[bf1983]

Originally Posted by RT13

To my knowledge the other two also weigh in at 214-216 dry, not wet i.e. unladen. Which means they are all exactly comparable. Indeed a 20 kilo difference would be massive (10% more weight with 10ish% less power is a lot) but that is not the case afaik. I’m nearly 100% sure but happy to be corrected.

Agree on pricing but I don’t know if they’ll be able to achieve that.

Kawasaki and Suzuki always mention their kerb weights. I am unable to find out their dry weight as in all media only the curb weights are mentioned.

Originally Posted by RT13

Boredom is part of it. It’s top heaviness and height make it less than perfect for traffic and it’s in no way shape or form meant for anything off-road. If the Moto Morini is even in the same ballpark but has the right gear ratios to go with what looks like a very off-road friendly geometry and spec, it could be a compelling alternative IF there’s a reliable ASS (I’m not sure Adishwar inspires confidence). I for one have been in the market for a bit and really can’t seem to find something to meet this bill. The V Strom probably does but I can’t stomach the price. At 12ish in Karnataka, I’d rather pony up an extra 4-5 and look at the GS 850s. Sub 10 there is only the Versys and I’d be delighted to have an alternative which is more versatile.

The Versys 650 is an out and out road tourer and the road baised 17 inch tyres is testament to that fact. The main competition of this bike is the new Himalayan 450 and the KTM Adventure 390 which offer a bit less performance but at much more affordable prices.

Originally Posted by no_fear

+1 on this. I see the online bike media stating its priced around 6 lacs. The 2023 Versys is already 7.4 lacs ex showroom. The Versys is the same model being peddled by Kawasaki for the past 4 years (only updates is the TFT screen and some electro wizardry, correct me if I am wrong). Customers who are bored of Kawasaki's stale stuff can try Morini for a change.

If Aadishwar is bringing the bikes in, service centers will be the Benelli ones. They have a widespread coverage especially in tier 2 / 3 cities. All that remains now is the pricing and execution. Fingers crossed.

Yes the only changes for the Versys was a design update, slipper clutch, TC and the TFT screen. TC is about the only advantage the Versys has over the Moto Morini other than the slight power advantage.

While Kawasaki don't have the best feedback on its service aspect, Benelli have an even worse name in the market service wise. So Benelli will have to shore up their servicing if the number of bikes in the markets increase which will put pressure on their service outlets.

[RT13]

Originally Posted by bf1983

Kawasaki and Suzuki always mention their kerb weights. I am unable to find out their dry weight as in all media only the curb weights are mentioned.

You’re right. I stand corrected.

https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/202...cs-and-photos/

Then this thing is wildly outgunned.

Originally Posted by bf1983

The Versys 650 is an out and out road tourer and the road baised 17 inch tyres is testament to that fact. The main competition of this bike is the new Himalayan 450 and the KTM Adventure 390 which offer a bit less performance but at much more affordable prices.

I think there’s a fairly large market to be had in the 5-9L range. People who want an upgrade or more refinement and a tad more power in a middleweight bike but don’t want to drop north of 10L. And are interested in more than what the 390 and upcoming Himalayan have to offer. For a single bike garage anyway. Seems to be quite a gap. If wishes were horses I suppose..

[Nilesh5417]

Am going to wait this one out until the Himalayan 450 is out in 6mths or so. I suspect it's going to do what Inty did to the cruiser market if RE continues their great form (Inty, Meteor,
Hunter, Super-Meteor....)

[bf1983]

A few reviews are dropped.

https://youtu.be/-Qs-U07UU1I

https://youtu.be/5oJUbFFi-j8

[neil.jericho]

I dropped into the Benelli company store in Cochin to check out the new Moto Morini motorcycles (quite a mouthful!). Ive read good feedback on these bikes from international users and wanted to see what they were like, in person.

The final location of the Moto Morini dealership hasnt been decided yet. As of now, the 1st floor of the Benelli company dealership is operational and contains Benelli and Keeway motorcycles. The 2nd floor of the dealership is not operational. Zontes and Moto Morini motocycles are stored on the 2nd floor. The salesperson was very helpful and gave me enough time to check out the Moto Morini motorcycles. While I was there, at least 4 other people came to check out the Zontes and Moto Morini bikes. This, without any publicity or hype. Just natural word of mouth in the enthusiasts community.

The motorcycles had just been unloaded from the truck and were kept in the in-operational dealership. There were three Moto Morini motorcycles on display
- X-Cape 650
- Seiemmezzo - Retro Street
- Seiemmezzo - Scrambler

Do keep in mind that no PDI has been done so far. Two technicians have been sent to Hyderabad for training.

As far as first impressions go - I was very impressed.

