Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport and X-Cape 700 First Look

The Moto Morini brand, like a lot of Italian motorcycle manufacturers, has been through so many peaks and valleys it’s difficult to keep track of where it’s at. Founded in 1937 by Alfonso Morini, the original company survived until 1987, when it was taken over by Cagiva. That lasted just a few years before the name, along with Ducati (which it also owned), was sold to the Texas Pacific Group. At the time there was no intention to revive Moto Morini. There were two more attempts to rescue the company including by Alfonso’s nephew Franco, and then another attempt in 2012 that saw a turbulent period of limited production. Finally, flash forward to 2018, and the Chinese Zhongneng Vehicle Group has now taken control of the company and hopefully provided some stability.

At this year’s EICMA show—50 years to the day that the original was unveiled—a new version of one of the original company’s most famous models, the 3 1/2 Sport, was shown. The styling and graphics are inspired by the original vehicle, which is logical as Zhongneng is trying to underline that the new models are “real” Moto Morinis and not just Chinese bikes with an Italian name.

The new 3 1/2 Sport is powered by a liquid-cooled DOHC 60-degree V-twin displacing 350cc with four valves per cylinder and 58 x 66.3mm bore and stroke dimensions. Output from the Euro 5+ homologated engine is a claimed 32 hp at 8,500 rpm and 32.6 lb.-ft. of torque at 8,500 rpm.

That engine sits in a steel-cradle-frame chassis with a 56-inch wheelbase, and a claimed dry weight of 364 pounds. Upfront is an inverted 43mm fork, while a single cantilever shock is used at the rear. A radial-mount four-piston caliper and 300mm disc handle braking at the front, while a two-piston caliper and 255mm disc are used at the rear. Cast aluminum wheels are mounted with 110/70-17 front and 150/60-17 rear tires. Another notable figure is that the bike has a low and beginner-friendly 30.7-inch seat height.

The return of the classic 3 1/2 Sport is a smart marketing move that might create a positive connection between the present and the glorious past that would strengthen the image of the new Chinese-owned Moto Morini.

After the acquisition in 2018, the Zhongneng ownership steadily developed a whole new generation of models that found increasing approval from the Italian public, though the progression was relatively slow until last year, when Moto Morini introduced the X-Cape 700, an adventurer-tourer powered by a liquid-cooled DOHC 693cc parallel twin that delivers a claimed 71 hp at 8,500 rpm and 50 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 6,500 rpm.

The middleweight ADV has a 58.6-inch wheelbase and weighs a claimed 470 pounds dry. High-quality chassis components include a 50mm Marzocchi inverted fork, a Kayaba shock, spoked aluminum rims mounted with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires in 110/80-19 and 150/70-17 sizes. The braking system includes a pair of Brembo twin-piston calipers and 298mm rotors upfront and a twin-piston caliper and 255mm disc at the rear, which are managed by Bosch’s ABS 9.1.

The X-Cape 700 features a 7-inch TFT display and a full rider-aid suite, in addition to navigation through smartphone connectivity.

Other new Moto Morini models that have been announced are the X-Cape 1200 that is powered by a Euro 5+ compliant 1,187cc 87-degree V-twin, which is a carryover engine from one of the last attempts to revive Moto Morini 20 years ago.

There are also three models that use a 96 hp, 749cc 90-degree V-twin, including the naked Corsaro, fully faired Corsaro Sport, and street-oriented Corsaro GT adventure-tourer. Another model that will utilize the same platform as the 3 1/2 Sport is the Rumble, which is a bobber-style cruiser using the same engine and chassis. Meanwhile the Alltrhike is a small-displacement adventure model that uses a 450cc parallel-twin engine.

Returning models include the Calibro Bagger, Calibro Custom, X-Cape 650, Seiemmezzo STR, and Seiemmezzo SCR.