Moto Morini’s back with new 2026 X-Cape 700 adventure tourer
Moto Morini is a classic Italian bike brand, founded in 1937 by Alfonso Morini, which has produced some top-drawer machines over the years, including the amazing 1200 V-twin Bialbero CorsaCorta (twin cam short stroke) engine launched in 2005.
The firm suffered during the credit crunch in 2008 though, and was saved from financial woes by the Chinese firm Zhongneng Vehicle Group in 2018. Since then, it’s been designing its bikes in Italy with an R&D department near Milan, and using production facilities in China to keep costs low.
And now there’s a new UK importer – Moto73 – which is an arm of the massive MotoGB distribution firm based in Lancashire. Moto73 is expanding the Moto Morini presence in the UK, and has released this new mid-sized adventure touring bike, the X-Cape 700.
It’s an update on the previous X-Cape 650, with a slightly bigger engine capacity (up to 693cc from 649cc). That means more power and torque – up by a fifth to 71bhp from 59hp at 8,500rpm, while torque is boosted from 56Nm to 68Nm at 7,000rpm. The parallel twin DOHC 8-valve water cooled unit is of course fully Euro 5+ compliant, and comes with six speed gearbox and a slipper clutch.
The chassis is largely as before, based on a steel trellis main frame, with premium running gear. Up front is a beefy 50mm Marzocchi upside-down fork, which is fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping. And there’s a Kayaba monoshock out back, also adjustable for preload and rebound damping, with a remote preload adjuster.
Brakes are by Brembo with twin 298mm floating discs at the front and two-piston sliding calipers, along with a Bosch 9.1 ABS system which can be switched off for off-road use. It’s a bit on the chunky side at 213kg dry, but that’s sort of standard for this sort of bike, and probably won’t bother most owners.
There’s plenty of tech as well, all accessed and controlled via a large 7” colour TFT dash. This unit features multiple display modes and integrated ‘mirrored’ navigation via the Moto Morini smartphone app.
Standard equipment includes back-lit handlebar controls, dual USB charging ports, and a height-adjustable windscreen that can be operated one-handed while riding. Other touring features include a smart tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and powerful LED lighting all round.
Moto73 is bringing in the top-spec ‘Gold Edition’ of the bike, which features 19” front and 17” rear tubeless wire-spoked Akront gold rims fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, a centre stand, remote rear shock preload adjustment, and an integrated front dashcam. Completing the premium package includes traction control, heated grips, and a heated seat.
Moto Morini says the X-Cape 700 remains accessible to a wide variety of riders. It features a comfortable 820mm seat height (with an optional 845mm high seat available) and a slim profile to help make low-speed manoeuvring easy. The one-piece bars are easily adjusted into three different positions.
An aluminium sump guard and robust handguards also feature as standard and there’s an 18-litre fuel tank which should give solid touring range. Morini also offers a wide range of factory accessories including hard luggage options, aluminium cases, soft bags, rally exhaust, low seat, rally saddle and high/low engine guard bars.
Available in three colours (Red Passion, Carrara White, Ebony Black), the Moto Morini X-Cape 700 comes with a comprehensive three-year manufacturer warranty. And we’ve kept the best bit till last – it’s a really well-priced bit of kit considering the tech and equipment list, costing just £6,699.
More info: www.motomorini.eu
MOTO MORINI X-CAPE 700 tech highlights
– 19″ front 17″ rear wire-spoked gold wheels
– Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres
– Slipper clutch
– Adjustable Marzocchi/Kayaba suspension
– Brembo brakes with Bosch ABS
– Tyre pressure monitoring system
– Adjustable windshield
– USB-A and USB-C charging ports
– Full LED lighting
– 7” TFT dashboard
– Hand guards
– Centre stand
– Aluminium sump guard
– Integrated 1080p dashcam
– Heated grips and seat
– Traction control
– Adjustable handlebars
Moto Morini X-Cape 700 specifications
Price: £6,699 (+ OTR)
Engine: Parallel twin-cylinder, 8-valve, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke DOHC
Capacity: 693cc
Bore x Stroke: 83mm x 60mm
Compression ratio: 11.6:1
Power: 71 HP/52.5kW@8,500 RPM
Torque: 68 Nm@7,000 RPM
Transmission: 6-speed, chain final drive
Fuel tank size: 18 litres
Technical features: 7″ TFT Dash, Bluetooth Connectivity, Navigation, Backlit Switches, Adjustable Screen, Dual USB ports
Frame: Steel trellis main frame, cast aluminium swingarm
Front suspension: 50mm Marzocchi upside-down (USD) forks, fully adjustable, 175mm travel
Rear suspension: preload/rebound adjustable KYB monoshock with remote preload adjuster, 165mm travel
Front brake: Twin 298mm discs with Brembo dual-piston floating calipers, Bosch ABS
Rear brake: Single 255mm disc with Brembo dual-piston caliper, Bosch ABS
Front wheel & tyre: 19″ tubeless spoked Akront rims, 110/80 19 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR
Rear wheel & tyre: 17″ tubeless spoked Akront rims, 150/70 17 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 2,200mm x 900mm x 1390mm
Dry weight: 213kg
Wheelbase: 1,490mm
Ground clearance: 190mm
Seat height: 820-845mm
Colour options: Red Passion, Carrara White, Ebony Black
Warranty: 3 years