The bikes look good. They have a solid presence. The engines are from CF Moto. Ive seen positive feedback on these engines. All three bikes come with Brembo brakes (you read that right!). The X-Cape comes with Marzocchi suspension. You get preload, rebound and compression adjustment at the front (!!!). I couldnt check what level of adjustment is available at the rear. All 3 bikes have nice displays. They sound good. They come with premium tires. Honestly, except from the slightly misaligned pillion footpegs, there was nothing to find fault with. Given that the PDI hasnt been done, that doesnt really bother me, at this stage.

Most Indian enthusiasts assume that motorcycles that are manufactured with Chinese funding are not up to the mark / poorly made / expensive for what they offer / cant match their Japanese counterparts etc. Like products made in any other industry, there are levels to it. A made in China iphone will have a different quality level from a made in China Micromax phone.

Here are some pictures of the impressive X-Cape 650. There is a version with spoked wheels (X-Cape 650X) which is yet to arrive at dealerships.

The 3 Moto Morini motorcycles.


Quite a looker.


A closer look at the headlight.


Brembo brakes. Alloy wheels with Pirelli Scoprion Rally STR tire in 110/80-19 size!


More premium bits.


Nicely laid out.


The panels give it an imposing look.


The rider's view.


All neat and tidy.


The startup screen - Part 1 (if I have to nitpick, the startup screens are a bit slow, sorta like the current Honda Africa Twin).


The startup screen - Part 2.


The startup screen - Part 3.


The startup screen - Part 4. Looks better than the screen on the Triumph Tiger 900, that's for sure!


The switchgear is OK. Nothing exceptional of note over here. It feels nice to operate.




Rebound adjustment on the right fork.


Compression adjustment on the left fork.


Nicely designed fuel cap.


You get USB connectivity for your phone / GPS devices.


I was surprised to find not 1, but 2 slots here. The rubber flap does feel flimsy.


The engine bay on the left side.


The engine bay on the right side.


The rider footpeg.


Unassuming exhaust actually sounds nice.


The chunky Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tire in 150/70-17 size.


This is a popular option for Adv riders!


Neat and tidy, again.


The rear section.


A nice honeycomb design element.


Very impressive! No wonder Moto Morinis are developing a fan following abroad.

[neil.jericho]

Here are some pictures of the Moto Morini Seiemmezzo - Scrambler.

Quite a lot of parts are shared between all 3 motorcycles.

This bike comes with Pirelli MT60RS tires. The front is in 120/70-18 size. The rear is in the 160/60-17 size. Finding replacement tires for this in the open market may not be easy. The sales person was confident of being able to procure replacement tires from the company. That is really good to hear.

As per the sales person, this was the most fun to ride, of the Moto Morini motorcycles. I certainly find it to be the best looking!

This is a handsome devil!


Golden forks = more social media likes!


The headlight is nicely executed.


The logo could perhaps have been a little smaller.




The difference in the outer panel / bezel, makes it look as though the screen is a smaller unit. It is probably shared between all 3 bikes. This screen takes less time to load up. Part 1.


Part 2.


Part 3. I like this layout.






The rebound adjustment is on the left fork. Adjusting it will require removing the handlebar.


The compression adjustment is on the right fork.








The rear suspension adjustment will require removing a side panel. Its the same on all 3 bikes.


Nice looking, indeed!

[neil.jericho]

Here are some pictures of the Moto Morini Seiemmezzo - Retro Street.

This bike comes with Pirelli Angel GT tires which are a very solid choice for sports touring. The front is in 120/70-18 size. The rear is in the 160/60-17 size.

Useful grab rails at the rear


Unimaginatively designed exhaust

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Most Indian enthusiasts assume that motorcycles that are manufactured with Chinese funding are not up to the mark / poorly made / expensive for what they offer / cant match their Japanese counterparts etc. Like products made in any other industry, there are levels to it. A made in China iphone will have a different quality level from a made in China Micromax phone.

@Neil.

An excellent writeup. You should be the professional reviewer of all bike related matters on this forum. Truly, your passion stands out.

One fact check here as my OCD acted up. Moto Morini does not manufacture anything in China. The engines are sourced through CF Moto and sent to their plant in Milan. The bike is manufactured in Italy and then "re-assembled" in India as they are brought as CKD units.

I really do not get this hate about China / Chinese made products. Japan used to make some really lousy cars and bikes before they shaped up. So did Korea. While I understand the issues about Benelli, it's more about the company management itself, than the country.

Regarding the political aspect, I am no expert so I wont add anything here. But fun fact - all the Alpinestars / Dainese gears that everyone in India is gaga over - the leather is sourced in Pakistan, the material is stitched in Pakistan and then sent to Vietnam for application of the inner lining. So are we boycotting these products since they are made in Pakistan?

I wonder how people who pooh pooh about China made bikes will react, when they find out that the drive chain, the triple clamps, the gaskets, and pretty much 90% of all the consumables of Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are made in China. Heck, all the Ducatis sold in India are manufactured in Thailand.

