Moto Morini X-Cape ADV-R makes competitive debut

THE Moto Morini X-Cape ADV-R has been given its first, official competitive outing, with Dakar racer Oriol Mena taking the machine to 8th place in the Basella Race in Spain.

First seen at EICMA in November last year, the ADV-R gains longer legs thanks to Marzocchi forks and an Öhlins rear shock absorber, plus trail-ready crash protection, a taller instrument binnacle, a revised seat and lightweight titanium exhaust courtesy of SC-Project.

For the Basella Race, Mena was competing in the MaxiTrail class, pitting him against bikes like the Ducati DesertX, Yamaha Tenere 700 and Triumph Tiger 900. The big-name bikes were joined by big-name riders, with Pol Tarres taking the win, in front of French enduro star Antoine Meo, and Gerard Farres rounding out the podium. And to say the plucky Italian did well is an understatement, crossing the line just 1m26sec behind the winner – not bad against such established, big-name competition.

We still don’t have any word on if and when the ADV-R could be making it into production, with no official word from the factory as yet. Given the success of the bike in this outing, it seems sensible to do something. Whether that comes as a factory-built machine, delivered in a kind of Dakar-ready trim, or a bolt-on kit that dealers or owners can fit themselves remains to be seen.

Another interesting production bike in the MaxiTrail class at the event was the Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250 ridden by Joan Pedrero. He managed to pilot the 240kg heavyweight to a very respectable 6th place, just 25secs behind Pol Tarres on his much lighter and more off-road-focused Tenere 700!

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