20 • December 2023 • Powersports Business

BY BRENDAN BAKER EDITOR IN CHIEF

How many vehicles ( and products ) claim to be from one country only to be built elsewhere ( i . e ., China )? A few years back in Taiwan , I found a swing arm for a Ducati manufactured there . It didn ’ t make the Ducati any less Italian , but my media colleague , who was Italian , was appalled . Ducati is also owned by the Volkswagen-Audi Group – a German company – gasp !

Italians are passionate about many things – art , food – and motorcycles . But the reality today is that it doesn ’ t matter as much where a vehicle is built ; it ’ s the sum of its parts . Moto Morini is a perfect example of this . It is owned by Chinese motorcycle manufacturer Zhongneng Vehicle Group ( ZNEN ), yet it still claims to be an Italian brand as it was founded by Alfonso Morini in Italy in 1937 . That was a challenging time in Italy and world history . However , it flourished through the trials and tribulations of Europe back then and became one of the first manufacturers to succeed in post-war Italy .

Today , Moto Morini boasts a legacy that has contributed to motorcycling around the globe ( but mainly in Europe ). While it is one of the oldest motorcycle brands in the world , it is also arguably one of the least-known brands , particularly in the U . S . However , Chris McGee , COO of Moto Morini USA , says where the brand sits today is the next evolution in its long history .

“ Moto Morini contributed to the innovation of early motorcycling through those eras . From championship caliber Grand Prix racing , with the small displacement engines ( 250cc - 350cc ), which in that era was the big boys ,” says McGee .

“ The incredible style , high quality , and performance are really the hallmarks of Moto Morini ,” he remarks . “ It always has been and always will be . But the brand , like many brands in the motorcycle industry , has gone through several incarnations and ownership groups over the years .”

McGee notes that Moto Morin ’ s story is like many other brands in the industry that have changed ownership groups , including icons such as Indian Motorcycles , Husqvarna and Harley-Davidson . “ Many manufacturers have had the same trajectory . Some have failed , and some have flourished . After Alfonso ’ s death , the company was still run by the family . It was owned by Ducati at one point and bought back by the family ( e . g ., Harley-Davidson ).”

The brand was always about evolution , according to McGee , who says it never really disappeared . “ Moto Morini here in the U . S . looked very different than in Europe . It was brought here in the mid-to-late ’ 60s via different importers . In other words , it wasn ’ t a factory effort . One importer tried to bring them to the U . S ., and it didn ’ t work out , and another importer took over .” McGee says that ’ s why there were different models and not a consistent model range in the U . S . compared to Europe . “ It was a very Europeanfocused brand .”

According to McGee , one of the most popular forays into the U . S . market happened in the early ' 60s , with the Mini Bambino . It was a little bike that was private-labeled as an Indian . “ I think the first two or three years of those were made by Moto Morini . After that , Italiajet picked them up . But my first motorcycle was a Moto Morini Mini Bambino that I got when I was three years old !”

While the brand is less familiar in North America , it has been continually manufactured in Europe for decades until recently . The entire company was purchased in 2018 by ZNEN , whose factory is about 250 miles south of Shanghai . ZNEN is a prominent manufacturer of scooters and small-displacement motorcycles . McGee notes it was “ perfect timing ” for Moto Morini to be acquired .

Moto Morini Italy was at a point of wanting ( or needing ) to evolve when the merger opportunity came about . “ It was a purchase ,” says McGee , “ But it really feels more like a merger because it infused the company with capital and the highest standard tier-one OEM manufacturing capabilities on the planet . It was the best-case scenario where the bulk of the manufacturing could now be done at our proprietary-owned , state-of-the-art , fully automated manufacturing facility used for tier-one manufacturing . ZNEN is also contracted to manufacture other brands ( which are confidential , of course ). It was the perfect opportunity for ZNEN to invest in a legacy motorcycle brand on a vertical ( growth ) path .”

Moto Morini ’ s Italian heritage is legit , despite some keyboard critics . Its design , development , and engineering offices are located in Milan . And McGee claims there ’ s zero influence from the home office .

