EDIT: My bike was an early USA model... and details were still being sorted out. A few things that Moto Morini clarified for me post-production. Front suspension travel is 6.9 inches, not 6.3. Rear is 6.5, not 5.6. Weight is actually 514, not 520. Rear preload is adjustable without shock removal. They also pointed out that due to the closed cartridge forks, making some adjustments with compression clickers will make more difference that expected and can help with the bottoming. It's my fault for not taking more time during testing to adjust and re-test. Thanks. 🏍TODAY’S GEAR: ⚡ Klim Krios Pro Helmet: imp.i104546.net/WD9gOM ⚡ Klim Adventure GTX Glove: imp.i104546.net/Eax204 ⚡ REV'IT! OffTrack 2 Suit: imp.i104546.net/3eYVVr ⚡ Mosko Moto Wildcat 8L Backpack: bit.ly/3OiE5Ss ⚡ MSR Base Layers: bit.ly/3K3bQ8s 🏍BEHIND THE SCENES / DISCORD SERVER / CHAT WITH ME! ⚡ Patreon: www.patreon.com/bigrockmedia 🏍 SUPPORT BIG ROCK MOTO BY USING MY AFFILIATE LINKS! ⚡ Rocky Mountain ATV/MC: bit.ly/33kgRIz ⚡ Revzilla: imp.i104546.net/6bxxXN ⚡ Mosko Moto: moskomoto.com/bigrockmoto ⚡ Amazon: amzn.to/3viGZ0A ⚡ Merchandise: big-rock-moto.myspreadshop.com/
If China was in a better spot economically & politically; yes I'd look at a kove. But China is flexing their military looking to start a war, a few of their politicians have been unalived and just about every loan China gave out to poor countries being defaulted on. I'm cautious buying any big ticket from built in China stuff. I have no idea what raw material they can get that is of quality we should expect. Before covid I would've said yes.
Chinese market evolved from only manufacturing into both developing/designing as well as manufacturing (which they now use Vietnamese labor). They have a professional economy now but Americans just stay bitter
If they are as good as some of the Chjinese scooter-mopets I would stay far away from them. Plastic is bad fitting, absolute not service friendly, electronics is very bad in quality. Almost everything is plastic (even things you do not want to be plastic) A friend has 2 of them (Because they constant refuse to run) and I helped him a few times because electronics is my field of expertise, and those are also bad. But at least motor cycles in the USA are probably good test before they are allowed to be sold so they will be safe and Chinese can build good things if there is quality control done by a non-Chinese company and they produce for export, production for internal use is often even worse (and sold via things like Ali-expres, and many A-branded parts are just fake, they even fake their own Z- grade stuff ;-) )
@@kayoedowner6711 Chinese electronics is even worse as most consumers think, number of fakes are huge and they go very far. I have see a batch of IGBTs where they cut of the legs of used ones, point-weld new ones, polish them, sand of the type marking and replace it by a more expensive one, and we talk about parts that cost less as a dollar. (I have seen many more ) At this moment I guess most of the parts sold via Ali expres or direct from other Chinees sources , are fakes. Many of the gadgets is just dangerous and will last very short. Specs are made up and often at least half of what they publish. (I am an EE and I do rather specialised electronics board repair)
No. There is no perfect nation. But giving money to Chinese business is giving money to the CCP, which is one of the worst governments on the face of the planet. Other options exist.
I have loved Morini Motos for a long time. I visited their Museum in Pesaro Italy a few years ago. A wonderful history. As for made in China. Who cares? All the components of most Motos are made all over the world these days. Looks like a great bike!
👉Would you buy an iPhone despite it's made in China? As already written, the bike is developed in Italy and built in China, like Nike, Converse, and even Ray Ban sunglasses
5,500 RPM at 80 mph. This is the MOST important part of a motorcycle review: the gear ratios and engine vibration. The gear ratios are NEVER talked about in 99.99% of motorcycle reviews, as if riders forget that your fuel mileage, vibration, engine noise, and fatigue level on the highway, are all determined by having properly tall final drive gear ratios. MOST motorcycles have the wrong gear ratios, are all of the ADV bikes are geared way too low. It's a relief to see that the Moto Morini X-Cape 650cc might have the best gear ratios of any of the bikes.
@@rightwingsafetysquad9872 5500 at 80 mph is a wonderful result for this bike and engine. You can check other bikes in the category and then you will see... can check my content too. Cheers.
Great review, Ian. My wife and I almost fell off the couch laughing at you and Maggie! Seriously, great work, and thanks for providing quality content.
"Just like me" - ok, that deserves a like! edit: you always know when it's an italian design, because they look good! Same goes with Benelli, for example. Don't really know about reliability / service life though...
Iam on a Facebook page in the uk , and there has been no issues with these bikes , one rider Nathan millward has put over 7000 miles on his travelling around the uk Cornwall to Scotland, and uk to spain. He rides his bikes hard , and its giving him zero issues. Everyone on that page thats riding one is a happy customer. These bikes along with cf moto , voge , are proving they can make a competitively priced well built bike , the question is will it last 30k +
Another great video! A local dealership had a demo day last week, the bike looks great in person. Took for a 15 minute ride around town so not very thorough but my thoughts; felt easy to ride, comfortable riding position, great digital dash, brakes felt strong, seems like an incredible value. Transmission wasn’t as positive feeling, I ride a Versys 1000. Overall seems like a great option. I hope they do well.
Hi Ian. Great review. I've had an X-Cape here in the UK for just under two years and about 9000 miles. I swapped a Guzzi V85TT for it. I prefer the Morini of the two. Just more enjoyable to ride. I find it a more engaging road bike. Both equally limited off road. I've not had any major problems with it. The quality seems good and no signs of wear and tear. I've had a few engine management lights flicker on but have cleared themselves. It once cut out in Ireland and restarted in heavy rain. Haven't needed to order parts for it bar the oil filter, which seems to be a unique fitment for the Morini, which seems a bit odd given the engine's origins. All in all I like it. But we've just got the Benelli TRK702X which has 10bhp more and is officially £500 less. Tough market in the mid capacity sector.
I bought a V85TT after considering and testing various motorcycles, including the X-cape. The only reason I can think of why you sold the Guzzi for the Morini is that you really needed the cash....
@@nathanthepostman The Morini isn't bad, it's stable , has good wind protection, good brakes, suspension, it's beautifully designed etc. But it's a second grade bike, plastics feel cheap, metals look of mediocre quality, engine was emitting more heat in the winter than the Guzzi in the summer etc. And the quality of the handmade Guzzi is second to none. What did you see in the Morini that made it a better choice than the V85TT for you?
@@nickzourb190 the guzzi feels a more premium bike than the morini, no doubt about it. I had troubles with a drive shaft leak in the early days and I lost the master key which was going to be over £1k to replace. So I didn't gel with the ownership experience and I just didn't gel with it as a bike to ride. Lots of character but for the weight it lacked some performance and I couldn't help but feel for the money a second hand gs1200 would have done everything better, held its value better been cheaper to service (from experience of owning a gs1200 it was). I liked the guzzi but never loved it. The morini I admire as it's much better than I anticipated and I find I have more fun on it. Objectively I think they're both sub par bikes but subjectivity I prefer riding the Morini.
@@nathanthepostman Well it is better build with better quality materials, better fit and finish etc. Also, the shaft issue was common on first bikes. Warranty fixed. Either overfill with oil or a faulty seal. About the master key, didn't you have the code ? Looks like the dealership was the issue, not the bike. And maintenance is actually the cheapest you can get for a premium 850cc bike. About the R1200GS, maybe you compare Guzzi dealership service vs indie mechanic work on the BMW? But yes, really enjoyed riding the Morini as well.... You should have given the Guzzi another chance with another dealership though. Just my opinion.
i just purchased this bike about a month ago, it is my every day bike as my Multistrada V4 S is an expensive every day ride, i feel that i got a great deal and i feel its a good bang for your buck, still early but for around $7k i got the bike with all 3 cases so i decided to give it a try, before i had a V-Strom 650 and a KLR 650 and this bike feels better than both, on road it is smooth and comfortable, sure it has things i dont like but again ill take it over the KLR and the Baby V Strom.
