Moto Morini will be selling motorcycles in the United Kingdom in 2026. That was a statement that would have been in doubt until late last week, when the Chinese-owned Italian brand announced it has a new distributor.
Going forward, Moto73 will ensure that bikes and parts are available at the 10 dealerships listed on Moto Morini’s UK website.
Founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1937, and owned by China’s Zhongneng Vehicle Group since 2018, Moto Morini lost its previous distributor, MotoMondo, just a few days before EICMA 2025 back in November. It was unfortunate timing, overshadowing the new bikes that it revealed at the event.
MotoMondo had been responsible for importing and distributing Moto Morini bikes in the UK, Benelux, Germany, Ireland, and Austria. It’s unclear who – if anyone – will be carrying the banner forward in those other regions.
Exactly who/what Moto73 are/is is not entirely clear. A website for Moto73 is currently turning up 503 server errors. A quick look at the UK’s Companies House register shows that Moto73 is a business that rose from the ashes of Chorley Yamaha Centre about nine months ago.
It also clearly has a connection with MotoGB, the importer/distributor for several other Chinese brands, including Benelli and Voge. The media release I received came from MotoGB’s press guy.
According to that media release, Moto73 is also responsible for importing/distributing QJMotor bikes in the UK. Which, again, demonstrates a MotoGB connection, because that’s who I borrowed the SRT600S from back in December.
Meanwhile, Moto Morini introduced three new models at EICMA 2025. None of those will be coming to the UK. Instead, the brand’s partnership with Moto73 will deliver just four models to UK riders while the partnership finds its feet.
“Moto73… are looking to work with the existing dealer network as well as create new partnerships,” states a media release.
Those four models are the 450cc parallel twin-driven AlltrHike dual sport, the 700cc parallel twin-powered X-Cape 700 adventure bike, the 700cc parallel twin Calibro bagger, and the 1200cc V-twin X-Cape 1200 adventure bike.
I’m interested in/intrigued by all of these bikes – the X-Cape 1200 and oddly named AlltrHike in particular. The latter claims to produce 45 bhp and is priced at £5,299. That puts it £700 under the forthcoming Kawasaki KLE500 while offering more tech, about £450 under the Royal Enfield 450 while offering more power, and £400 under the venerable CFMoto 450MT.
Moto Morini’s been more on my radar since September of last year, when I was having a conversation with Alan Cathcart about the brand. He seems to be quite taken with what Zhongneng has done since taking over – to the extent he actually bought a Moto Morini after riding one on a press event.
That’s the sort of thing Matt Kay of Moto73 would be happy to hear.
“Moto Morini is enjoying a major renaissance under the stewardship of the Zhongneng Vehicle Group and is effectively executing a ‘Designed in Italy, Built in China’ strategy to offer quality motorcycles to market with a unique flair,” the media release quotes him as saying.
Moto Morini is perhaps best known for the 3½ – a 350cc V-twin it first introduced in 1974. The model was reintroduced at EICMA 2025, in the form of the 3½ Sport, which is powered by a 350cc V-twin claiming 32 bhp. That bike won’t be coming to the UK right away, but you would think that the market’s current love of sub-500cc bikes would create a welcome home for it.
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