“ This is truly an Italian ground-up initiative . All the styling , all the innovation , all the high-quality components , parts , everything are done in a state-of-the-art design studio in Milan ; you ’ ve got Gucci up the road and Ferrari down the road . It ’ s a wonderful environment where we ’ ve got everything from pencil and paper to the highest quality computer modeling , 3D printing , and clay modeling . We do all that in-house with all of these resources available to get to the end result : a purely designed , world-class Italian motorcycle .”

When Moto Morini Italy delivers the finished prototype to ZNEN , it has all the right components and all the graphics , and then those pieces and parts go into manufacturing . “ It ’ s a great partnership because Moto Morini Italy works , I don ’ t want to say autonomously , but it ’ s absolutely in control of all the development and engineering , all the styling and everything ,” McGee explains . “ We own all the design studios and have the best engineers and designers in Italy . And we have the best tierone OEM manufacturing facility in China .”

McGee says the U . S . market is very much part of Moto Morini ’ s global development . “ We believe the U . S . market will probably end up being the largest segment for us , as it is with others . The bikes were in dealer stores in Europe for a year or two prior to coming to the U . S . They are well-engineered and designed bikes with the best components from around the world , whether it ’ s Bosch electronics or Brembo brakes or Marzocchi forks . We ’ ve got good stuff .”

Even though the brand debuted at AIM- Expo last February , the bikes began shipping to dealers in April / May . “ We ’ re still in our infancy here in the States ,” McGee adds . “ But Moto Morini is very much on a global vertical trajectory . The bikes have been very well received by the dealers because of their Italian styling , quality components , and great performance . But we ’ re also delivering to the dealers some of the highest margins in the industry , plus a three-year unlimited mile warranty .”

McGee says it ’ s an excellent opportunity for American dealers to come into the fold . “ If they ’ re existing European brand dealers , or they ’ re a big four ( Japanese ) multi-line dealer , this is the perfect opportunity for dealers to

Moto Morini ’ s storied history dates back to 1937 when Alfonso Morini founded the company . In 1955 , the factory moved to increase production capacity after the debut of the 175cc Settebello .

Mot o Morini USA COO Chris McGee stands behind one of the company ’ s newest offerings , the X-Cape ADV bike .

Moto Morini revealed three new 2024 models at EICMA : The X-Cape 1200 , the Corsaro Sport , and the Corsaro 750 Naked , featuring new 1,200cc and 750cc V-twin engines . Photos courtesy of Moto Morini .

access an Italian legacy brand that ’ s been part of the motorcycle industry since 1937 .”

Moto Morini will also embark on a fullscale demo tour throughout 2024 . “ We ’ re currently working with our dealers on dates ,” McGee says . “ We ’ ll have a demo tour schedule on our website ( MotoMoriniUSA . com ). It ’ s a huge initiative of ours to be a part of the process with our dealer partners with the demo tours that we bring to the dealership . We will continue to innovate as Moto Morini does and deliver that same great Italian design , delivering the same value to the customer and the dealer in a portfolio of motorcycles with different displacements .”

And this was before the big announcements at EICMA , where the company rolled out several new bikes for 2024 .

McGee assures us that Moto Morini ’ s investment in the U . S . is long-term . “ We went into our compliance standards properly and aggressively , so we know we ’ ve got sustainability . And that ’ s really the key component . The brand will continue to evolve , and we will continue to offer dealers more exciting models . Consumers of all types will find a motivating model to which they ’ ll have a great time riding .”

McGee concludes : “ We are fully invested in the American market by being here with a factory-backed effort . All our bikes are here , and we ’ re shipping all models . We have plenty of parts in stock to support dealers , and we have an enriched dealer portal that is easy to operate , where they can do all their ordering online and see all their parts .”

Moto Morini is proving that a brand is more than the sum of its parts . It can have the heart and soul of an Italian , be built to high standards in Asia , and find a path to success in America .