Moto Morini
Moto Morini might be a famous Italian name, but the current iteration of the brand is Chinese-owned and perhaps that's why the company made relatively little fuss about the EICMA show in Milan. But just because there was nothing new on display doesn't mean the company hasn't got big plans for the future - new design registrations show that the firm's Bialbero CorsaCorta V-twin engine is set to make a comeback in a new, big adventure bike.
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Morini's range is currently made up of 650 cc twins, the X-Cape adventure bike and Seiemmezzo roadster (available in two forms in 2023, the alloy-wheeled STR and the scrambler-inspired, wire-wheeled SCR). However, the 1,187 cc V-twin engine that relaunched the Moto Morini brand in 2003 looks set to be reborn in a new model, seen in these pictures.
The engine is familiar, but the bike seen in these new designs isn't. Featuring a new chassis - part alloy, part steel tube frame - and bodywork sharing a family resemblance to the X-Cape, the next-generation Morini V-twin ticks all the right boxes for a large adventure tourer.
It will be entering the toughest of markets, though. Sales of big adventure models might remain at an all-time high, but such is the domination of BMW's R1250GS - a bike that's set to be reinvented for 2024 as the R1300GS (with an all-new chassis and reworked engine) - any new challenger will have to work hard to earn a slice of the ADV space.
