Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 Review

Until a few years back if you were in the market to shop for a performance bike the options were limited. But things have changed drastically in the recent past with many manufacturers bringing in their pinnacle products to our shores. Among this horde is Italian bikemaker Moto Morini which showcased the Scrambler 1200 and the Granpasso 1200 at the 2014 Auto Expo and will be sold in our market via renowned custom bike builder Vardenchi. Though, Moto Morini isn’t as well known as a brand like say Ducati or as exotic as MV Agusta yet it has a glorious past that many manufacturers would feel envy of. In fact it was Moto Morini that gave MotoGP legend Giacomo Agostini a break in the world of racing. Coming back to the bike, we put to test whether the Granpasso 1200 can live up to its adventure tag.  

The Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 is no beauty when it comes to the styling front. But I have to admit it’s a visually striking motorcycle owing to its large dimensions and size. Personally I found the front to be a bit eccentric with its twin headlamps split by a beaky front panel. The brawny front forks, large windscreen and mudguard also play key roles in magnifying its appeal. In profile the neatly sculpted fuel tank, large seats and raised handlebars give it that quintessential adventure bike stance.

The design detail that caught my fancy was the petite tail lamp with the indicators wrapped around it to give them an appearance of aeroplane wings. The single sided under seat exhaust muffler with three outlets and chunky grab rails add muscle to the petite tail section. Switchgear quality of the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 though is average and it looks out of place on the otherwise well put together motorcycle.  

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A tall saddle height means that you have to literally climb on the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 but once on the saddle everything feels in place. The riding position is upright and relaxed whereas the subtle recess on the fuel tank results in a firm grip over it. Thumb the starter and the V-twin motor comes to life with a rapacious note that settles down a bit after few moments of idling. Powering the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 is a 1,187cc powerplant churning out 118PS of peak power and 103.6Nm of maximum torque.

The Granpasso 1200’s mill is among the most impressive aspects of the bike as power delivery is instantaneous and it redlines with utter ease. Popping a wheelie on the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 is a cakewalk as keeping the motor above 5,000rpm and a quickshift from one gear to other results in the front of the bike pointing skywards. On the highway the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 can hold speeds above 150kmph effortlessly as the windshield thwarts all the windblast and it’s a fine motorcycle for long distance touring. The 6-speed gearbox offers crisp shifts and the massive 200mm ground clearance means that it can literally ride over anything. 

Sadly on the off-road section the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 isn’t as impressive as on tarmac. This could be blamed on its tyres that are more suited for tarmac, as on broken roads and gravel the bike felt a bit jittery. It doesn’t have any sort of electronic aids and with that overenthusiastic motor makes riding the Granpasso 1200 an entertaining affair but one will have to treat it with respect. Ride quality of the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 is decent but a little on the firmer side while the Marzocchi sourced inverted telescopic forks and Ohlins monoshock setup at the rear are fully adjustable. Braking duties are taken care of by disc brakes from Brembo at front and rear, which work glibly in shedding speeds but ABS would have been appreciated.

The Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 is a decent adventure motorcycle that s more biased towards the road than off it. But the astronomical Rs 31.75 lakh (ex-showroom Mumbai) price means it isn’t a value for money proposition. Given the fact that other renowned adventure motorcycles like the BMW R 1200 Adventure and Triumph Explorer XC are available at a much affordable price makes life more difficult for the Granpasso 1200. But exclusivity is what you are looking at then you couldn’t go wrong with the Moto Morini Granpasso 1200 but that comes at a price and only one dealer means after sales remains questionable.