Moto Morini’s V-twin Returning

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Moto Morini’s new adventure bike will be powered by an updated version of its 1,187cc V-twin. (Moto Morini/)

Moto Morini has been slipping back into the public eye following its 2018 takeover by China’s Zhongneng Vehicle Group. Now it’s preparing to launch a new big adventure bike built around an updated version of its old V-twin engine.

At the moment, Morini’s 1,187cc Bialbero CorsaCorta V-twin-powered Granpasso, Corsaro, Milano, and Scrambler models are essentially in limbo. The engine used in those machines doesn’t pass European emissions rules, so Moto Morini has been rebuilding its product lineup based around the all-new X-Cape and Seiemezzo models, both using a 650cc parallel twin based on the engine used by CFMoto. However, the company has been clear that larger-displaced models are on the way, and the big 1,187cc V-twin will be making a comeback in a leaner, cleaner form. While the famous Italian brand hasn’t had a presence in the US for years, the company’s revival could see it eventually reappear here.

These pictures show the bike that’s likely to lead the return for the Bialbero CorsaCorta engine: A brand-new adventure machine with a family resemblance to the smaller X-Cape. Images show that while Morini already had a large adventure bike, the Granpasso, using the V-twin engine, it’s opting to build an entirely new model around the revamped engine rather than bringing the old one back. It’s a much more conventionally proportioned machine than the Granpasso was, with a near-vertical screen and forward-biased visual mass that plays into the usual Dakar rally themes we expect to see on such bikes. Like the X-Cape, it does without the clichéd “beak” that so many other adventure tourers use, and seen from above it’s clear that the fuel tank is extremely wide, something that’s emphasized by the bike’s comparatively narrow nose fairing and single, U-shaped headlight.

A top view of the new ADV bike shows a wide tank cover that merges into the front fairing. (Moto Morini/)

Although the styling gives the impression that the Bialbero engine sits in an aluminum-beam frame, that’s not the case. In fact, it seems those spar-like sections are cover panels hiding a steel trellis chassis which bolts to alloy braces around the swingarm pivot. That’s a design that stays faithful to the ideas used on Morini’s earlier V-twins, including the Granpasso, but the frame here isn’t a carryover from the past. At the back a cast-alloy swingarm is clear to see, suspended by a rising-rate monoshock that’s offset to the left side to clear the large exhaust collector box. The fork is a substantial upside-down unit with what appear to be Brembo Stylema calipers bolted on. While Morini is using wire-spoked wheels, and despite its Dakar-inspired proportions, the bike appears to be more road-biased than dirt-oriented; a snug-fitting front fender covers a wheel that appears to be 19 inches in diameter, rather than the 21 inches that would be used if it had serious mud-bogging intentions.

Despite wire-spoked wheels, the front rim/tire combo appears to be 19 inches in diameter, while a low and tight fender indicates that this model, at least, is a more road-oriented model. (Moto Morini/)

On board, the rider is faced with an oversized TFT dashboard and a windshield that’s tall enough to require looking through it, not over it, when not standing on the footpegs. Although we don’t know the state of tune the bike will be in, the old Bialbero CorsaCorta engine was good for around 132 hp in the Granpasso and several other Morini models. That’s a relatively modest figure given its capacity, but enough to be on par with adventure-bike rivals.

Speaking of which, Morini is riding into dangerous territory here. The adventure market is hotly contested, and while newcomers can achieve success, as Harley-Davidson has with the Pan America, it’s extremely tough to overcome established rivals in the field. The BMW R 1250 GS in particular seems to be the default ADV choice for many. It’s also unclear whether the bike will be manufactured in Italy, where its forebears came from, or if Zhongneng will take on the production duties in China. The former would give the bike the sort of European exotic flavor enjoyed by the likes of Ducati’s Multistrada, but the latter would inevitably make for a lower price tag.

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