Moto Morini X-Cape

The 650cc segment is an interesting place to be. Here, the motorcycles are not too expensive like the litre-class and they aren’t also too boring and slow like the entry-level 300cc range. The 650cc space offers a combination of performance that could entice a rider for a long and at the same time, doesn’t have to empty the bank account. The new XCape 650 X from Moto Morini falls in that same space.

This middleweight adventure touring motorcycle has been brought to India at a time when a lot of riders want to go out and explore the wilderness of India but there aren’t a lot of options. Yes, there’s the Kawasaki Versys 650, but there are some off-road limitations there. The XCape 650 X promises to address some of the issues that are present in the segment. The question is, does it address ‘all’ the issues? We find out!

The Moto Morini XCape 650 X is one handsome-looking motorcycle. There are a lot of things that make it look extremely aspirational. Firstly, the overall size of the panels used makes the bike churn out a good road presence. Then there’s that front with those angular headlamp casings and the large windscreen that begs for attention. From the side, the fuel tank design and the bikini fairing make us feel as if we are looking at a rally-spec motorcycle. That rally look and feel can also be seen in that seat design. But two aspects completely enhance the motorcycle’s styling – wire-spoke wheels and those Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, which by the way, are one of the tyres the world has ever seen.

Talking about the quality, this Moto Morini did impress me. A lot of things on the bike have been neatly designed and done. The plastic quality, the paint finish, and even the area around the instrument cluster are all well laid out. There’s a lot of premium feel when you use the switchgear. Plus, there are small things like that white switchgear backlight and the fonts on the cluster – that show some finesse work.

The XCape 650 X has a seat height of 835mm, which is quite tall for the Indian market. But as soon as you get on the seat, that number looks wrong and the credit goes to that narrow seat. While that seat does have a wider profile, the front section has been smartly designed to assist the rider to have more control when the bike isn’t in motion. Plus, the fuel tank also has a narrow profile. So that’s a bonus.

Once on the saddle, the wide handlebar and centre-set footpegs allow you to stay in comfort and ease. And for stand-up riding, the Moto Moroni allows the rider to grab onto the fuel tank. Plus, the handlebar reach isn’t too bad. For taller riders, there needs to be some adjustment to find the right handlebar position for commuting as well as for enduro riding.

The overall comfort aspect is well taken care of by the motorcycle. The seat offers a lot of space to move around and the cushioning is a bit firm too, which allowed me to ride for a long without the need for a fatigue break. Plus, the windscreen offered decent protection from wind. The buffeting was at its minimum.

The world of adventure touring needs lots of comforts and the Moto Morini X-Cape 650 X offers a lot of it. It all starts from that seat – it is wide and has plenty of great cushioning. Even after spending all day on that saddle, there was barely any fatigue or need to adjust that lower body for comfort. And then there’s that suspension system – due to its fully adjustable nature, the bike can churn out the ride you need. We had it in the stock setup and for most of the time, this ADV felt easy, and composed and gave out a ride that is quite good, especially at high speed. At low speeds, the rear did have a fast rebound and that bothered the lower back a bit.

Now taking on the roads of Mumbai and also around it was an easy job on the XCape 650X. Firstly, even with its heavy kerb weight, the motorcycle feels balanced – thanks to good weight distribution and then there’s that comfortable seating triangle that adds to the easiness. The shorter riders may find handling stop-go traffic a bit difficult due to the seat height, but at least the motorcycle’s balance will assist you.

Now coming to the main aspect – that 649cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine. This one churns out 60bhp at 8250rpm and a peak torque of 54Nm at 7000rpm and is mated to a six-speed gearbox. These numbers are a bit less compared to the Kawasaki Versys 650, but it does offer performance that doesn’t make you feel bored or content. This motor offers power almost throughout the rev band and does it linearly. While the initial revs are quite decent to commute in the city, above 4000rpm there’s also this strong surge in torque that makes things extremely addictive and fun too. That same midrange allowed for easy overtakes on the highways. The highways are also where you will start to appreciate the overall refinement of this engine.

The motorcycle can do triple-digit speeds and with the good refinement it comes with, the rider is bound to cover countless distances in comfort and minimum fatigue. However, the story isn’t the same when riding in the city. The engine heats up quite a bit and even with proper riding pants in place that heat can be felt. And to top it up, the gearshift experience is quite poor. There’s huge play while shifting and the box is clunky too. This does spoil the overall city commuting experience.  The XCape 650 love to be in the twisties. The motorcycle manages to hold the angles well and the credit goes to that 19-inch front wheel, that frame and those fantastic top-spec Pirelli tyres. The grip from these tyres is just outstanding and that inspires so much confidence.

In off-road conditions, the bike behaves well, especially in sand conditions due to that heavy front. While it is a bit difficult to jump or slide the bike due to the weight, this ADV does assist you find that point where you can have some fun in the dirt. Also, the standing up ergos are not comfortable for taller riders. The handlebar needs to be adjusted for that.

This is where the XCape 650 X shines the most. The feature list isn’t long as such, but for a segment where the bike is, the list is tempting. This ADV gets fully adjustable Marzocchi USD forks at the front. That means, you have full control over compression and rebound damping. At the rear too, there’s preload and rebound adjustment. Then there are these tubeless wire-spoke wheels – something we see only on ADVs above Rs 15 lakh. The tyres are from Pirellis and they are top-spec.

The instrument display on the bike is possibly one of the biggest and it works well. It has two themes, neatly shows information and there’s no lag as such. To use this display, the backlight switchgear needs to be operated. However, to use certain functions like toggling between features, things take time due to the positioning of some of the buttons. For convenience, there are two USB charging sockets, adjustable clutch and brake levers and a large tail rack.

The Moto Morini XCape 650 X shockingly checks a lot of boxes. I used the word ‘shockingly’ because the bike belongs to a brand that has Chinese origins. So there’s a big credibility issue. But the XCape 650 managed to impress us in my ways. The motorcycle has a good road presence. It has styling and overall body proportions that make it extremely aspirational. It is loaded with a lot of tech and feel-good features that make the competition look small. Then the combination of performance from that 649cc engine, comfortable seating triangle and decent off-road ability makes it versatile.

The XCape 650 X is an impressive highway touring machine but its city riding abilities spoil to fun to a decent margin. And there’s that gearbox that should have been far better than it actually is. However, when you look at the price tag of Rs 8.51 lakh on-road Mumbai, it does feel like a tempting proposition. It offers great value and can become the only big bike in your garage. However, the poor brand recall and value could make things difficult for this XCape 650 X.

Photography by Kapil Angane