Moto Morini’s 6.5s reaches UK dealerships

The Moto Morini Seiemmezzo SCR scrambler has arrived in UK dealerships, costing £6999, and comes with a three-year warranty.

The bike, known as the ‘6 ½’, joins the more street-focused Seiemmezzo STR and the X-Cape 650 adventure bike in the Italian brand’s range.

The middleweight machine includes fully adjustable suspension, matt paint finishes and other retro touches, including traditional brown stitched saddle, raised handlebars, high level front mudguard, spoked wheels and a neat flyscreen.

Like all models in the Moto Morini range, the Seiemmezzo SCR is powered by the company’s well proven 649cc parallel twin powerplant which has a maximum output of 60bhp.

Moto Morini’s two 6.5s do add up! Chinese built 650 roadster twins boost revival of Italian icon

First published on August 10, 2022 by Phil West

The revival of Italian legends Moto Morini has taken its next step with the unveiling this week of not one but two all-new 650 twins.

And, with impressive spec including TFT screens, Brembo brakes and fully-adjustable suspension to go with snazzy on-trend street or scrambler styling and the historic Morini name, the two bikes look set to be the now Chinese-owned brand’s most popular bikes in decades.

Called the Seiemmezzo – or ‘Six-and-a-half’ in Italian – in homage to the iconic Morini 3½ 350s of the ‘70s, the new bikes were first teased at EICMA last November and are the next step in the brand’s bold revival plans.

In January MCN tested the X-Cape 650 – the first of 11 new models planned for release over two years as part of Morini’s ambitious plans to return to the big time. That bike was styled in Italy but powered by a CFMoto engine and built in China, both factors which helped keep its price down to just £6999.

The two new Seiemmezzos are based on the same 649cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC, parallel twin engine, tubular steel diamond frame and some ancilliaries but are roadsters in either a trendy scrambler or street style.

The 6½ SCR (scrambler), has black-anodised, alloy-rimmed, wire-spoked wheels in 18in/17in sizes wearing semi-knobbly Pirelli MT60s, an off-road style ‘beak’ front mudguard, retro brown ribbed saddle, side number boards and higher, wider, trail-style handlebars behind a small flyscreen. It comes in satin olive green or black.

While the 6½ STR (street) has cast alloy wheels (in the same sizes), road Pirelli Angel GT tyres, a conventional low front mudguard, lower, narrower ‘bars for a slightly sportier riding position and a smoother, more streamlined seat. Its more modern, two-tone paintjobs are in white, red or grey with contrasting black.

Both have Kayaba multi-adjustable 43mm USD forks and rear monoshock, twin disc, twin piston Brembo brakes, Bosch fuel injection and ABS, 5in colour TFT displays with Bluetooth Smartphone connectivity and even backlit switchgear.

Power is a claimed 61bhp with 40lb.ft of torque and top speed of 105mph. Price and availability have yet to be announced, but if the X-Cape 650 is anything to go by, expect something around the £6250 mark.