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/1539926
2026 MOTO MORINI X-CAPE 700 ($8299) ENGINE Inline parallel-twin VALVETRAIN 8-valve, DOHC, COOLING SYSTEM Liquid DISPLACEMENT 693cc BORE X STROKE 83 x 63mm FUEL INJECTION Bosch EFI COMPRESSION RATIO 11.31 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 58.7 in. SEAT HEIGHT 33.2 in. FUEL CAPACITY 4.7 gal. WEIGHT (CURB) 514 lbs. P110 RIDE REVIEW I 2026 MOTO MORINI X-CAPE 700 is honest, it lacks the more advanced aids now common in the class. On the plus side, having things like that excellent seven- inch TFT dash and the cam- era at the front of the fairing gives the X-Cape a couple of good selling points, as do the standard fitment handguards, sump guard, centerstand and cylinder-head heat shields. The switches, while easy enough to use, feel a little cheap, but now I'm really nitpicking. Another good thing is service intervals. Oil changes are done every 3000 miles, but you won't have to touch the valves for 25,000 miles. That's a big boon in ownership for the X-Cape, reducing maintenance costs and hopefully drawing a few new riders in. The X-Cape 700 doesn't aim to be the fastest, the lightest, or the most high-tech of the many mid-size ADVs on the current market. Despite this, it's a well-rounded, approach - able adventure motorcycle that nails the essentials and throws in some thoughtful extras at a more than reasonable MSRP. In a middleweight adventure segment crowded with seri- ous contenders—the Yamaha Tenere 700, Honda's Transalp, Triumph's Tiger Sport—the Moto Morini X-Cape 700 holds its ground well. Whether that'll be enough to get the riders on the Chinese-built X-Cape 700 instead of any of the former marques remains to be seen, but the ride itself is good given its price tag. CN vitals. It's perfectly legible in afternoon sunlight (something some other manufacturers still struggle to get right), with Blue- tooth integration for phone mir- roring via the Carbit Ride app that lets you handle calls, maps and music. There are also two USB ports (Type-A and Type-C, yay), and Moto Morini has one- upped pretty much everyone by fitting a video/dash camera on the front of the bodywork under the headlight. The camera works with the Road Cam app and lets you run either a continuous stream of footage, or you can set it up like a traditional dash cam that runs on a loop and deletes un - needed footage when it starts creating a new video. The latter is an obvious benefit for insurance purposes, because now you'll be able to prove that car jumped out in front of you and you weren't riding in an irresponsible and dangerous manner, right? Right? It's a little hard to know where to put the X-Cape in terms of class and competition. The MSRP is substantially low- er than many of the bikes it's up against, but it equally doesn't have the top-notch quality feel that something like the Triumph has, for example. For me, personally, the 700 motor needs more oomph to match the weight, as it doesn't pull as hard or as cleanly as I would like in the lower revs, which is where much of the rid- ing off-road is carried out. The curb weight, while manageable, is noticeable at low speeds. And while the electronics suite