Escape TO EXCELLENCE - MOTO MORINI X-CAPE 650

On and off-road test in Italy of the first new model produced by historic Italian marque Moto Morini since it was acquired by Chinese manufacturer Zhongneng in October 2018

- Alan Cathcart

Five years ago Italian trophy marque Moto Morini came pretty close to being deposited in motorcycling history’s trash bin, joining the many other defunct brands from all our two-wheeled yesterdays. But the company’s then owner Ruggero Jannuzzelli was able to invest sufficient capital to keep it afloat while searching for someone with the resources and commitment to bring Morini back to the big time on a permanent basis, and in October 2018 he cemented the deal that saw Chen Huaneng, the owner of Chinese scooter and minimoto manufacturer Zhongneng Vehicle Group, acquire 100% ownership of Moto Morini.

In my exclusive interview with him that month [see attached] Chen stated his intentions to immediately develop a range of Moto Morini models with 500-800cc parallel-twin engines. These would financially underpin the high end 1200cc V-twins which the company has manufactured exclusively for the past two decades since its 2003 revival – having been killed off in 1996 by American finance company TPG after it acquired Ducati, then owner of Morini [see History sidebar]. Well, he’s been as good as his word, and exactly three years later the Moto Morini X-Cape 650 go-anywhere adventure bike has entered production right on schedule at the Zhongneng factory in Taizhou, 400km south of Shanghai, for sale all over the world.