Moto Morini Granpasso 1200

Granpasso 1200 has a feisty look that comes through in the trellis frame underlining the Italian spirit and sporty nature of this Morini machine. The aesthetics of the bike instantly convey agility and lightness: right from the first glance, the bike assures an imposing personality and top flight performance.

Paraphrasing a concept intrinsic to Moto Morini’s past and recent history, the style of this motorcycle can be summed up as an Enduro Veloce. The front view with headlamp fairing, the double separate lamp and mudguard conveys spunk and sportiness; similar sensations are evoked by other design choices, too, like turn indicators built into the body. Naturally, the Enduro is Veloce not just because of its aesthetic and design choices, but because of specific technical inputs encapsulated in several components: the Öhlins rear shock absorber with separate tank, multi-adjustable in length, pre-load, rebound and compression damping; radial brake and clutch pumps; clutch with antiskipping system, the first road Enduro to adopt this device, which makes road handling more efficient. Even the light weight of the bike, not merely a visual impact (the bike weighs less than 200 kg), accentuates the sporty character of the Granpasso and enhances its rideability.

Styling by Marabese Design has sought to obtain the perfect balance of curvatures and tensions of all the superstructures: headlight fairing, tank, seat and tail are streamlined, revealing Italian aesthetics and a pursuit of technical solutions in consistency with functional aspects. The tank is designed to allow a forward riding position without forgoing a capacity that will ensure fuel autonomy (25 Litres
); the riding position is raised as is normal for an Enduro, but the narrow sides allow the rider to lean the bike down on the ground without effort. Taking responsibility for comfort is the good aerodynamic protection.

The passenger has been given proper consideration as well: a long, contoured seat to prevent slipping forward, double handle expertly integrated into the tail design, well positioned footpegs to avoid leg fatigue on long trips, and excellent thermal insulation on the exhausts. In all, the ideal situation for travelling in comfort and having as much fun as the one doing the riding.

The Bialbero Corsacorta twin-cylinder engine.

Granpasso is a largedisplacement road Enduro installed with the Bialbero CorsaCorta 1187 cc twin-cylinder engine. The engine is compact, strongly characterized by the 87° V layout of the cylinders and an innovative solution for the integral casing. This offers several advantages over traditional solutions, resulting primarily the stiffness of the whole, which makes the engine load bearing, thus simplifying the frame layout.

Franco Lambertini’s engine, whose performance characteristics are known and appreciated, has been optimized for the Granpasso in order to improve progression at low rpms and limit fuel consumption. The exceptional torque and power of the CorsaCorta twin-cylinder give the Granpasso the clear identity of a sport bike, and adapt perfectly to the features of the vehicle, serving to enhance its rideability.

The frame.

Mainstay of the chassis is the high-strength tubular trellis frame by Verlicchi based on an exclusive Moto Morini design. Wheelbase, steering rake and trail values are compact, especially considering the fact that this is an Enduro with a 1200 cc heart.

Swing arm and suspension.

The frame is backed up by excellent suspensions. At front is a sturdy Marzocchi Magnum with 50 mm-diameter upside down legs, with plates in a cast light alloy. The rear features a weighty twin swing arm shaped by hydroforming, an innovative construction technology using the deforming capacity of hydraulic pressure to enable production of non-welded pieces. The swing arm designed with this technology has advantages in terms of weight, but especially in structural rigidity. It is aided by a lateral single shock absorber from Öhlins with piggy back tank, which is multi-adjustable with external remote device in length, pre-load, rebound and compression damping.

Rims and tyres.

The Excel spoked rims in aluminium alloy mean that latest generation tubeless tyres can be mounted on the bike. These multi-functional tyres feature compounds that assure excellent grip on dry and wet surfaces when going long hauls in varying weather conditions and in total safety, even with a full load.

Braking system.

The Brembo systems with radial pump guarantee powerful and progressive decelerations, giving the rider optimum sensitivity for handling this challenging part of the riding experience. The pair of semi-floating discs with a diameter of 298 mm at front is worked by 2-piston floating callipers, a solution that ensures both power and modulability, appreciable on any asphalt surface and especially on surfaces with poor grip. At the rear is a 255 mm single disc with 2-piston floating calliper.

Tank.

The fuel tank is built by Acerbis and complies with European and U.S. standards. It has a capacity of 25 Litres
and can be lifted to access the large filter box underneath.

Instrument panel.

Small-sized and well integrated with the headlight fairing, the digital instrument panel is perfectly legible. The controls are easy to access as they are placed on the handgrip. Among the other functions of the instrumentation, the rider can view the outside temperature, the gear engaged, clock and maintenance intervals.

Exhaust system.

Built in stainless steel, the system is perfectly incorporated into the motorcycle design, becoming a characteristic feature of the bike. The sound of the Bialbero Corsacorta twin cylinder is full and powerful but thanks to some meticulous tuning and closed loop technology with trivalent catalytic converter and Lambda sensor, it has a low environmental impact with emissions that fall below the stringent Euro 3 emission standards.

Accessories.

MOTO MORINI COMPETIZIONE, the Moto Morini catalogue of accessories, dedicates to the Granpasso 1200 different items designed to enhance the comfort of the trip.

• Pair of rigid side panniers, 34 litre capacity each
• Rigid rear case, 46 litre capacity
• Expandable tank bag
• Touring windshield
• Tom Tom Touch Screen satellite navigation system
• Heated handgrips kit
• Hand guard kit
• Central stand
• Offroad sport seat
• Oil cooler

With its new Granpasso, Moto Morini are taking on similar adventure-sport bikes from BMW, KTM, Ducati, Triumph and others. Solomoto recently had the opportunity to ride the Granpasso, and here are some excerpts from what they have to say about the machine:

The Granpasso looks distinctive, with its twin headlamps lending an aggressive touch to the design. The engine guard mounted below that v-twin adds the right off-road styling touch, as does the 19-inch front wheel.

Moto Morini have retuned their 1,187cc, liquid-cooled, DOHC v-twin for the Granpasso. The 118bhp engine has been fettled to produce more torque at lower revs. The fuel-injection system has been remapped, the exhaust system is all new, and according to Morini’s chief engineer, Franco Lambertini, engine internals have been reworked for more efficient combustion and better fuel economy.

The Granpasso is fast, stable and all-terrain-capable

The fuel tank takes 27 Litres
of petrol, which should be enough for a range of more than 300km. The bike is, generally, large, with wide handlebars and a spacious, upright seating position. Seat height, though, is all of 870mm – you need to be tall in order to be able to ride this bike properly!

At 210kg, the Granpasso isn’t very heavy and the smooth power delivery at low revs makes it easy to ride the bike in traffic. On winding, curvy roads, the Granpasso feels effortless and the adjustable screen offers adequate wind/rain protection. The bike’s overall performance and sheer versatility could make this the most successful bike in the Moto Morini lineup…