Moto Morini has a new importer

It might now be owned by the Chinese Zhongneng Vehicle Group, but the Italian Moto Morini brand is close to the hearts of many older readers. The firm gained a reputation for interesting technology from its small-bore 350 and 500 V-twins in the 1970s, which featured a unique Heron-type cylinder head design and gave outstanding, if expensive, performance for the day. But the company suffered from financial woes and collapsed in the late 1980s, before being sold to Cagiva. A resurgence with new owners in the early 2000s saw a new range of high-performance V-twins using a new Bialbero CorsaCorta 1200 engine, but the firm failed again in 2009, before returning in 2018 under new Chinese ownership. Its R&D department remains in Milan, with manufacturing in China, combining premium European design with low-cost production facilities.

Moto Morini has now announced a new UK importer. Lancashire-based company Moto73 – a sister firm to MotoGB – has taken over the brand from its previous distributor, MotoMondo, and is bringing in a range of four models. The flagship model is the X-Cape 1200 adventure tourer, using the latest 129bhp version of the 1200 V-twin, while there are two 700 models: the Calibro cruiser and X-Cape 700 adventure bike, both with a 70bhp parallel twin. The entry-level bike is the horribly monikered ‘AlltrHike’ adventure machine, a 450cc twin making 45bhp.

Moto73 says it’s looking to continue working with current Moto Morini dealers, while also expanding the network through new partnerships. The firm’s general manager, Matt Kay, said: “Moto Morini is enjoying a major renaissance under the stewardship of the Zhongneng Vehicle Group and is effectively executing a ‘Designed in Italy, Built in China’ strategy to offer quality motorcycles to the market with a unique flair. The existing Moto Morini UK dealer network is a passionate and knowledgeable one, and Moto73 looks forward to speaking with them as well as looking to create new opportunities for riders to access this iconic brand and its exciting product range.”

More information is available at www.moto73.co.uk