You may not have yet heard of the new Morbidelli T1002V – but you will almost certainly start seeing them on the road soon. An all-new litre-class adventure bike, it’s arguably the first Chinese bike to compete with – and beat – more established brands on many levels.
This Chinese bike not only has the performance and spec to match traditional rivals and undercut them on price, it also (for the first time) is doing it in the prestige 1000cc category. It competes under a respectable and semi-familiar brand name, and to a level of specification and value previously unheard of. In short, like Honda’s seminal 1968 CB750, the Morbidelli T1002V could be the start of a new age.
The backstory is that the T1002V has been developed by the huge Chinese Qiangiang Motorcycle Group under its Keeway export operation. The group owns both the Benelli and Morbidelli brands, two Italian companies who were made famous in the early years of Grand Prix racing. Morbidelli was a world championship winning manufacturer in Grand Prix racing during the 1970s, and this latest project was initially conceived using Qiangiang’s MBP brand back in 2021.
Design work was done in Pesaro, Italy, with engineering and development in Germany and Spain and assembly in China. The result is smart and highly specced motorcycle, with standard equipment including a 7” TFT dash, backlit switchgear and heated seat.
It is a decent if not outstanding performer (claimed power is just 88bhp) and, above all, prices start at just £7999. To put into perspective, an equivalent Suzuki V-Strom 1050 costs £13,499. At this spec and price, we’ll all be familiar with Morbidelli very soon…
The T1002V uses a variation of Morbidelli/Keeway’s own, all-new 997cc V-twin engine, as introduced on the 2024 C1002V cruiser. It stands out for having a fairly unusual 80-degree cylinder angle (most V-twins are 60 or 90-degrees) and, less impressively, claimed peak power of only 88.5bhp (the aging V-Strom 1050 produces 105bhp).
Even so, in the real world, its performance is mostly sufficient. To modify the power characteristics, there are four riding modes, Street, Sport, Rain and Off-road (although, annoyingly, you can only change at standstill), although it does lack a little bit of top end shove and low-down refinement. That said, it’s still effective and adequate and will easily cruise two-up, fully laden at over the motorway speed limit.
Although the frame is a slightly old school steel double cradle, suspension is by KYB and comprises beefy 43mm inverted forks and monoshock rear, which is all fully adjustable (although there’s no remote preload adjuster). Again, it’s adequate rather than exceptional: motorway cruising is stable, comfortable and plush, although spirited cornering is a little less precise, due to the knobbly Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres and 19” front wheel. But it can still be hustled happily enough and for the sort of riding most do most of the time, it is more than adequate.
The T1002V is a fairly typical 1000cc adventure bike with a few useful additions. The seat is fairly tall, at 820mm, and perhaps a little firm, but it’s nothing to complain about. Seat and grips are both heated (although the pillion’s isn’t); handlebars, foot and lever controls are all adjustable and, perhaps most useful of all, there’s a manual, height-adjustable screen, although its mechanism is a little awkward to use, especially on the move.
Big adventure bikes usually make practical all-rounders, if sometimes tall, bulky ones, and the T1002V is no exception. Some may find it a bit tall and awkward for town use, but this is compensated for with the bargain price, lavish equipment and reasonably priced accessories.
Overall, few bikes are so well-equipped for the money. There’s not only the large TFT dash, LED lights and the aforementioned heated ‘grips and seat, but also the four riding modes, Bluetooth connectivity, two USB charging points, crash bars and centre stand; backlit left-hand switchgear; cruise control and even a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) – all for that £7999.
What’s more, for £200 more, you can have the T1002VX version with cross spoke wire wheels and different graphics ,while decent three-box aluminium luggage is also available for just £499 – far less than you’d pay from one of the legacy manufacturers.
Put simply the T1002V is one of the biggest bargains in modern motorcycling. You simply can’t get more new motorbike for your money. Even the cut-price Voge DSX900, which we also tested recently, is a grand more, while the closest Japanese offerings are the aging 105bhp Suzuki V-Strom 1050 from £13,499 or Honda’s 100bhp Africa Twin from £13,399
But there’s more to it than that. The T1002V also comes under the umbrella of a historic brand, giving it more prestige than a new pretender from the likes of CFMoto or Voge. It is a more than competent performer and an attractive bike in its own right. It’s not perfect by any means (the non-cancelling indicators annoy, it’s slightly down on power and is a little unrefined) but it’s also a good-looking, well-equipped adventure bike for budget bike money.
2025 Morbidelli T1002V Specification
Price: From £7999 (X version £8199) +£300 OTR
Engine: 997cc 80-degree V-twin, SOHC, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooled
Power: 88.5bhp (66kW) @ 7750rpm
Torque: 89Nm (65.6lb-ft) @ 5250rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual, chain
Frame: Steel double cradle
Suspension: (F) KYB 43mm USD telescopic forks, fully adjustable (R) KYB fully-adjustable single shock.
Wheels: Cast aluminium, (F) 19 x 3.5in/ (R) 17 x 5.5in (VX model cross-spoke wires)
Tyres: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR (F) 120/70 x 19, (R) 170/60 x 17
Brakes: (F) 2 x 320mm discs, J.Juan four-piston radial calipers, (R) 260mm disc, 2-piston caliper. Cornering ABS
Weight: 265kg (wet)
Wheelbase: 1,581mm
Seat height: 820mm
Fuel tank: 20 litres
Fuel consumption: N/A
Service intervals: 3000 miles/12 months
Warranty: 24 months unlimited mileage
Contact: www.motogb.co.uk/morbidelli
Words: Phil West
Photos: Morbidelli/Joe Dick
