Moto Morini builds rival for new 1098 Multistrada

These spy shots from Motociclismo.it show Moto Morini is building a road-biased version of the Granpasso adventure bike to take on Ducati’s forthcoming 1098-powered Multistrada replacement.

The new motorcycle was spotted track testing in Italy, and is complete bar the screen assembly (the mounting holes for which are visible on the distinctive front fairing.

The chassis is almost identical to the Granpasso adventure bike, but instead of large diameter but narrow on/off road wheels and long travel suspension the new machine is equipped with thick, high-spec road forks and 17” cast wheels with sportsbike tyres.

The increase in grip also means Morini can fit stronger brakes – and they’ve gone for some of the strongest in the business, equipping it with Brembo monobloc four-piston calipers and 320mm discs.

New twin silencers are also fitted in place of the Granpasso’s single can.

The Italian magazine caught up with Morini’s development manager at the Adria circuit test, who revealed that they were working on suspension settings and taming the front brake response, which was initially deemed too much for road riding in earlier tests.

He also claimed the engine is the same as the standard Granpasso, rather than the more powerful engine from the Corsaro streetfighter.

Suggestions that the bike is a pure supermoto can be dismissed by the Granpasso stickers on the side fairing – with the presence of mount points for the screen, it’s clear that Morini intends to keep the Granpasso’s comfort and styling alongside the newfound performance.