I watch bits and pieces of the adventure bike reviews but I watch the whole reviews of bikes 300cc and smaller. I love Ian's review on the KLX230. He was having laugh out loud fun off road. I'm done with adventure bikes over 400 pounds. The compromise on tires alone is too great. They are sketchy on wet roads while mediocre at best off road. I'd seriously rather tow a little dirt bike or dual sport with a touring bike. That's closer to the best of both worlds. But a smaller bike will get me anywhere on he backroads. The highways are boring anyways. To me, I ride for fun and if I wanted to try a made in China bike for off road adventures I'd get an XR150 for a few thousand and push its limits and have laugh out loud fun instead of a crap my my pants experience on something twice as heavy.
Exactly what I did. I lived where Ian does here, it was dual sport paradise with all the mnt and desert trails. Went from a Tiger 800xcx to a KLX250 < and the cheapest bike I ever bought new was 100% most fun I ever had out there. I had Border Patrol asking how the hell i got into where I did, LOL. Riding around town, back roads, trucking to offroad is best move I ever made
Went with a Himalayan as first learner bike, this was a close second. My reason was parts easier to get for Himalayan plus 2k less...(found out adv gear needed + camping stuff comes to about the price diff😉)
Moved to France in 2019 from Canada. Brought my Ducati 1200 Multi Enduro with me. Long story short. Will cost half the price of the Ducati to have it licensed here and then to add insult to injury: French admin does not recognize Canadian motorcycle license !!! So… as no one was going to stop me riding I passed my test here…. Yes all of it!! Now I’m a young rider again 😛🤪😂 So I have to drive a 47.5hp bike for 2 years 🤪 My local Ducati dealer hear in SW France also sells (amongst other makes) Moto Morini…. So here I am riding a Moto Morini X-Cape for now almost a year. Engine light came on in first week on the bike… broke down completely 200m from the dealership. Got a loaner bike and the whole electronic system was changed. Not good. However… now the have 16000km on the bike. Mostly traveling 2up ( my wife loves traveling on the back but not so keen to drive her own). We’ve driven up and through the Pyrenees and the Alps loaded with camping gear etc. Can’t fault it since the first problems had. Touch wood it’s now perfect. It’s not my Ducati of course… but I have a lot of fun in the French countryside twisties. Almost hate to say this. But it’s growing on me. I will see what I get into in a year when I’ve finished my probation period…. maybe the new 1200 Morini?? 😁 Love your content… always excellent info.
Great review as always, but I say no thanks. Great warranty, but where are the dealers, do they know the bike well enough to work on it? Parts suppliers? I can’t always avoid China, but when I can, I do. Not a fan.
The bike has a great design. Apart form being too heavy and having a bit budget suspension it is a great value for the money. I didn't read a lot of negatives about it. :) Great video Ian, just like always. In depth and that is something that is really appreciated. :) Cheers.
We fled Cuba and know communism personally. Even though it's tough to do in this day and age, I do everything possible not to support a communist regime.
I feel like that would be considered a good 80% paved/20% light off-road bike, given it's suspension specs. I looked up all the specs online and I see a 19" front and both spoke wheels are tubeless! I think that's about perfect. I feel like I'd still go Japanese at the end of the day, for most of the reasons you've listed: Unknown long-term reliability and dealership network. As always, great review with tons of attention to detail! I always appreciate your comprehensive content!
No I wouldn't buy one . I like to feel proud of any bike that I ride and own and ,for me, that rules out Chinese made motorcycles or any motorcycle with a major Chinese component . China's track record politically and humanitarian is terrible and I see no reason to support that by major purchases on my behalf . Word on the street from the UK is that the bikes are heavy , crude and unreliable . A dealer friend describes Chinese bikes as " price point motorcycles , meaning cheap . Purchase price is only one factor in the cost of ownership . Just how well they retain their trade in value remains to be seen , but I suspect that unless you buy another MM you are going to lose a bundle . BTW I adore Italian bikes , but only the ones made in Italy by Italian craftsmen .
Quality is one thing. China is already beating us up with other products.. I think it’s a matter of patriotism. Do we want to make China even stronger or not? 🤷🏽
I’ll remember your words of wisdom when I enter my local BMW dealership and while puking my brains out at their grossly over and virtually unaffordably priced products for the average motorcycle consumer…
BMW mororcycle parts and engines, KTM 790 adv, 90% of your home devices, all mobile phones, my Volvo....etc.are all made in China. Sell the patriotism story to someone else.
KTM makes the 390 ADV in India and the Philippines, Honda makes the CB500X in Thailand - there are other similar examples. There are no budget friendly ADV bikes made in the USA AFAIK. Unfortunately, we can likely look forward to more and more motorcycles being made in China and other low cost labour markets, it's how manufacturers can offer these bikes at a reasonable price point and still make a profit.
Hi there I have one and love it iv down sized from 1200 1400 due to age and weight of bike just done Ireland 2k miles next Morocco Egypt via Italy hope this helps
No way was the Moto Morini brand worth $10m! I guess maybe it meant something to whoever owned the brand time, but i doubt there's more than a few dozen out there with any kind of attachment to the brand who would be likely to buy a brand new made in China adventure bike. Maybe I'm young and missed the boat on some classic Moto Morini bikes but they could habe come up with a new brand and logo for far less than $10m...
Hi, I noticed your navigation is selectable. Just curious, since it is not in Europe. Something to do with mirroring restrictions of apps on vehicle screens. How does this work for you? Enjoyed this review very much. I have this model since 2022 and so far so good.
It's really cool that your reviews include the pillions opinion since its also one of the important factors that many buyers consider ! Thank you Ian and hoping you continue with this very nice reviews!!
Hey Ian you missed the trick of raising the windscreen. There's a place to put your thumb at the top of the slide, then it's really easy to do it one handed
@@BERZERKERSV4 Fortunately I didn't know what it is marketed to so I have driven stock (2017?) CB500X with stock tyres in terrain that many will never go. Let's keep this our secret, it keeps the used prices down. 😊
@@BERZERKERSV4says someone who has never owned a CB500X. If you listened to the video, Ian compared the X Cape to the CB500X and noted that the suspension on the 2022/2023 CB500X is better. It's also 80 lbs lighter. I'll definitely take my 2022 CB500X over the X Cape all day long, for the type of riding I do.
I took my trailer park, toy Honda CB500x on a three month, 13,000 mile ,wild camping trip around Scandinavia this summer, with a two week trip around the Alps tagged onto the end. I changed my oil twice and my tyres once. It was faultless throughout the trip and I never saw the check engine light once.
Great review as always, but the problems with this motorcycle are glaring and are going to stop most in their tracks- A 520lb 650cc made in China bike with almost no dealer network in the states. I think this bike is doomed from the get-go.
I test-rode it and the absolute dealbreaker was the silly excessive heat coming from the right side. It is by far, the hottest running bike I ever rode, especially when it comes to off road riding where the speeds and air is not enough to keep it low. It was a big fat no for me.
Thanks for posting~ I live in Las Vegas & it's very hot for about 6 months out of the year. I just don't get why so many manufacturers release motorcycles with horrible heat management problems. I'm looking for a new bike to replace my aging VFR800, based on this criterion, it looks like two finalists are the new Transalp 800 & Yamaha Tracer 900GT~ different bikes, but both run cool. I'm just waiting to see if Yamaha will release a Tenere 900.
Interesting! I rode one in Dallas, TX yesterday (97F) and had no issues with heat. Also, per the dealer, the check engine/starting issue has been rectified ( I asked).
I’m sick of hearing these Chinese bikes engines are based on reliable Japanese motors. Great, until the check engine light comes on and you find out the engine components are made of milk bottle tops and Kit Kat wrappers.
Great review. I would be hesitant to commute everyday, beat on it since it isn’t a proven name. Hey price point sells bikes and for the money it isn’t a bad deal. Not something I would buy tho , but if times get worse for me then I won’t say never. I like the vstrom 800 right now….hell I just got a KLR-S model & it’s fine. Leaves me wanting more juice at times, gets a bit boring but I knew that.
