Moto Morini’s two-model 650cc line-up is all set to grow, with a recent design patent revealing the company to be working on a cruiser powered by the same engine – a 649cc parallel-twin.
- Gets an all-new chassis
- Funky look with small headlight cowl, bar-end mirrors
- Could be launched in India
The design patent shows a motorcycle that cuts an unmistakable cruiser figure, with a raked-out front-end and a swoop down from the headstock, across the fuel tank, and to the rider’s seat. This isn’t quite as old-school a design as something like the recently launched Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650, getting touches like a small cowl around the headlight, a flyscreen and bar-end mirrors.
The fuel tank is also more square-ish than the curvaceous units you see on traditional cruisers, and overall, there’s more than a passing resemblance to the Honda Rebel models. Also of note is the massive radiator shroud, which is almost certainly a good deal larger than the radiator itself.
The engine is a familiar unit, already powering the Seiemmezzo and X-Cape models. But the chassis around it is all-new. Unlike the existing models, this one features a double-cradle design and suspension comprising a telescopic fork and twin shocks, as opposed to the USD fork and monoshock setup on other MM 650s.
If the motor produces the same 60hp and 54Nm as it does on the existing models, it will make the Morini cruiser almost exactly as powerful as the Kawasaki Vulcan S, and that’s no coincidence. The parallel-twin engine is sourced from CFMoto, and bears more than a passing resemblance to Kawasaki’s own 649cc parallel-twin. Despite the similarities, the Kawi engine maintains an upper hand, producing peak figures earlier in the rev range, and 8Nm more torque.
Design patents are usually filed close to the beginning of the production run of a new model, indicating that this Morini cruiser should be nearing completion soon. Considering that the rest of the company’s 650cc range is on offer in our market, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this model join the party here in India.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