On a separate tangent, MV Agusta has decided not to re-enter India. They were in talks for a long while, but decided to pull out. They wanted to bring the Lucky Explorer 5.5 for India, but the ongoing China hatred + lack of support + previous Motoroyale mismanagement has put deep scars... really sad to hear this news.

Oh well, lots of nice pics to drool over. I really like the Scrambler... looks to be a fun ride for commutes.

[shabih]

Originally Posted by no_fear

So are we boycotting these products since they are made in Pakistan?

I wonder how people who pooh pooh about China made bikes will react, when they find out that the drive chain, the triple clamps, the gaskets, and pretty much 90% of all the consumables of Kawasaki, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are made in China. Heck, all the Ducatis sold in India are manufactured in Thailand.

I really admire your political consciousness, sir. Hopefully, there are more like you who have independent and rational thinking abilities rather than being mob motivated by TRP-hungry fake news factories.

On the topic of bikes, Moto Morinis certainly look to make a great impression. Let time tell. I wonder if the scrambler comes with tubes inside the tyre?

[sukiwa]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

There were three Moto Morini motorcycles on display
- X-Cape 650
- Seiemmezzo - Retro Street
- Seiemmezzo - Scrambler

Were you able to find out weight of these bikes?
Benelli/CF-moto have a habit of not sharing bike weight, hence curious.
It's similar to how Honda mentions long travel suspension for CB500x but doesn't share actual figure in mm.

[no_fear]

Originally Posted by sukiwa

Were you able to find out weight of these bikes?

It's on the MM site

Xcape is 213 kg dry weight

Seiemmezzo is 200 kg dry weight

https://motomorini.eu/wp-content/upl...pe_2022-07.pdf

https://motomorini.eu/wp-content/upl...ezzo-ENG-1.pdf

[RT13]

I’ve been following a lot of insta accounts of the Moto Morinis and these Adishwara chaps seem to have really changed their tactics for the better. Seems like a well curated launch.

Also, some of the international reviews of the bike are very very good indeed.

These are a few of my favourite.

https://youtu.be/9M6jAbVGZMI

https://youtu.be/KwhgHxwlwAI

The same guy rides it on and off-road ����

https://youtu.be/HXONzft_ojc

- this guy rips the road version off road and it just seems to take it all.

And of course you can’t have an Italian bike without an Italian reviewer -

https://youtu.be/9JG4QSGL7u0

All in all it seems a very very capable bike. Perhaps a bit heavier than the competition but absolutely loaded with top of the line kit!!

I mean, tubeless spoked wheels (for the 650x), a Marzocchi fully adjustable fork, Bosch ABS, Brembo brakes and Kayaba shock out back! Not to mention the Pirelli Scorpions. I’m hard pressed to find any sub 12L bike with that kind of top notch branded kit. Heck some bikes that cost more don’t have this sort of package.

I’m more and more excited by the XCape, regardless of price. Sure it may not have the top end chops to rival a Versys but this bike seems soooo much more versatile than any of the competition. That the engine is the only thing not Italian about it is a great thing in this case. The CF Moto engine is a copy of the Kwacker 650 and it already has a global reputation, so it should be pretty bombproof. This should give a buyer more peace of mind than say, those true blue fussy Italian Benellis.

Really do wonder what they’ll price it at. That is some very expensive kit on there.

[RT13]

Prices are out! Yknow, notwithstanding earlier discussions, 7.5L for that package is pretty amazing. Just the cost of the suspension and brake system, let alone tubeless wheelset, would be tremendous. To crunch it into 7.5 for a CKD kit seems quite a feat. I’ve been on the fence about a sub 10L bike for a while and this might just tick the boxes.

[advstreak]

Originally Posted by RT13

Prices are out! Yknow, notwithstanding earlier discussions, 7.5L for that package is pretty amazing. Just the cost of the suspension and brake system, let alone tubeless wheelset, would be tremendous. To crunch it into 7.5 for a CKD kit seems quite a feat. I’ve been on the fence about a sub 10L bike for a while and this might just tick the boxes.

Attachment 2367065

Yes that's quite an achievement!

Now the waiting game starts to get the service and parts costs. Lets see how close are they to that of the Versys 650.

I am keeping an close eye on the X-cape as it might be the upgrade to my KTM ADV 250.

[Nilesh5417]

Originally Posted by RT13

Prices are out! Yknow, notwithstanding earlier discussions, 7.5L for that package is pretty amazing. Just the cost of the suspension and brake system, let alone tubeless wheelset, would be tremendous. To crunch it into 7.5 for a CKD kit seems quite a feat. I’ve been on the fence about a sub 10L bike for a while and this might just tick the boxes.

Attachment 2367065

Another version... received on WhatsApp