Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1506555
RIDE REVIEW I 2023 MOTO MORINI X-CAPE P88 As such, the X-Cape has a robust feeling when you twist the throttle. There's an on and off-road mode within the ECU that also changes the traction control algorithm, but at 60 horsepower, it's not going to scare too many of you. In- stead, what you get is a nicely balanced throttle response with the best performance reached between 5-8000 rpm. That's a nice spread of perfor- mance for off-road conditions, enabling you to leave it in third and fourth gear and cruise between 40-60 mph and still have enough on tap to wick it up sideways on the dirt. It also makes for quite a nice touring machine. Click it up to sixth gear, hit the road and the lack of vibes from what is admittedly an older engine design gives a nice, smooth ride, and you quickly forget about the lack of a quickshifter for the six-speed gearbox. The ride position lends itself to long days in the saddle, and the seat doesn't get overly hard after 45 minutes on board. This is a bigger boon than you'd expect for a bike of this price, as many more expensive bikes can feel like you're sitting on a plank after that time. Those chunky 50mm Marzocchi forks handle just about everything well enough, although the top of the stroke does have a little harshness to it. You can tune this out by backing off the compression damping a touch, but they are set up for both on and off-road conditions, and Moto Morini has done well to reach the right compromise. The brakes, however, are the weak point. The performance of those two-piston calipers is below that of the rest of the machine, and although you're not going to ram up the back of the car in front of you due to a lack of stopping power, the feel at the lever is vague and doesn't inspire the confidence I'd have liked. This is no doubt one of the reasons the X-Cape costs what it does, cost savings need to be made in manufacturing if you're going to have some dollars back in your pocket, but the brakes would be my first port of call for an upgrade should an X-Cape permanently land in my garage. Those issues aside, the X-Cape is a very impressive machine for the price. The amenities like the seven-inch TFT dash that has the ability to run your phone and have maps displayed is something missing from the more expen - sive Yamaha Tenere (the rev counter changes from a street tire to an off-road tire when you change the modes); the USB charging port, and the impressive aftermarket acces- sory catalog including hard luggage, bash plates, crash bars and a lower seat make for excellent value for money. It's nice when you get sur- prises in modern motorcycling because they don't happen very often, even less when the surprise looks and performs this good. CN 2023 MOTO MORINI X-CAPE $8299 ENGINE: Inline parallel-twin VALVETRAIN: 8-valve, DOHC, COOLING SYSTEM: Liquid DISPLACEMENT: 649cc BORE X STROKE: 83 x 60mm FUEL INJECTION: Bosch EFI COMPRESSION RATIO: 11.3:1 EXHAUST: 2-1 TRANSMISSION: 6-speed CLUTCH: Wet, multi-plate, slip and assist ELECTRONICS: Two Riding Modes, ABS, Traction Control CHASSIS: Tubular steel FRONT SUSPENSION: 50mm Marzocchi fork, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION: KYB monoshock, rebound and preload adjustable FRONT BRAKE: Twin 298mm discs, Brembo 2-piston calipers REAR BRAKE: Single 220mm disc, Brembo single-piston caliper FRONT TIRE: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 110/80-19M/C REAR TIRE: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR, 150/70-17M/C RAKE: 25° WHEELBASE: 57.8 in. SEAT HEIGHT: 32.2-33.2 in. FUEL CAPACITY: 4.7 gal. WEIGHT (DRY): 470 lbs. S P E C I F I C AT I O N S