini heritage here: no quirky V-twin engine or curious Italian chassis components. Rather, we have a very modern high-tech package, based around a parallel-twin DOHC 8-valve engine, in a steel tube cradle frame with premium running gear, decent off-road kit, and plenty of tech.
Starting with that engine, it’s shared with fellow Chinese brand CFMoto, and is based on the unit seen in the CFMoto 450 MT. The 449cc twin is liquid cooled, with a 270° crank firing order, plus Bosch fuel injection, and puts out a decent 45bhp at 8,500rpm.
That makes it A2 licence compliant, and is broadly on par with the competition: the QJMotor has a chunky 47bhp, the BMW claims 48 ponies, and something like the Honda NX500 is also around 47bhp.
The chassis follows a fairly serious adventure bike template: the key factor is probably the 21” front wheel, which will cope with more hardcore terrain, and lets owners fit a massive choice of rubber including proper dirt-capable fitments. Suspension is by KYB, which is becoming an almost-default choice for the new Chinese brands, with a 41mm USD front fork that is specced as fully adjustable.
Out back there’s a multi-link monoshock unit, also adjustable, with 210mm travel on the front and 190mm rear wheel travel. Add in a claimed 215mm ground clearance and you have a pretty capable setup – though it does mean the seat height is a little tall at 840mm. The 450 should be manageable in terms of width though, so that seat height might not be too tricky for shorter riders.
It’s not appallingly heavy at 190kg claimed unladen weight, but that’s not super-light either, especially on a taller machine once you add in a full fuel tank too. A quick test ride should show if your legs are up to the task…
Brakes are not marked up as by Brembo, unlike a few of the new Chinese marques, but carry the J-Juan logo, which is still a fairly premium Spanish brand – and actually owned by Brembo since 2021 anyway – so what’s in a name?
There’s a single 320mm front disc and a 255mm rear, with a four-piston radial caliper up front and a twin-piston rear caliper, controlled by a switchable ABS setup that lets riders turn it off for dirt use. Wheels are wire-spoked tubeless rims, with 90/90 21 front and 140/70 18 rear tyres from Chinese Cheng Shin, now CST tyres. The fitment is a basic 50/50 road/offroad design: the CM-411 Ride Ambro radial.
Equipment levels on a lightweight 450 off-road style street bike used to be marginal in the extreme: I remember having a Suzuki DR-Z400SM with little more than a digital watch display and an electric starter. Now, though, even this budget machine comes with plenty of toys.
There’s a big 5” colour TFT LCD dash with Bluetooth phone link, navigation functions and USB A/C charging ports, and it also accesses the switchable traction control and ABS settings. Touring comfort is also good, with heated grips and rider seat as standard, hand guards, manually-adjustable windscreen, adjustable pillion seat angle and a centre stand.
Add in a very decent 18.5 litre fuel tank, bash plate and removable rubber footpeg inserts, and you have a solid distance package, for a tempting price: £5,299 plus on the road charges, in white only. Moto Morini also offers a range of factory options accessories, including three-bag luggage set.
More info: https://motomorini.eu/en-uk/
Moto Morini Alltrhike 450 Tech Highlights
Off-road ready: 21” front and 18” rear tubeless spoked wheels
Fully adjustable KYB suspension with 210mm front and 190mm rear travel
High-performance J-Juan radial front brake calipers with switchable Bosch ABS
5-inch colour TFT display with integrated navigation and Bluetooth connectivity
Standard winter comfort pack: heated grips and heated rider’s seat
Full adventure protection: tough aluminium bash plate and handguards
Practicality as standard: reinforced centrestand and adjustable windscreen
A2-licence compliant parallel-twin engine with 270° crankshaft
Safety electronics: Switchable traction control for off-road use
Dual charging: Both USB and USB-C ports fitted as standard
Moto Morini Alltrhike 450 Technical Specifications
New price: £5,299 (+ OTR)
Capacity: 449cc
Engine details: Parallel twin-cylinder, 8v, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke DOHC
Power: 44.8bhp (33kW) @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 42.0 Nm @ 6,250rpm
Transmission: 6-speed, wet multi-plate clutch, chain final drive
Fuel tank size: 18.5 litres
Electronics: 5″ TFT, Bluetooth, navigation mirroring, traction control, USB & USB-C charging
Frame: Steel tube double cradle frame
Front suspension: 41mm KYB USD telescopic forks, fully adjustable, 210mm travel
Rear suspension: KYB Multi-link mono-shock, adjustable, 190mm travel
Front brake: Single 320mm disc, J-Juan four-piston radial caliper, switchable ABS
Rear brake: Single 255mm disc, J-Juan twin-piston caliper, switchable ABS
Wheels & Tyres: tubeless spoked rims; 90/90-21 (F), 140/70-18 (R) CST CM-411 Ride Ambro
Weight: 190kg (unladen)
Seat height: 840mm
Ground clearance: 215mm
Warranty: three years
Colours: Pure White