Still styling itself as an historic Italian motorcycle brand, Moto Morini has entered the US market with a new American headquarters in Irvine, Calfornia. From this edifice, the company says it is already accepting dealer applications and hiring dealer development and product support personnel.
Stateside trade press publicity associated with the launch claims: “Moto Morini brings decades of master craftsmanship, exceptional Italian design, premium quality and unparalleled performance to the US with a portfolio of motorcycles to meet and exceed the demands of today’s riders on and off the road.”
However, this communication appears to be somewhat economical with the verité. Nowhere does it mention Moto Morini became an oriental entity in 2018, bought for £8.9m by the Zhejiang-domiciled Zhongneng Vehicle Group. This Chinese motorcycle and scooter manufacturer mainly operates under the Znen brand but also makes rebadged versions of it products for export. UK Lexmoto dealers will be familiar with retro Tommy scooters of Znen provenance.
To be fair, parent Zhongneng says its Moto Morini subsidiary is based in Milan and has an assembly plant in nearby Trivolzio. But full antecedents have yet to be made explicit for American consumption.