As for this Moto Morini (great machine/ great value), I would always have in the back in mind the thought that if does have a problem, how long would it take to fix/ get parts, same goes for KTM, Husqvarna, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta to name a few, that's why I typically get BMW's (when something does go wrong, I've found it usually takes 3/4 days to get parts, YMMV)
The X-Cape is actually designed and developed in Morini's factory in Italy, and in my opinion the styling looks good. Production is in China. A bit too heavy and underpowered for my liking, but glad to see some more affordable options in the ADV space
Sure, you bet! 😂 "In October 2018 Zhongneng Vehicle Group acquires the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Moto Morini for 10 million euros, pledging to maintain production and plants in Italy."
Really good review IAN! You are improving every month! Your organisation and structure keeps improving and you cover more issues. Well done. Personally, I would not buy that bike. If I wanted to go offroad just a little, I'd buy a V-Strom 650 XT. If I wanted mostly a road bike, a Versys would win every time, in spite of the price. For more off road, a 800 DE or a Transalp wins every time! This is for a guy on a budget, who is not too far from a dealer and trusts the warranty. It might turn out really good or not, but he is close to a dealer.
The first thing I notice is that horrible 2012 era muffler that just looks non-symetrical and awful. It's a beautiful motorcycle, but that stock muffler just isn't acceptable. The Harley Pan America has the best looking muffler on any of the bikes, as well as the Honda Transalp.
If MM had greater dealer network, this bike or the Ibex 800 would be in my garage in a heartbeat… between the MG V85TT and the X Scape, they are by far the best looking “ADV” bikes by far….great review… BTW , I purchases a V85TT in late July 2023 and just completed a 6000 mile , 6 week cross country trek from Daytona to Cedar City Utah, mainly 2 lane roads, some highway droning and a fair making of fire road trial riding…. The V85TT was flawless… zero mechanical issues .. thank you MotoPlex Daytona.. As a side note, excellent new “dimension” to your reviews by showing access to critical bike components…you should also consider, when comparing competitors, a dealer OTD price….that reality check is why these bikes will be making serious inroads in the US market…
Yeah, I'd like to see Ian do a full V85TT review. It makes more power than this, weighs less, and has more suspension travel. I got my V85TT Travel for just over 11k USD OTD and for that price I can't think of anything that comes close to competing. I've only had it for a bit but will be doing my first longer ride on it this weekend, I'm sure it'll perform great.
@@trevorkarrett3041 Excellent choice… as mentioned my go to long distance travel bike for the last 10 years was a 2013 GSA Oil Head…. but when I test rode a 2023 K1600B and GSA 1250… there was no way on God’s green earth that I could justify spending spending $30k on a 10 year old platform that has been mildly “refreshed” over the years… as for those who do… they are damn fools because the Latest greatest BMW models have progressed to the point of only being bragging points at the local pub and that’s it….As for the V85TT… I could not be happier adding it to my fleet ..
@@podunkman2709 Not sure why you think that? It feels like a bike that has every bit of modern convenience and a great modern chassis, with a classic powerplant/drive system, that still makes modern power with modern efficiency. There's no shaft jacking, the engine/shaft should be super reliable, and the electronics package is good too. I put nearly 500 miles on it this weekend and it was great. Wind protection is the only thing I'd like to improve but every ADV bike has the same problem, and if not then it's probably a touring bike.
Agree with you that this X-Cape and the V85TT are some of the best looking bikes in this class ( I would add the Tracer 700/7) and considering both. The V85 secondhand costs about a 1000 EUR more still than a brand new X-Cape. I lean towards the secondhand MG though.
Ian: "The check engine light came on." (Keeps riding.) On a reviewer loan bike. That tells me what I need to know. Reliability is way more important than price to me. Particularly with not a single dealer in my state. Warranty, even if honored, means nothing when it's 5 hours each way to a dealer.
I own a CF MOTO and my experience is that the Chinese manufacturers can achieve pretty good mechanical quality but they are way behind on electronics and quality of service, as well as parts availability etc., so yeah, I totally understand and will soon trade mine in for a Japanese bike...
@@guyh282 At least you knew your CF MOTO was made of Chineseum before you bought it. Moto Morini is marketing this bike as an Italian product, intentionally concealing that it's made in China. KTM is doing the same, marketing their bikes as Austrian, while concealing that they're manufactured in China. At least Harley-Davidson has the honesty to no longer call their bikes "American Made." (They're made in India.) That hasn't reduced the prices on KTMs at all, while the level of quality has fallen precipitously. Guerilla profiteering at its worst.
@@advhawk6455The KTM 390 lineup is made in India and the Philippines, the new 790 ADV is made in China by CF Moto. Other than that, I'm pretty sure their larger and more expensive bikes are still made in Austria
@@guyh282behind on electronics? The 2016 onwards all use Bosch with continental abs, no issues at all. Do you have the early ones? They were a bit shonky in that respect
3yr warranty is useless if there is 0 dealer network to work on them. The places that sell these are small shops that sell used motorcycles and they don't know anything these bikes
China is where Japan used to be. Once thought as low quality Japanese products are now highly sought for their quality. China is the same, they are , now producing more and more quality products
Hello Ian great channel congrats. When you would compare this Bike with CB 500x and V Strom 650 XT witch one your prefer for all in all Action as a Switzerland Knife. Have a good ride
The bike business, at least on the ADV side, is doing the same exact thing the American car business has done for years, often to their determent, maybe not in sales but certainly in reputation. The bike manufacturers, (BMW, Ducati, KTM, Husky, CFMoto, Moto Morini, Triumph, Harley, ect., ect.....all except the Japanese) are focusing on 3 things. Power, styling and gizmos. None of the above are putting a 100% emphasis of reliability, especially those like the Chinese and the Austrian bikes. Its ALL bells and whistles, meant to appeal to an emotional buyer that wants to be seen on the "baddest of the bad" adv bike.... (150hp??...wtf??) Very similar to the American auto industry since the 1990's and the current RV market. It's all about the glitz with no bones. It's all about IMAGE. It has effectively ruined the sales numbers and the reputation of the American auto industry (when compared to Honda, Toyota and Subaru), and is in the process of ruining most of the RV manufacturer's reputation....and I'm sure those manufacturers like KTM, ect., are in the process of losing sales due to THEIR reputation of being over-bloated pigs with reliability issues. People are starting to wake up in this market and quickly figuring out a 550lb, 150hp, $20,000 adv bike that can't make it down a sandy jeep 2 track isn't worth it any longer. Just something to consider.
I like this. I have a 2024 CF Moto Built KTM 790 ADV and I would consider this Moto Marini as a second bike. It’s a lot of bike for the money. CF Moto is going to make some waves in the market in the next 10 years. They do a good job at making quality bikes for a good price even if they are based off of other manufacturers engine designs.
its strange how different are the prices between countries.this bike is 0.8k more expensive than cb500x, 1.3k cheaper than vstrom 650xt, 4k cheaper than a vstrom800de, 3.4k cheaper than a t7, same for xl750, klr650 not in europe.so,it is a cheap bike....
Just viewed this again since I have been looking at alternatives to Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha.... Test rode one yesterday and while it was a nice ride, it felt very ho hum. I was able to keep up with the dealer on his Triumph 1200 but it was a chore.
Know a guy who owns an x-cape, as well as other biles that fall under ADV. He uses this for easier offroad as well as commuting and general use. Rides this bike the most almost daily. I do know he has put over 12,000 miles in its first year, not one issue. Its not designeed for heavy offroad, it does make a great bike for easy off road, twisties and commuting on road, powerful enough to handle most riding environments and it has a reliable motor and looks great, and not expensive. It is what it is.
Late to the game, but did you ever find out what caused the check engine light to come on? For me it would be more compelling if it was substantially lighter given it's displacement. It's only 20 lbs lighter than my 1250GS. It will be interesting to see how the dealership network plays out and what the market thinks of it a year or two later.
Does anyone have this motorcycle? Any problems? Gow is the quality of the plastic fairings? They make sounds? The n lose the colour? Does the bike loooks cheiap?
Back in 2006 I bought a 250cc Badged Q Link scooter made by CF Moto. about a year after buying the scooter the dealer went out of business. Have been unable to sell or find someone to work on it so it has sat in a shed in my backyard ever since. That would be why I would not buy one. It is not like buying a Honda where if your dealer goes out of business there are many more around so it is a safe buy. Not so with this.
