RIDE REVIEW I 2023 MOTO MORINI X-CAPE
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Moto Morini was founded
two years before the start of
the Second World War in 1937
and was a mainstay in the Eu-
ropean motorcycling scene for
generations. But, like many of
the names of the time, it failed
to make an impact outside its
homeland and gradually fell
from the riding conscious
-
ness until, in 2018, the Chinese
came calling.
The Zhongneng Vehicle
Group may not mean much to
Americans, but they're a big
deal in the Far East. Zhongneng
was created as an offshoot of
the Donghai Machinery Factory,
a company then known for pro
-
ducing fridges and household
appliances starting in 1988.
Electric bicycles soon followed,
and by 2002, the company
opened a 42,000-square-meter
production plant for light
motorcycles. That was the real
beginning of the Zhongneng
motorcycle journey, and with
the rapid expansion of the
small two-wheeled segment,
and after witnessing the suc
-
cess of compatriot Qianjiang's
acquisition of Benelli in 2005,
Zhongneng took the plunge
in 2010 and purchased Moto
Morini for the bargain price of
$10 million after the company
went into voluntary liquidation
in 2009, but with the promise
that the majority of the design
and production remained in
Trivolzio, Italy.
