These Italian Scramblers Are Ready To Take America By Storm

Italian bikemaker Moto Morini has launched its remaining motorcycle lineup in America

If middleweight scrambler motorcycles intrigue you, you’d be happy to know this segment now has another offering in America. Called the Seiemmezzo, the motorcycle comes from Italian bikemaker Moto Morini and locks horns in the 600-700cc segment. More importantly, it’s priced quite competitively at under $8,000, especially for all that’s on offer. Let’s dive in.

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The Seiemmezzo comes in two variants–STR and SCR. The former serves duty as the street-oriented model, evident by its alloy wheels, road-spec Pirelli Angel GT tires, and sporty front fender. Whereas, the latter promises to bring in some off-road capabilities with its spoke wheels (wrapped in Pirelli MT60 rubber), high-set front fender, and a bigger bash plate.

You also get different ergonomics. The SCR has a tall handlebar, and a ribbed single-piece seat in place of the STR’s two-piece saddle and a lower handlebar. This is topped by rubber tank pads, a chunky tail, and round mirrors, all absent on the STR.

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And that’s where the differences end. Once atop, the Seiemmezzo twins greet you with a five-inch TFT display and backlit switchgear. The TFT comes loaded with smartphone connectivity as standard, in addition to different view modes. Dual-channel ABS and all-LED lights are common between them as well. The overall silhouette is also identical between these two, as they share the same lights and fuel tank.

Under the skin, the Seiemmezzo is equipped with Moto Morini’s 649cc, twin-cylinder engine. It whips out 61 horsepower (at 8,250 RPM) and 40 pound-feet (at 7,500 RPM), sent to the wheel via a six-speed transmission. Though this is plenty for heaps of fun, Moto Morini claims a lackluster 105mph top speed (even less than a few 400cc motorcycles). The 440-pound dry weight is probably at play here, along with the lack of aerodynamics.

As for underpinnings, both variants are built around a steel trellis chassis. It’s sprung on upside-down Kayaba 43 mm forks and monoshock, both with adjustability and 4.7 inches of travel. This is topped by 18/17-inch wheels that house two 298 mm and one 255 mm fore and aft, respectively. Brembo rotors help slow you down.

Pricing is key for new brands, and Moto Morini hits the hammer right on the nail. The Seiemmezzo STR is priced at $7,499 while the SCR can be all yours for $7,699. At this price, the Seiemmezzo undercuts its arch-rival, the Yamaha XSR 700, by a whopping $1,400. In fact, the MSRP brings it in close contention with the 47-HP Honda SCL500, which sells for $6,799. That being said, the Italian giant is yet to reveal its dealership network or when interested parties can check out these bikes.

So would you pick the Chinese-made Italian scramblers over the Japanese? Tell us in the comments.

Punya is an avid motorcyclist who's always up for a ride to the canyons or the racetrack. He insists his riding skills are better than his writing skills, even though he's worked with some world-renowned automotive websites.