I don't have a problem in owning a china bike but the problem with them (aside from the elephant in the room which is reliability) is dealer, parts, and third party support but if I'm gonna buy i would buy a cfmoto
I bought an off brand bike ( In terms of the North American market ). The bike itself was excellent, but after a few years all the sources of parts evaporated. I wound up buying a Suzuki which is what I should have done in the first place. I wound up junking a still sound bike with 37000 km on it because parts and service were no longer available. If I had been in Europe, no problem; but this isn't Europe.
@@chrispekel5709 I turned down a 2021 Hyabussa a couple of years ago. Moto Bob couldn't even belive I said I wasn't interested. I have a 2024 mt10 sp on order
Disagree on the power, you really don't need more. It's nice but not required unless you like breaking laws. But too heavy I agree, could lose 30 pounds
Interesting bike. Shame it's as heavy as my porky NC750x DCT. May have to go check one out near me if I get a chance. Lots of pretty nice standard features, but maybe this is more of a road bike styled to look like an ADV? You're bottoming out *hard* at 11-12mph indicated on some of those ruts. That's a bike that's up for gravel roads at best IM crummy opinion.
Hello gentlemen and ladies, I changed the stickers from Moto Morini X-cape to Kawasaki Rally Touring 6.5 and with that simple act, the bike went from 7 thousand to 10 thousand Euros/dollars. Of course everyone was happy saying, this new Kawasaki RT is an excellent machine with design and finish. Things are like this and not otherwise. The Morini Xcape is a very good machine, very pretty and at an excellent quality/price. It has a large amount of details that other more expensive brands do not incorporate into their base models. This motorcycle has been sufficiently tested in its first year of commercial life, (Magazines, motorcycle testers, fans, dealers, youtubers) and the answer is that there are no known faults. A very large number of distributors throughout Europe. But if you really (really) need more than 60 HP, maybe this is not your bike. If you need a sportRR, this is not your bike. If you want a 100% enduro-rally, this is not your bike. All this is easy to understand, but then why do people insist on comparing with Africa Twin, Tiger 900, KTM 890 rally and others motorcycles more than twice the price of the X-cape??. The commercial results of the (Chinese /Italian) Moto Morinior Benelli brands are so good in Europe that it has forced brands such as Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda to make deep price offers for a similar range of models. This is something like a little kick in the balls to the imperturbable Japanese brands 🤣🤣. Without a doubt, all this finally benefits biker customers 👏👏👍
If we count only the countries of the EU, there are at least 27. But if we count all of Europe, there are many more. Dealer Local offers or price reductions on Japanese trail models of similar range, for example (Versys 650 with a gift of side cases, €8,400), or Suzuki Strom 650, €7,975, (these are prices that maybe not have in all countries, but in countries where sales of motorcycles such as Benelli, Moto Morini, QJ Motor, have been more successfull, such as Italy, France, Spain, Greece, others. In Italy, 1000 units of Benelli Trk 702 were sold in just 1 month. This was similar example to Moto Morini X-cape 650. I live in Spain, and indeed although I have both Benelli and Morini stores just a couple of kilometers from my house (I have tested both), on the contrary it is not easy to see these bikes parked in the middle of the street. At the moment it is normal, Moto Morini X-cape has only been on sale for 1 year. Likewise, I have not seen any new Honda Transalp 750 parked on the street and Honda store is 1.5 km from my house.
Also live in Europe and see zero price cuts that you speak of. And certainly not because if a supposed fear of Chinese bikes. I wish you were right though! I wish they would some price cuts, would be very welcome because prices are high. Also... I dont see many of these Moto Morini's on the road, in the last year I have seen 2 Benelli's, 1 beautiful blue CF Moto MT650 and 1 guy has a Voge 500 adv bike. I'm sure MM is also sold but...clearly its all in very limited numbers despite what you suggest, for all the Chinese owned brands I mean, not just MM.
It’s about time there’s someone building bikes at a more affordable price, I’m in Ireland were bikes are a ridiculous price, for gs adventure starting price is €21,000 standard before options Ducati multi is €25000 standard, so I welcome this affordable motorcycles coming to the market
What are you talking about??.....the Suzuki 800DE is very close in price in your country (Ireland) as it is in my country (USA) at 12,850 vs 11,500. Not that much of a difference and a far cry from the 21k for a GSA BMW.
The engine warning light might have been triggered from that big suspension hit? My wife dropped ours (luckily it has crash bars), and it brought up the light. Cycle the key and it went away.
Ian Another excellent review! Interesting motorcycle for the price. Their mountain to climb is, as you said, establishing a dealer network. You can't sell a motorcycle without exposure. Mannequin approved video Sir! 👍👍
Good review however for the bigger bloke of +100 KG - 220 LBS plus gear that is going to be a proverbial PIA as bottoming out will drive you nuts IMO.. The point of an Adventure bike is to take it off road and if it bottoms out on any bump or whoop then it is a hard no for my money. If you going to have a pavement princess then a road bike is a better option IMO.
Off topic but I wish you could obtain the new Honda Adv160 scooter to put it thru your review format. This would great because as of 10/5/2023 there is not one full review by any well know / credible MC UA-cam reviewer. In any case, always great reviews found at Big Rock Moto Ian, thanks.
It’s fascinating; low ground clearance is commonly noted as a bikes limitation; yet I rarely/never see videos where a bike is so low slung that it becomes a limiting factor.
Ian put a hole in his oil pan on his KTM 890 adventure which is for sure a higher riding bike than this so I think it's just gonna happen no matter what, that's why a proper skid plate is a must on ANY bike
In Europe the MM is the same price as the cb500...although prettier (IMO) its a hard sell...and for 2k more you reach transalp and vstrom 800 (a little more) prices I have no problem with chinese products but to earn their space (in my wallet at least) they have to do what the japanese did in the 70's...better products at lower prices
EDIT: My bike was an early USA model... and details were still being sorted out. A few things that Moto Morini clarified for me post-production. Front suspension travel is 6.9 inches, not 6.3. Rear is 6.5, not 5.6. Weight is actually 514, not 520. Rear preload is adjustable without shock removal. They also pointed out that due to the closed cartridge forks, making some adjustments with compression clickers will make more difference that expected and can help with the bottoming. It's my fault for not taking more time during testing to adjust and re-test. Thanks.
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If China was in a better spot economically & politically; yes I'd look at a kove. But China is flexing their military looking to start a war, a few of their politicians have been unalived and just about every loan China gave out to poor countries being defaulted on. I'm cautious buying any big ticket from built in China stuff. I have no idea what raw material they can get that is of quality we should expect. Before covid I would've said yes.
Chinese market evolved from only manufacturing into both developing/designing as well as manufacturing (which they now use Vietnamese labor). They have a professional economy now but Americans just stay bitter
If they are as good as some of the Chjinese scooter-mopets I would stay far away from them. Plastic is bad fitting, absolute not service friendly, electronics is very bad in quality. Almost everything is plastic (even things you do not want to be plastic) A friend has 2 of them (Because they constant refuse to run) and I helped him a few times because electronics is my field of expertise, and those are also bad. But at least motor cycles in the USA are probably good test before they are allowed to be sold so they will be safe and Chinese can build good things if there is quality control done by a non-Chinese company and they produce for export, production for internal use is often even worse (and sold via things like Ali-expres, and many A-branded parts are just fake, they even fake their own Z- grade stuff ;-) )
@@kayoedowner6711 Chinese electronics is even worse as most consumers think, number of fakes are huge and they go very far. I have see a batch of IGBTs where they cut of the legs of used ones, point-weld new ones, polish them, sand of the type marking and replace it by a more expensive one, and we talk about parts that cost less as a dollar. (I have seen many more )
At this moment I guess most of the parts sold via Ali expres or direct from other Chinees sources , are fakes. Many of the gadgets is just dangerous and will last very short. Specs are made up and often at least half of what they publish. (I am an EE and I do rather specialised electronics board repair)
No. There is no perfect nation. But giving money to Chinese business is giving money to the CCP, which is one of the worst governments on the face of the planet.
Other options exist.
I have loved Morini Motos for a long time. I visited their Museum in Pesaro Italy a few years ago. A wonderful history. As for made in China. Who cares? All the components of most Motos are made all over the world these days. Looks like a great bike!
