Kiwi Rider May 2022 Vol.1 | Page 18

ROAD NEWS

MOTO MORINI X-CAPE ARRIVES

The entry-level middleweight battle in the adventure bike market just got hotter with the arrival of the new Moto Morini X-Cape . Pricing has been confirmed as starting at $ 12,990 for the alloy wheel variant , with a bump in price to $ 13,590 for black spoke wheels , followed by $ 13,790 for the flashy gold spoke wheel option . Distributing Moto Morini will be established distributor Europe Imports , the same folks behind BMW Motorrad here in NZ , so you know the network behind the new brand is solid . As with a lot of new brands entering the New Zealand market recently , Moto Morini mixes Italian design with Chinese manufacturing knowhow to hit that sweet spot in pricing . Apart from a portly 213kg dry weight , the specs for the X-Cape read quite nicely for a LAMS adventure steed .

Power comes via a 649cc parallel-twin with a claimed 59hp ( 44kw ) and 56Nm of peak grunt which is good for a claimed 175km / h top speed . Pulling it to a stop is a set of Brembo brakes with twin 298mm discs with floating two-pot calipers at the front and a 255mm disc with a two-pot caliper at the rear . The 19-inch front wheel is suspended by a Marzocchi 50mm fork , while the rear rim measures in at 17-inches . Tyres are sized at 110 / 80-19 and 150 / 70-17 , respectively . Tech-wise the Morini is backed by ABS while the cockpit features a large 7-inch TFT dash screen . Built-in functions include music and phone connectivity while the bike also sports twin USB chargers as standard equipment . Stock is starting to arrive this month in three colours - Red Passion , Smoky Anthracite , and Carrara White .
18 KIWI RIDER