Which is the most personalized domestic middleweight ADV motorcycle? That must be the Moto Molini X-Cape, an Italian brand from Europe that now belongs to Zhongneng Motorcycle, which is also their first model launched in the domestic market!
In May this year, I had the honor to participate in the Moto Morini Beijing brand launch conference, and the X-Cape was officially launched on the same day. However, because there is no dealer in Hubei, it has not been able to test drive until recently received a private message from Wuhan Subo to learn that the test drive of this car has arrived, so it is necessary to go to "white prostitution"!
In fact, about the X-Cape car has also been written several times before, in terms of configuration and specifications everyone is more familiar, today mainly to talk about the platform this mid-level ADV what to see, as well as a simple test drive feeling.
Unique look
X-Cape is designed by the Italian team, so the appearance is completely different from the current popular ADV style in China, not only the originality is very high, but also very "wild", its appearance contour is a bit like a rally car, this design is actually very suitable for standing in the wild riding!
The Raptor-style front is highly recognizable and highly compatible with the Moto Morini logo, and even when placed in the global model library, the front face of the X-Cape is recognizable at a glance.
Perfect for standing up riding
Why is it suitable for standing up riding? First of all, the X-Cape cushion design is a very pull racing style, its driver's seat is narrow in front and wide in the back, and the front covers 2/3 of the fuel tank, which can fully avoid the embarrassment of "bumping crotch". In addition, the fuel tank design is also relatively narrow, so when standing up, the legs are very free.
Thanks to the narrow body, when standing and riding, the space that can be moved forward and backward is very large, even if it is a standing state, you can change a variety of riding positions, and the legs will not feel any places.
Since it is a hard-core ADV, the removable rubber foot pad is definitely a must-have design, and the foot pedal after removal will have a stronger anti-slip ability, and the rear brake foot pedal is also a tooth-shaped anti-slip design.
The chassis specifications are hard enough
The X-Cape is equipped with MARZOCCHI's inverted front shock absorption, multi-stage preload, two-way damping adjustable function, and a stroke of 165mm.
KYB adjustable rear shock absorption, also with multi-segment preload, two-way damping adjustable, stroke of 160mm, this specification is already the ceiling of the current domestic 650-level ADV.
Because this is an expedition version, it also uses a wire spoke wheel with a front 19 inches and a rear 17 inches, and Pirelli SCORPION RALLY STR tires.
There is also a relatively complete lower skid plate under the engine, with a minimum ground clearance of 175mm, which is still worth looking forward to in the passage.
Seat height display
The X-Cape of this adventure version is 835mm high, thanks to the narrowed front of the cushion and the narrower body, my 173cm small short legs can also tiptoe to the ground, if you are not confident enough, there is also an 810mm low seat.
Ride the feel
After riding the X-Cape Adventure Edition, you will unconsciously want to stand up and ride, because its rally-like setting will make you feel the urge to rush over the mountains. It is precisely because of this setting that it has a completely different riding experience from most domestic ADVs.
Because the front of the car is very high and the height of the windshield can be adjusted, you can block the wind blowing on your forehead (for my height), and the long-distance riding situation, including high-speed cruising, will reduce a lot of pressure. The entire riding triangle is also a very comfortable setting, and the narrowing design of the saddle does not affect the riding comfort.
In fact, what surprised me the most was the X-Cape's off-road ability, because there was no suitable place for wilding nearby, so I found a muck landfill to try it, but because of the problem of the action camera, I could not successfully record it. Although the X-Cape's weight is not very light, it is stable on bad roads, and it is clear that the longer shock absorption stroke and the tires of the Pirelli SCORPION RALLY STR have helped a lot.
In fact, many people doubt the engine used by Moriini, but the fact is just the opposite, its performance is in line with due expectations, after all, it has been 11 years on the spring wind model, stability and reliability have been fully verified, and in the domestic 650 class this engine is also good enough.
In general, the X-Cape car is one of the more prominent in all aspects of the current domestic 650-level ADV, or in the ADV models with similar price displacement. And originally there are not many domestic two-cylinder ADVs at this level, and the arrival of X-Cape can be said to have set a new benchmark!