👉Would you buy an iPhone despite it's made in China? As already written, the bike is developed in Italy and built in China, like Nike, Converse, and even Ray Ban sunglasses
The frame and engine are cfmoto copy of the er6 / ninja 650. So it's really a Chinese clone of a Japanese bike more than it is Italian - IMO of course
5,500 RPM at 80 mph. This is the MOST important part of a motorcycle review: the gear ratios and engine vibration. The gear ratios are NEVER talked about in 99.99% of motorcycle reviews, as if riders forget that your fuel mileage, vibration, engine noise, and fatigue level on the highway, are all determined by having properly tall final drive gear ratios. MOST motorcycles have the wrong gear ratios, are all of the ADV bikes are geared way too low. It's a relief to see that the Moto Morini X-Cape 650cc might have the best gear ratios of any of the bikes.
5,500 rpm is still a bit too high. I’d like to see 3,500 - 4,000.
@@rightwingsafetysquad9872 5500 at 80 mph is a wonderful result for this bike and engine. You can check other bikes in the category and then you will see... can check my content too. Cheers.
Great review, Ian. My wife and I almost fell off the couch laughing at you and Maggie! Seriously, great work, and thanks for providing quality content.
Glad you enjoyed it
Your wife just made my day🤣
"Just like me" - ok, that deserves a like!
edit: you always know when it's an italian design, because they look good! Same goes with Benelli, for example.
Don't really know about reliability / service life though...
I have this bike and so far it’s been amazing a little under powered but great quality for the money and dose everything I need
Iam on a Facebook page in the uk , and there has been no issues with these bikes , one rider Nathan millward has put over 7000 miles on his travelling around the uk Cornwall to Scotland, and uk to spain. He rides his bikes hard , and its giving him zero issues. Everyone on that page thats riding one is a happy customer. These bikes along with cf moto , voge , are proving they can make a competitively priced well built bike , the question is will it last 30k +
Another great video! A local dealership had a demo day last week, the bike looks great in person. Took for a 15 minute ride around town so not very thorough but my thoughts; felt easy to ride, comfortable riding position, great digital dash, brakes felt strong, seems like an incredible value. Transmission wasn’t as positive feeling, I ride a Versys 1000. Overall seems like a great option. I hope they do well.
"I'm designed in Germany, and made in the USA" wifey: "okay..." she has put up with you for a while, hasn't she :D
Hi Ian. Great review. I've had an X-Cape here in the UK for just under two years and about 9000 miles. I swapped a Guzzi V85TT for it. I prefer the Morini of the two. Just more enjoyable to ride. I find it a more engaging road bike. Both equally limited off road. I've not had any major problems with it. The quality seems good and no signs of wear and tear. I've had a few engine management lights flicker on but have cleared themselves. It once cut out in Ireland and restarted in heavy rain. Haven't needed to order parts for it bar the oil filter, which seems to be a unique fitment for the Morini, which seems a bit odd given the engine's origins. All in all I like it. But we've just got the Benelli TRK702X which has 10bhp more and is officially £500 less. Tough market in the mid capacity sector.
I bought a V85TT after considering and testing various motorcycles, including the X-cape. The only reason I can think of why you sold the Guzzi for the Morini is that you
really needed the cash....
@@nickzourb190It was a direct swap for a two year old guzzi for a brand new morini. So no, I didn't need the cash.
@@nathanthepostman The Morini isn't bad, it's stable , has good wind protection, good brakes, suspension, it's beautifully designed etc. But it's a second grade bike, plastics feel cheap, metals look of mediocre quality, engine was emitting more heat in the winter than the Guzzi in the summer etc. And the quality of the handmade Guzzi is second to none.
What did you see in the Morini that made it a better choice than the V85TT for you?
@@nickzourb190 the guzzi feels a more premium bike than the morini, no doubt about it. I had troubles with a drive shaft leak in the early days and I lost the master key which was going to be over £1k to replace. So I didn't gel with the ownership experience and I just didn't gel with it as a bike to ride. Lots of character but for the weight it lacked some performance and I couldn't help but feel for the money a second hand gs1200 would have done everything better, held its value better been cheaper to service (from experience of owning a gs1200 it was). I liked the guzzi but never loved it. The morini I admire as it's much better than I anticipated and I find I have more fun on it. Objectively I think they're both sub par bikes but subjectivity I prefer riding the Morini.
@@nathanthepostman Well it is better build with better quality materials, better fit and finish etc. Also, the shaft issue was common on first bikes. Warranty fixed. Either overfill with oil or a faulty seal. About the master key, didn't you have the code ? Looks like the dealership was the issue, not the bike. And maintenance is actually the cheapest you can get for a premium 850cc bike. About the R1200GS, maybe you compare Guzzi dealership service vs indie mechanic work on the BMW?
But yes, really enjoyed riding the Morini as well.... You should have given the Guzzi another chance with another dealership though. Just my opinion.
i just purchased this bike about a month ago, it is my every day bike as my Multistrada V4 S is an expensive every day ride, i feel that i got a great deal and i feel its a good bang for your buck, still early but for around $7k i got the bike with all 3 cases so i decided to give it a try, before i had a V-Strom 650 and a KLR 650 and this bike feels better than both, on road it is smooth and comfortable, sure it has things i dont like but again ill take it over the KLR and the Baby V Strom.
I watch bits and pieces of the adventure bike reviews but I watch the whole reviews of bikes 300cc and smaller. I love Ian's review on the KLX230. He was having laugh out loud fun off road. I'm done with adventure bikes over 400 pounds. The compromise on tires alone is too great. They are sketchy on wet roads while mediocre at best off road. I'd seriously rather tow a little dirt bike or dual sport with a touring bike. That's closer to the best of both worlds. But a smaller bike will get me anywhere on he backroads. The highways are boring anyways. To me, I ride for fun and if I wanted to try a made in China bike for off road adventures I'd get an XR150 for a few thousand and push its limits and have laugh out loud fun instead of a crap my my pants experience on something twice as heavy.
100%
You need to expand your riding environment beyond the over 55 RV park…
I live in mountains. Anyone who rides can get further into the wild on an XT250 than a 1250GS.
Exactly what I did. I lived where Ian does here, it was dual sport paradise with all the mnt and desert trails. Went from a Tiger 800xcx to a KLX250 < and the cheapest bike I ever bought new was 100% most fun I ever had out there. I had Border Patrol asking how the hell i got into where I did, LOL. Riding around town, back roads, trucking to offroad is best move I ever made
Went with a Himalayan as first learner bike, this was a close second.
My reason was parts easier to get for Himalayan plus 2k less...(found out adv gear needed + camping stuff comes to about the price diff😉)
If you're not doing highway miles the Himalayan is the better choice imo.
@@chrispekel5709 So far had no probs on motorways...70 ish..
P.s no speed demon sure😉
Moved to France in 2019 from Canada. Brought my Ducati 1200 Multi Enduro with me.
Long story short. Will cost half the price of the Ducati to have it licensed here and then to add insult to injury: French admin does not recognize Canadian motorcycle license !!!
So… as no one was going to stop me riding I passed my test here…. Yes all of it!! Now I’m a young rider again 😛🤪😂
So I have to drive a 47.5hp bike for 2 years 🤪
My local Ducati dealer hear in SW France also sells (amongst other makes) Moto Morini….
So here I am riding a Moto Morini X-Cape for now almost a year.
Engine light came on in first week on the bike… broke down completely 200m from the dealership.
Got a loaner bike and the whole electronic system was changed. Not good.
However… now the have 16000km on the bike. Mostly traveling 2up ( my wife loves traveling on the back but not so keen to drive her own).
We’ve driven up and through the Pyrenees and the Alps loaded with camping gear etc.
Can’t fault it since the first problems had. Touch wood it’s now perfect.
It’s not my Ducati of course… but I have a lot of fun in the French countryside twisties.
Almost hate to say this. But it’s growing on me. I will see what I get into in a year when I’ve finished my probation period…. maybe the new 1200 Morini?? 😁
Love your content… always excellent info.
Great review as always, but I say no thanks. Great warranty, but where are the dealers, do they know the bike well enough to work on it? Parts suppliers? I can’t always avoid China, but when I can, I do. Not a fan.
