Is Moto Morini Working On A New Middleweight Cruiser?

A retro-inspired cruiser with the same engine as the Seiemezzo seems to be in the pipeline.

By: Enrico Punsalang

Jan 31, 2023 at 9:56pm ET

Comment

Moto Morini is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer that has been in business for quite some time now—86 years to be precise. However, it wasn’t until fairly recently that the company has been aggressively working towards expanding in the global market. Unsurprisingly, this was through the help of Zhongneng, a large Chinese motorcycle manufacturer.

With the optimized production capabilities of Zhongneng, Moto Morini has been able to produce quite a number of motorcycles that sit in the middle of the playing field in terms of price. Bikes like the X-Cape adventure bike, as well as the Seiemezzo neo-retro bikes are all powered by a 650cc parallel-twin engine bearing similar design traits as that of Kawasaki’s 650 twin. As such, the bikes are considered approachable yet decently powerful for riders of all backgrounds.

Needless to say, following Moto Morini’s expansion into multiple markets—the U.S. included—the time is right for the Italian manufacturer to expand its model range. A recent design patent first shared by the folks over at Bennetts seems to confirm that a cruiser based on the same 650 platform is in the works. In terms of its design, the Moto Morini cruiser looks very much like a traditional cruiser, with neo-retro styling cues much like that of the Honda Rebel and Kawasaki Vulcan S. It’s surely much more closely styled to the Seiemezzo roadsters, making it a perfect fit to the brand’s neo-retro range.

On the performance side of the equation, the cruiser will almost certainly be powered by the same 649cc engine in the Seiemezzo. This means it’ll be rocking a parallel-twin configuration with a 180-degree crankshaft, as well as liquid-cooling and electronic fuel-injection. Depending on its state of tune, we can anticipate around 65 horsepower from this powerplant. Nevertheless, the frame and underpinnings are all new, as this will be Moto Morini’s first cruiser model. According to the design, the cruiser will come with standard telescopic forks, a twin shock setup at the back, and front and rear disc brakes—presumably with ABS.