More Morini

One year on, the Moto Morini XCape 650 remains my only motorcycle. Until a month or two ago, there was the more accessible, lighter and puppy dog friendly Himalayan for school runs or neighbourhood errands. There wasn’t any need to take the bulky Italian Adv to the bazaar. The Himmy’s been sold now however, and it’s only recently that I’ve started fully immersing myself in the Moto Morini X-perience! 😀

*Getting X-Perienced on the Moto Morini!*

*I wouldn’t call the XCape an everyday motorcycle, unless your commute involves roads like these!*

I’ve listed here, some essential accessories which I added over the course of the year to make the motorcycle comfortable, accessible and more user friendly.

A good quality Aluminium top box (Hexa GT)
Hand Guards (Aftermarket)
Touring Screen (OEM)
Radiator Guard (Givi)
Tank Ring for Givi tank lock bags
Phone Mount (RAM/ Peak Design)
Side Stand Extender (Ducabike)
Auxiliary Lights (MadDog Scout)
Engine and Fairing Guard (OEM)
Engine Heat Shield (OEM)

While this isn’t a very big list, these accessories took time to come by, with the Italian stuff (Givi, Ducabike) taking months to get delivered. The delay was primarily due to the ‘make on order’ nature of the parts as these are not fast moving products. This gave me an idea about the rarity of this bike across markets- something one must consider, if you wish to own one.

*With the ever popular Himmy 450- the XCape still needs to work its way into the global market.*

*The touring screen adds to the big bike feel. Extremely good wind protection on the highway*.

The heat shield really works in gnarly Bangalore
traffic!

How’s life with it, you may ask. I’d say ‘It’s alright’. This one ticks all the boxes. So far so good. No major issues. Some days of heavenly twin cylinder magic. Have not really felt any need to do any performance mods- filters, exhausts, ECU remaps and the like. I wouldn’t call the engine sweet- it’s a bit guttural, but smooth. It does the job.

What’s to watch out for in the everyday, you may ask. ‘Well everything’, I’ll say. For starters, it’s a heavy bike, which reveals itself in crawling, bumper to bumper traffic on our infamous ORR. Learn not to tip it over, else you’ll be handling roundabout 230kgs of dead weight, amongst unforgiving commuters.

*The XCape manages to hold its own in the company of its larger cousins.*

I’m super conscious of now parking the bike the right way- by reversing into the parking bay, especially by the side of the road. Not only does it give me greater visibility, it ensures I don’t struggle with the road camber while pulling out.

When does it shine then, you may ask- does it ever bring a smile to yer lips? Oh mostly every time, I’ll say. In any ride, there’s oodles of comfort, with the excellent suspension taking everything you throw at it. The clear screen and display is a joy to behold. The robust build quality of most parts is reassuring. And while throttle response is smooth and linear on the whole , once in a while, if you need to hustle, it won’t disappoint!

*Standing with a Ninja 650, somewhere in TN. The engines are similar, with the Morini’s detuned to make better low end torque.*

Should I buy it then, you may ask. Aye, but be well informed. Get yourself a sorted service centre first. Check out the accessories you may want to install and ensure they are available. And decide if you are comfortable owning what may be the first and last of its breed (I hear the XCape 700 is out, whether it makes it to India, is another story). And while you’re at it- get fitter, this ain’t no lightweight scrambler.