Looks like a better Versys 650. Seems like it was really hard not to blurt out “this bike sucks off road” during the off road segment. 😅
The bike has a great design. Apart form being too heavy and having a bit budget suspension it is a great value for the money. I didn't read a lot of negatives about it. :) Great video Ian, just like always. In depth and that is something that is really appreciated. :) Cheers.
We fled Cuba and know communism personally. Even though it's tough to do in this day and age, I do everything possible not to support a communist regime.
Where's Your smartphone made at? Your TV? Every electronic device You own? Will You throw all those through the window if they're made in China?
@BobSaint please re-read the part "even though it's tough to do" When I have a choice or can do without, I do my best not to support communism
I feel like that would be considered a good 80% paved/20% light off-road bike, given it's suspension specs. I looked up all the specs online and I see a 19" front and both spoke wheels are tubeless! I think that's about perfect. I feel like I'd still go Japanese at the end of the day, for most of the reasons you've listed: Unknown long-term reliability and dealership network. As always, great review with tons of attention to detail! I always appreciate your comprehensive content!
No I wouldn't buy one . I like to feel proud of any bike that I ride and own and ,for me, that rules out Chinese made motorcycles or any motorcycle with a major Chinese component .
China's track record politically and humanitarian is terrible and I see no reason to support that by major purchases on my behalf . Word on the street from the UK is that the bikes are heavy , crude and unreliable . A dealer friend describes Chinese bikes as " price point motorcycles , meaning cheap . Purchase price is only one factor in the cost of ownership .
Just how well they retain their trade in value remains to be seen , but I suspect that unless you buy another MM you are going to lose a bundle .
BTW I adore Italian bikes , but only the ones made in Italy by Italian craftsmen .
Quality is one thing. China is already beating us up with other products.. I think it’s a matter of patriotism. Do we want to make China even stronger or not? 🤷🏽
I’ll remember your words of wisdom when I enter my local BMW dealership and while puking my brains out at their grossly over and virtually unaffordably priced products for the average motorcycle consumer…
And some bmw engines are Chinese 🧐
@@BERZERKERSV4 🤣
BMW mororcycle parts and engines, KTM 790 adv, 90% of your home devices, all mobile phones, my Volvo....etc.are all made in China. Sell the patriotism story to someone else.
KTM makes the 390 ADV in India and the Philippines, Honda makes the CB500X in Thailand - there are other similar examples. There are no budget friendly ADV bikes made in the USA AFAIK.
Unfortunately, we can likely look forward to more and more motorcycles being made in China and other low cost labour markets, it's how manufacturers can offer these bikes at a reasonable price point and still make a profit.
More Maggie
Hi there I have one and love it iv down sized from 1200 1400 due to age and weight of bike just done Ireland 2k miles next Morocco Egypt via Italy hope this helps
I dont want to support China.
And I know a guy who waited more than 6 months for a crucial part from China.
Cheap now, but the resell value will fall.
This is great looking bike. But quality and practicality is on a slightly different level than known brands.
No way was the Moto Morini brand worth $10m! I guess maybe it meant something to whoever owned the brand time, but i doubt there's more than a few dozen out there with any kind of attachment to the brand who would be likely to buy a brand new made in China adventure bike. Maybe I'm young and missed the boat on some classic Moto Morini bikes but they could habe come up with a new brand and logo for far less than $10m...
Hi, I noticed your navigation is selectable. Just curious, since it is not in Europe. Something to do with mirroring restrictions of apps on vehicle screens. How does this work for you? Enjoyed this review very much. I have this model since 2022 and so far so good.
Seriously considered this bike but I’m still leaning T7 because of off-road.
They certainly got the looks right, shes a beauty. I don't mind that its made in China, the engine just wouldn't float my boat, otherwise i like it
What about the bike though?
@@SWTrailsAndWheels😆
It's really cool that your reviews include the pillions opinion since its also one of the important factors that many buyers consider ! Thank you Ian and hoping you continue with this very nice reviews!!
Hey Ian you missed the trick of raising the windscreen. There's a place to put your thumb at the top of the slide, then it's really easy to do it one handed
I've tried this engine out on a Versys and found no joy in it. Am I crazy?
Just too heavy, I would go for CB500X instead.
The reality is the 500x is marketed to the residents of the above 55 Trailer Park crowd…it’s a play bike… a toy
@@BERZERKERSV4 Fortunately I didn't know what it is marketed to so I have driven stock (2017?) CB500X with stock tyres in terrain that many will never go. Let's keep this our secret, it keeps the used prices down. 😊
@@BERZERKERSV4raid rally cb500x kit has entered the chat
@@BERZERKERSV4says someone who has never owned a CB500X. If you listened to the video, Ian compared the X Cape to the CB500X and noted that the suspension on the 2022/2023 CB500X is better. It's also 80 lbs lighter. I'll definitely take my 2022 CB500X over the X Cape all day long, for the type of riding I do.
I took my trailer park, toy Honda CB500x on a three month, 13,000 mile ,wild camping trip around Scandinavia this summer, with a two week trip around the Alps tagged onto the end. I changed my oil twice and my tyres once.
It was faultless throughout the trip and I never saw the check engine light once.
Great review as always, but the problems with this motorcycle are glaring and are going to stop most in their tracks- A 520lb 650cc made in China bike with almost no dealer network in the states. I think this bike is doomed from the get-go.
Dealer network is steadily growing!
KTM needs to hire that design team . . .
I think KTM has forged their market on love it or hate it styling. They'll keep doing what works
True. KTM bikes look like insects invading from space.😮
Agreed!
I test-rode it and the absolute dealbreaker was the silly excessive heat coming from the right side. It is by far, the hottest running bike I ever rode, especially when it comes to off road riding where the speeds and air is not enough to keep it low. It was a big fat no for me.
Thanks for posting~ I live in Las Vegas & it's very hot for about 6 months out of the year. I just don't get why so many manufacturers release motorcycles with horrible heat management problems. I'm looking for a new bike to replace my aging VFR800, based on this criterion, it looks like two finalists are the new Transalp 800 & Yamaha Tracer 900GT~ different bikes, but both run cool. I'm just waiting to see if Yamaha will release a Tenere 900.
That's weird, been riding this bike for more than a year, never experienced that.
Interesting! I rode one in Dallas, TX yesterday (97F) and had no issues with heat. Also, per the dealer, the check engine/starting issue has been rectified ( I asked).
I’m sick of hearing these Chinese bikes engines are based on reliable Japanese motors. Great, until the check engine light comes on and you find out the engine components are made of milk bottle tops and Kit Kat wrappers.
And butter metal!
Great review. I would be hesitant to commute everyday, beat on it since it isn’t a proven name. Hey price point sells bikes and for the money it isn’t a bad deal. Not something I would buy tho , but if times get worse for me then I won’t say never. I like the vstrom 800 right now….hell I just got a KLR-S model & it’s fine. Leaves me wanting more juice at times, gets a bit boring but I knew that.
Did you figure out why you have a check engine light?
Buy a lightly used Vstrom 650. 😉
I thought US regs states the low beam must be on at all times while the motorcycle is on? Is this a manufacture demo?
As for this Moto Morini (great machine/ great value), I would always have in the back in mind the thought that if does have a problem, how long would it take to fix/ get parts, same goes for KTM, Husqvarna, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta to name a few, that's why I typically get BMW's (when something does go wrong, I've found it usually takes 3/4 days to get parts, YMMV)
They have a full parts inventory in Irvine, CA
The X-Cape is actually designed and developed in Morini's factory in Italy, and in my opinion the styling looks good. Production is in China. A bit too heavy and underpowered for my liking, but glad to see some more affordable options in the ADV space
He said that it was lol
Sure, you bet! 😂
"In October 2018 Zhongneng Vehicle Group acquires the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Moto Morini for 10 million euros, pledging to maintain production and plants in Italy."
ahahah wondrful intro .. 🙂
Hey great video, love the content! Can you or anyone in the comments provide any opinions for Taureg 660 vs Vstorm 800DE?
