The storied Italian motorcycle manufacturer is touting a new premium adventure bike, but is the Moto Morini X-Cape 1200 too little, too late?
If you follow the two-wheeled world as closely as us, chances are the Moto Morini X-Cape 650 has been in your feed quite a bit over the last 12 months. A handsome machine with quality componentry, Italian flare, and all-terrain capability for under $7,000? Who wouldn't be intrigued...
Of course in reality that bike is about as Italian as a drive-through Pizza Hut, and no one has any misconceptions about the little 650's pedigree. The new 2025 Moto Morini X-Cape 1200, on the other hand... well let's just say this one is a bit tougher to parse.
Big Italian-made V-twin, styling straight from Milan, and financial backing from... China? Could the the X-Cape 1200 be the real deal, or is someone's marketing department about to have a field day?
Before we dive into our take on the new Moto Morini X-Cape 1200, let's take a moment to look at how we got here.
The Deep Roots of Moto Morini
The recent introduction of the X-Cape 650 was, unfortunately, the first time many of us had ever heard the name Moto Morini. That's a shame because the brand is actually one of the oldest monikers in motorcycling. Moto Morini got their start back in 1937 in Bologna, just down the street from a little known firm called SSR Ducati.
"1946 model - credit Moto Morini website"
Their first motorcycle, a 125cc two-stroke single, first hit the streets of Italy back in 1946. Technically this means they were selling bikes three years before the first proper Ducati left the production line, so the name should command a degree of European street cred to say the least.
Moto Morini continued to build, grow, and develop throughout the 1950s and 60s. They designed high-performance four-stroke singles, took them racing, and found some success on the Grand Prix circuit.
"1964 Moto GP - credit Moto Morini website"
What most folks remember Moto Morini for, however, are their 72-degree V-twin engines, which were designed by Franco Lambertini in the early 1970s. These engines came in both 350cc and 500cc capacities and were notable for their belt-driven camshafts, electronic ignition, and Heron-style cylinders, which utilize flat-ground cylinder heads and relocate the combustion chamber itself into the crown of the piston.
These twins gained major popularity and kept Moto Morini afloat for the better part of a decade. Unfortunately the brand struggled to remain competitive throughout the 1980s, and was ultimately purchased by Cagiva in 1987.
"500cc model - credit Moto Morini website"
Thus began Moto Morini's "Cagiva Period," during which the brand continued to stagnate as Cagiva focused on other priorities such as the newly acquired Ducati, MV Agusta, and Husqvarna brands.
Moto Morini changed hands again in 1996 when Texas Pacific Group, an American private equity firm, purchased the rights to the brand along with those for Ducati. Shortly thereafter it was sold to Morini Franco Motori SPA, returning the Moto Morini name to Italian ownership.
Morini struggled to stay afloat in the years to follow, producing a small selection of premium hand-built machines centered around larger performance-oriented V-twin engines. These limited-production Morinis were widely praised by the select few who owned them as being extremely well-built and powerful with outstanding handling.
"2021 Moto Morini X-Cape 650 - credit Moto Morini website"
Moto Morini fought the good fight as an "alternative" Italian luxury brand up until 2018 when they were purchased by their current owners, Zhongneng Vehicle Group. Since then they've been Italian in name only as their machines are essentially licensed reproductions of Japanese all-rounders, but the X-Cape 1200 looks to change all that.
2025 Moto Morini X-Cape 1200 Overview
The X-Cape 1200 marks an important milestone for the direction of the company under its new ownership. Unlike the other models currently in the Moto Morini lineup, which are largely based on Kawasaki's Versys 650 platform, the X-Cape 1200 is a return to form for Moto Morini, sporting an Italian-designed 1,187cc V-twin engine.
Will the return of the Morini V-twin be enough to save the brand's image, or will it miss the mark in such a competitive space? Here's our take in advance of the new model's release.
2025 Moto Morini X-Cape 1200 Specs
MSRP: TBD
Engine
- Engine: Liquid-cooled, 8-valve, 87-degree V-Twin
- Displacement: 1,187cc
- Bore x stroke: 107mm x 66mm
- Compression: NA
- Transmission: 6-speed
- Final drive: Chain
- Horsepower: 125 hp (claimed)
- Torque: NA
- Fueling: Fuel injection
- Clutch: Hydraulic
Chassis, Suspension, and Brakes
- Frame: Tube-steel/aluminum
- Front suspension: Inverted fork, fully adjustable
- Front travel: 6.7"
- Rear suspension: Monoshock, fully adjustable
- Rear travel: 6.3”
- Front brakes: Brembo Monobloc, 4-piston radial caliper, 320mm disc
- Rear brakes: Brembo 2-piston caliper, 280mm disc
- ABS: Yes, switchable
- Wheels: 19"/17", tubeless spoked
- Tires: 120/70-19, 170/60-17, Pirelli Scorpion Trail
Dimensions/Capacities
- Rake: NA
- Trail: NA
- Wheelbase: NA
- Seat height: 860mm
- Ground clearance: NA
- Fuel capacity: NA
- Weight: <550 lbs
Our Take on the 2025 Moto Corini X-Cape 1200
Does the world need another full-size adventure bike? Could the X-Cape 1200 be good enough to scrape out a little market share? Will anyone be interested in buying a premium Italian motorcycle from a Chinese conglomerate?
