New big-bore budget adventure bike from Chinese/Italian brand Morbidelli comes at a great price
They were announced as new bikes as far back as 2024. But now the UK importer of the Italian/Chinese Morbidelli brand has announced final details of its new cut-priced 997cc V-twin adventure tourer models – the T100 2V and 2VX.
The name is a bit meh, but for the price – £7,999 or £8,199 for the 2VX – the spec is pretty impressive. The bikes, built by Bologna-based Morbidelli with parent firm Qianjiang, are stylish enough beasts, with looks which put them in the same class as pricier options from European and Japanese firms.
At the heart of the design is the engine: a unique 997cc 80-degree SOHC 8-valve liquid-cooled V-twin unit, putting out a modest 88.5bhp@7,500 rpm with claimed torque of 66ft lb@5250rpm. That’s a bit down on 900-1100cc competition like the BMW F900 GS, Triumph Tiger 900 and Honda Africa Twin, but considering the price, might be an acceptable compromise for many buyers.
The V-twin motor uses a hydraulic clutch, six-speed transmission and chain final drive is bolted into a double cradle steel tube frame, with fully-adjustable long-travel KYB suspension both ends, and J.Juan four-piston brake calipers up front. Both models use the same wheel and tyre sizes: 120/70 19 front and 170/60 17 rear with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber.
But the main difference between the 2V and 2VX models is the wheel construction: the 2VX has wire-spoked off-road rims while the 2V uses cast aluminium road-focused wheels.
The new Morbidellis have plenty of kit as well: there’s a neat 7” colour TFT dashboard with backlit switchgear, which controls a decent suite of rider aids: Bosch ABS Pro with switchable offroad mode, traction control, four rider power modes (standard, sport, rain, off-road) and a tyre pressure monitoring system. There’s cruise control and a very decent 20 litre fuel capacity for long-distance ease, and both heated grips and a heated seat for colder weather.
It’s not a lightweight machine at 265kg wet, and that, together with the modest peak power and torque might make the new Morbidelli feel a bit sluggish compared with the fancier competition. But we keep coming back to that impressive price tag, which seems likely to catch the eye of plenty of potential customers this season.
More info from the UK importer, MotoGB at www.motogb.co.uk/morbidelli .
| Morbidelli T1002V / T1002VX Specifications
New price: £7,999 / £8,199 (+ £300 OTR) Capacity: 997cc Bore x Stroke: 92mm x 75mm Engine details: 80-degree V twin, 8V, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke SOHC Compression ratio: 10.3:1 Power: 88.5bhp@7,750 rpm Torque: 89Nm/66ft lb@5,250 rpm Transmission: six-speed, chain final drive Fuel tank size: 20 litres Rider aids: Traction control, Bosch ABS Pro system, four riding modes (Standard, Sport, Rain, Off-road), cruise control, heated seat, heated grips, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), 12v and USB chargers Frame: Double cradle steel Front suspension: KYB fully adjustable 43mm USD forks, 183.8mm travel Rear suspension: KYB Multilink fully adjustable monoshock, 77.4mm travel Front brake: 2 x 320mm discs with J.Juan radial 4-piston calipers Rear brake: Single 260mm disc with 2-piston caliper Front wheel & tyre: V model – cast aluminium 120/70 19 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR; VX model spoked aluminium, 120/70 19 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR Rear wheel & tyre: V model – cast aluminium 170/60 17 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR; VX model spoked aluminium 170/60 17 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR Dimensions: (LxWxH) 2313mm x 931mm 1475mm Wheelbase: 1,581mm Ground clearance: 190mm Seat height: 820mm Weight: 265kg (wet) Colour options: Black, white Warranty: 2 years, unlimited mileage Contact: www.motogb.co.uk/morbidelli |