Really good review IAN! You are improving every month! Your organisation and structure keeps improving and you cover more issues. Well done. Personally, I would not buy that bike. If I wanted to go offroad just a little, I'd buy a V-Strom 650 XT. If I wanted mostly a road bike, a Versys would win every time, in spite of the price. For more off road, a 800 DE or a Transalp wins every time! This is for a guy on a budget, who is not too far from a dealer and trusts the warranty. It might turn out really good or not, but he is close to a dealer.
The first thing I notice is that horrible 2012 era muffler that just looks non-symetrical and awful. It's a beautiful motorcycle, but that stock muffler just isn't acceptable. The Harley Pan America has the best looking muffler on any of the bikes, as well as the Honda Transalp.
If MM had greater dealer network, this bike or the Ibex 800 would be in my garage in a heartbeat… between the MG V85TT and the X Scape, they are by far the best looking “ADV” bikes by far….great review… BTW , I purchases a V85TT in late July 2023 and just completed a 6000 mile , 6 week cross country trek from Daytona to Cedar City Utah, mainly 2 lane roads, some highway droning and a fair making of fire road trial riding…. The V85TT was flawless… zero mechanical issues .. thank you MotoPlex Daytona..
As a side note, excellent new “dimension” to your reviews by showing access to critical bike components…you should also consider, when comparing competitors, a dealer OTD price….that reality check is why these bikes will be making serious inroads in the US market…
Yeah, I'd like to see Ian do a full V85TT review. It makes more power than this, weighs less, and has more suspension travel. I got my V85TT Travel for just over 11k USD OTD and for that price I can't think of anything that comes close to competing. I've only had it for a bit but will be doing my first longer ride on it this weekend, I'm sure it'll perform great.
@@trevorkarrett3041
Excellent choice… as mentioned my go to long distance travel bike for the last 10 years was a 2013 GSA Oil Head…. but when I test rode a 2023 K1600B and GSA 1250… there was no way on God’s green earth that I could justify spending spending $30k on a 10 year old platform that has been mildly “refreshed” over the years… as for those who do… they are damn fools because the Latest greatest BMW models have progressed to the point of only being bragging points at the local pub and that’s it….As for the V85TT… I could not be happier adding it to my fleet ..
@@trevorkarrett3041VT85TT is more "classic" than u expect 😊
@@podunkman2709 Not sure why you think that? It feels like a bike that has every bit of modern convenience and a great modern chassis, with a classic powerplant/drive system, that still makes modern power with modern efficiency. There's no shaft jacking, the engine/shaft should be super reliable, and the electronics package is good too. I put nearly 500 miles on it this weekend and it was great. Wind protection is the only thing I'd like to improve but every ADV bike has the same problem, and if not then it's probably a touring bike.
Agree with you that this X-Cape and the V85TT are some of the best looking bikes in this class ( I would add the Tracer 700/7) and considering both. The V85 secondhand costs about a 1000 EUR more still than a brand new X-Cape. I lean towards the secondhand MG though.
I’ve seen loads of reviews on this bike, it kind of grows on me. This review is one of the best, thnx!
Ian: "The check engine light came on." (Keeps riding.)
On a reviewer loan bike. That tells me what I need to know. Reliability is way more important than price to me. Particularly with not a single dealer in my state. Warranty, even if honored, means nothing when it's 5 hours each way to a dealer.
"That tells me what I need to know.", So virtually NOTHING is good enough for you, why did you even post ?
Thanks for the video, but you lost me at "manufactured in China." That's also where KTM has lost me.
I own a CF MOTO and my experience is that the Chinese manufacturers can achieve pretty good mechanical quality but they are way behind on electronics and quality of service, as well as parts availability etc., so yeah, I totally understand and will soon trade mine in for a Japanese bike...
@@guyh282 At least you knew your CF MOTO was made of Chineseum before you bought it. Moto Morini is marketing this bike as an Italian product, intentionally concealing that it's made in China. KTM is doing the same, marketing their bikes as Austrian, while concealing that they're manufactured in China. At least Harley-Davidson has the honesty to no longer call their bikes "American Made." (They're made in India.) That hasn't reduced the prices on KTMs at all, while the level of quality has fallen precipitously. Guerilla profiteering at its worst.
@@advhawk6455something happened during and after corona and people got mad with greed I can't understand it :/
@@advhawk6455The KTM 390 lineup is made in India and the Philippines, the new 790 ADV is made in China by CF Moto. Other than that, I'm pretty sure their larger and more expensive bikes are still made in Austria
@@guyh282behind on electronics? The 2016 onwards all use Bosch with continental abs, no issues at all. Do you have the early ones? They were a bit shonky in that respect
3yr warranty is useless if there is 0 dealer network to work on them. The places that sell these are small shops that sell used motorcycles and they don't know anything these bikes
China is where Japan used to be. Once thought as low quality Japanese products are now highly sought for their quality. China is the same, they are , now producing more and more quality products
Hello Ian great channel congrats.
When you would compare this Bike with CB 500x and V Strom 650 XT witch one your prefer for all in all Action as a Switzerland Knife.
Have a good ride
The bike business, at least on the ADV side, is doing the same exact thing the American car business has done for years, often to their determent, maybe not in sales but certainly in reputation. The bike manufacturers, (BMW, Ducati, KTM, Husky, CFMoto, Moto Morini, Triumph, Harley, ect., ect.....all except the Japanese) are focusing on 3 things. Power, styling and gizmos. None of the above are putting a 100% emphasis of reliability, especially those like the Chinese and the Austrian bikes. Its ALL bells and whistles, meant to appeal to an emotional buyer that wants to be seen on the "baddest of the bad" adv bike.... (150hp??...wtf??) Very similar to the American auto industry since the 1990's and the current RV market. It's all about the glitz with no bones. It's all about IMAGE. It has effectively ruined the sales numbers and the reputation of the American auto industry (when compared to Honda, Toyota and Subaru), and is in the process of ruining most of the RV manufacturer's reputation....and I'm sure those manufacturers like KTM, ect., are in the process of losing sales due to THEIR reputation of being over-bloated pigs with reliability issues. People are starting to wake up in this market and quickly figuring out a 550lb, 150hp, $20,000 adv bike that can't make it down a sandy jeep 2 track isn't worth it any longer. Just something to consider.
I like this. I have a 2024 CF Moto Built KTM 790 ADV and I would consider this Moto Marini as a second bike. It’s a lot of bike for the money. CF Moto is going to make some waves in the market in the next 10 years. They do a good job at making quality bikes for a good price even if they are based off of other manufacturers engine designs.
That KLR stock photo made me snort laugh. Great work.
its strange how different are the prices between countries.this bike is 0.8k more expensive than cb500x, 1.3k cheaper than vstrom 650xt, 4k cheaper than a vstrom800de, 3.4k cheaper than a t7, same for xl750, klr650 not in europe.so,it is a cheap bike....
Just viewed this again since I have been looking at alternatives to Honda/Suzuki/Yamaha.... Test rode one yesterday and while it was a nice ride, it felt very ho hum. I was able to keep up with the dealer on his Triumph 1200 but it was a chore.
Know a guy who owns an x-cape, as well as other biles that fall under ADV. He uses this for easier offroad as well as commuting and general use. Rides this bike the most almost daily. I do know he has put over 12,000 miles in its first year, not one issue. Its not designeed for heavy offroad, it does make a great bike for easy off road, twisties and commuting on road, powerful enough to handle most riding environments and it has a reliable motor and looks great, and not expensive. It is what it is.
Late to the game, but did you ever find out what caused the check engine light to come on?
For me it would be more compelling if it was substantially lighter given it's displacement. It's only 20 lbs lighter than my 1250GS.
It will be interesting to see how the dealership network plays out and what the market thinks of it a year or two later.
Excellent review. It's a great looking bike and a great start into the adv market.
Does anyone have this motorcycle? Any problems? Gow is the quality of the plastic fairings? They make sounds? The n lose the colour? Does the bike loooks cheiap?