The Moto Morini X-Cape 1200 feels like a long shot, but it could also be just the thing the brand needs after a few decades without a hit. Let's start with the glass half full.
Pros:
- Looks great
- Engine is a somewhat known factor
- Ample touring features
- High-quality components
- Value?
As you likely noticed glancing over the X-Cape 1200's spec sheet, Moto Morini has yet to confirm many of the bike's most important details like price or equipment specifics. With that being said, we've done enough sleuthing to get a good idea of what the X-Cape brings to the table.
The first and most obvious thing we'd point out is that this is a good-looking bike. We love just about everything from a styling standpoint here: the menacing front end, the cluster-spoked wheels, the tall, aggressive stance... The X-Cape 1200 has the unmistakable appeal of a boutique Italian motorcycle whether or not that's actually the case anymore.
Speaking of which, the X-Cape 1200's 1187cc V-twin is a purely-Morini design rather than some copied homework from Kawasaki. In fact it's the same design penned by the legendary Franco Lambertini (the man responsible for Morini's previous 1187cc CorsaCorta engine), albeit one that's been updated to meet Euro 5 requirements.
Owners of the previous Morini 1187 praised it as thrilling, torque-laden, and unique, as well as shockingly reliable despite its hand-built Italian pedigree. The X-Cape 1200's version of the same powerplant has been retuned to focus on midrange power, which generally bodes well from a reliability standpoint.
Another important feature of the X-Cape 1200 worth pointing out is that it wears a 19" front wheel that's shod in heavily street-biased rubber. This means Moto Morini is leaning into the X-Cape's touring chops rather than trying to sell some gnarly off-road monster, so we're looking at a competitor to the latest Africa Twin Adventure Sports rather than a Desert X or Super Adventure R.
As such, Moto Morini has confirmed the X-Cape 1200 will feature many of the touring amenities we've all come to expect including cruise control, a quick shifter, a TPMS system, a large TFT display, and a full electronics suite with a six-axis IMU. We have no doubt heated accessories, navigation, and a host of rider modes will also be on offer, but Morini has yet to confirm those specifics.
Lastly, all signs currently suggest the Moto Morini X-Cape 1200 is getting the top-shelf treatment when it comes to components. Brembo Monobloc brakes have been confirmed as standard, as have fully adjustable suspension, a hydraulic clutch, and tubeless-spoked wheels.
Cons
- Reliability is an unknown
- Dealer support is lacking
- Competition is stiff
- Power is average for the segment
While no one can speak to the ride quality of the Moto Morini X-Cape 1200 as of this writing, we don't need to put a single mile on the bike to know where its weaknesses lie. Plain and simple, the bike is an overwhelmingly unknown factor from a brand that remains fairly obscure despite its long history.
From a strictly mechanical point of view, details on the 1187cc engine have yet to be released. Moto Morini says this is the "evolution" of the previous Morini V-Twin, which was highly regarded in previous bikes, but it's anyone's guess what sort of "massaging" had to be done to get the powerplant to meet Euro 5 requirements.
Making matters worse, while Moto Mornini is working on building a dealer network as quickly as possible, its current state of affairs makes Moto Guzzi look strong by comparison. Warranties are great, but they don't mean much when your nearest service department is 300 miles away.
Finally, while 125 horsepower is nothing to scoff at, it won't pull any fans off their Superadventures or Multistradas either. In terms of pavement-biased tall-rounders, this figure puts the X-Cape 1200 ahead of the Africa Twin and on par with MV Agusta's new Enduro Veloce, but again, both competitors will outclass it on service and parts availability.
Final Thoughts On the 2025 Moto Morini X-Cape 1200
Whether or not the new X-Cape 1200 succeeds will ultimately come down to two important factors: How it rides and how much it costs.
The first is self-explanatory: regardless of how much or how little Moto Morini charges for the new X-Cape 1200, if it doesn't feel like the Morinis of the past (powerful, composed, and premium), what's the point?
Assuming the new bike feels more like a hand-built Italian and less like a badge-engineered Kasawasaki, the price factor comes into play. We've already got quite a few options out there for large displacement, premium tall-rounders.
Ducati's Multistrada, KTM's Superadventure, MV Agusta's new Enduro Veloce... the list goes on, but none of them get high marks for affordability. Honda prices with Italian pedigree? Now we're getting somewhere, assuming you care about the latter.
If Moto Morini's new owners can bring their flagship ADV in at a middleweight price point, they might have a shot at building some much-needed momentum. A premium bike with a premium price tag and minimal dealer support, on the other hand... That's a risk we're not willing to take, warranty be damned.
→READ MORE: Best Adventure Bikes on the Market in 2024 and What to Expect From The Honda Transalp 750 in 2024.