Back in 2006 I bought a 250cc Badged Q Link scooter made by CF Moto. about a year after buying the scooter the dealer went out of business. Have been unable to sell or find someone to work on it so it has sat in a shed in my backyard ever since. That would be why I would not buy one. It is not like buying a Honda where if your dealer goes out of business there are many more around so it is a safe buy. Not so with this.
definitely the most thorough reviews on UA-cam
I don't have a problem in owning a china bike but the problem with them (aside from the elephant in the room which is reliability) is dealer, parts, and third party support but if I'm gonna buy i would buy a cfmoto
I bought an off brand bike ( In terms of the North American market ). The bike itself was excellent, but after a few years all the sources of parts evaporated. I wound up buying a Suzuki which is what I should have done in the first place. I wound up junking a still sound bike with 37000 km on it because parts and service were no longer available. If I had been in Europe, no problem; but this isn't Europe.
Your the only reviewer mentioned the weight difference which is a big deal of course in wind on highway that's a positive nice looking bike
Sounds like a bargain for sure. However, you couldn't even give me that bike. Nice review as always ❤
Yeah, I'm sure you wouldn't take it if someone left it to you 😂
@@chrispekel5709 I turned down a 2021 Hyabussa a couple of years ago. Moto Bob couldn't even belive I said I wasn't interested. I have a 2024 mt10 sp on order
This is a sweet looking bike. They should put some more suspension and 21/18 wheels and call it just the adventure
235 kg!!?? A Tiger 900 with 1 more cylinder and larger frame is lighter. That makes no sense.
Great styling looks good. But chineese so no secon hand value, questioneble quality, no dealer network warranty seems good but has anyone used it?
Is it almost the same weight as the new R1300GS ?
yes
Lots of bike parts are made in China. Reporters always have to mention China, as if everything they wear and consume isn't
For daily use and allroad riding, would you buy this X-Cape or the CB500x??
Pretty honest bike and a great honest review. I'm thinking a bit too heavy, slow and desparately needs longer legs. Brilliant value though.
Disagree on the power, you really don't need more. It's nice but not required unless you like breaking laws. But too heavy I agree, could lose 30 pounds
Excellent real world review, as usual, thank you.
I have a 2016 Africa Twin. From profile it looks pretty similar.
Hi from New Zealand. Here in NZ they come restricted. Does anyone know if these can be derestricted and how?
You're bottoming it out a lot. Did you try to adjust the suspension to fix it? It IS fully adjustable.
seems the italian have a real problem- not able to build motorcycles in their beautiful country anymore- shame !! .
The parallel twin sounds like poo poo… cheap … 270 degree like the Aprilia or T7… that is the way to go…
I'm still not sure about the bike but I definitely want a Chinese wife now. Maybe my German wife will let me get one as a treat
Moto Morini are owned by a Chinese company, but they are still assembled in Itay.
Interesting bike. Shame it's as heavy as my porky NC750x DCT. May have to go check one out near me if I get a chance. Lots of pretty nice standard features, but maybe this is more of a road bike styled to look like an ADV? You're bottoming out *hard* at 11-12mph indicated on some of those ruts. That's a bike that's up for gravel roads at best IM crummy opinion.
Hello gentlemen and ladies, I changed the stickers from Moto Morini X-cape to Kawasaki Rally Touring 6.5 and with that simple act, the bike went from 7 thousand to 10 thousand Euros/dollars. Of course everyone was happy saying, this new Kawasaki RT is an excellent machine with design and finish.
Things are like this and not otherwise. The Morini Xcape is a very good machine, very pretty and at an excellent quality/price. It has a large amount of details that other more expensive brands do not incorporate into their base models.
This motorcycle has been sufficiently tested in its first year of commercial life, (Magazines, motorcycle testers, fans, dealers, youtubers) and the answer is that there are no known faults. A very large number of distributors throughout Europe.
But if you really (really) need more than 60 HP, maybe this is not your bike. If you need a sportRR, this is not your bike. If you want a 100% enduro-rally, this is not your bike. All this is easy to understand, but then why do people insist on comparing with Africa Twin, Tiger 900, KTM 890 rally and others motorcycles more than twice the price of the X-cape??.
The commercial results of the (Chinese /Italian) Moto Morinior Benelli brands are so good in Europe that it has forced brands such as Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Honda to make deep price offers for a similar range of models.
This is something like a little kick in the balls to the imperturbable Japanese brands 🤣🤣.
Without a doubt, all this finally benefits biker customers 👏👏👍
Ilive in europe sweden, hav not seen any price cuts from the japanese or the european brands. All these cheaper chinese biles is no where to be found,
If we count only the countries of the EU, there are at least 27. But if we count all of Europe, there are many more. Dealer Local offers or price reductions on Japanese trail models of similar range, for example (Versys 650 with a gift of side cases, €8,400), or Suzuki Strom 650, €7,975, (these are prices that maybe not have in all countries, but in countries where sales of motorcycles such as Benelli, Moto Morini, QJ Motor, have been more successfull, such as Italy, France, Spain, Greece, others. In Italy, 1000 units of Benelli Trk 702 were sold in just 1 month. This was similar example to Moto Morini X-cape 650.
I live in Spain, and indeed although I have both Benelli and Morini stores just a couple of kilometers from my house (I have tested both), on the contrary it is not easy to see these bikes parked in the middle of the street.
At the moment it is normal, Moto Morini X-cape has only been on sale for 1 year. Likewise, I have not seen any new Honda Transalp 750 parked on the street and Honda store is 1.5 km from my house.
Also live in Europe and see zero price cuts that you speak of. And certainly not because if a supposed fear of Chinese bikes. I wish you were right though! I wish they would some price cuts, would be very welcome because prices are high. Also... I dont see many of these Moto Morini's on the road, in the last year I have seen 2 Benelli's, 1 beautiful blue CF Moto MT650 and 1 guy has a Voge 500 adv bike. I'm sure MM is also sold but...clearly its all in very limited numbers despite what you suggest, for all the Chinese owned brands I mean, not just MM.
It’s about time there’s someone building bikes at a more affordable price, I’m in Ireland were bikes are a ridiculous price, for gs adventure starting price is €21,000 standard before options Ducati multi is €25000 standard, so I welcome this affordable motorcycles coming to the market
What are you talking about??.....the Suzuki 800DE is very close in price in your country (Ireland) as it is in my country (USA) at 12,850 vs 11,500. Not that much of a difference and a far cry from the 21k for a GSA BMW.
1st time i even heard avout this bike was yesterday. A local shop carries them
39:00 "no driving allowed after wine or drugs" lol
Yeah so pretty clear that ur fine after beer ;🎉😂👍🏻
Nice review! Did you ever figure out the engine warning light and negative temperature report? It looks a bit worrying.
The engine warning light might have been triggered from that big suspension hit?
My wife dropped ours (luckily it has crash bars), and it brought up the light. Cycle the key and it went away.
@@mofm1639 What do you mean 'cycle the key'?
Ian
Another excellent review! Interesting motorcycle for the price. Their mountain to climb is, as you said, establishing a dealer network. You can't sell a motorcycle without exposure.
Mannequin approved video Sir! 👍👍
jokes are all good until you get bleach in your coffee.. ;)
Good review however for the bigger bloke of +100 KG - 220 LBS plus gear that is going to be a proverbial PIA as bottoming out will drive you nuts IMO..
The point of an Adventure bike is to take it off road and if it bottoms out on any bump or whoop then it is a hard no for my money.
If you going to have a pavement princess then a road bike is a better option IMO.
Off topic but I wish you could obtain the new Honda Adv160 scooter to put it thru your review format. This would great because as of 10/5/2023 there is not one full review by any well know / credible MC UA-cam reviewer. In any case, always great reviews found at Big Rock Moto Ian, thanks.
It’s fascinating; low ground clearance is commonly noted as a bikes limitation; yet I rarely/never see videos where a bike is so low slung that it becomes a limiting factor.
Ian put a hole in his oil pan on his KTM 890 adventure which is for sure a higher riding bike than this so I think it's just gonna happen no matter what, that's why a proper skid plate is a must on ANY bike
Exactly my point
@@TheMehlvinI've never put a hole on any road bike ever. You mean on any bike that's going to be used off-road?
You know they can’t play cricket in china because they ate all the bats.
In Europe the MM is the same price as the cb500...although prettier (IMO) its a hard sell...and for 2k more you reach transalp and vstrom 800 (a little more) prices
I have no problem with chinese products but to earn their space (in my wallet at least) they have to do what the japanese did in the 70's...better products at lower prices
Are you going to test some chinese brands like QJ,Zontes and Benelli?