Into the great wide open of small-displacement adventure bikes rides the promising, almost-unpronounceable Alltrhike.
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Moto Morini is not exactly the first Italian motorcycle brand you think of. Heck, it’s probably not even the first Italian motorcycle brand whose name starts with “Moto” you think of.
And yet, since its revival by Zhejiang, China-based Zhongneng Vehicle Group early last decade, the 88-year-old brand has been up to some pretty interesting stuff.
I wrote about its over-the-top X-Cape 700 last month, but lately it is making news with the impending release of a smaller bike.
Dubbed, ahem, the Alltrhike, this scrappy adventure moto could (could!) pose a real threat to the dominance of Royal Enfield’s Himalayan 450. Here’s why.
Tutti i terreni
The mellifluous phrase above, the Internet tells me, is how you say “all terrain” in Italian.
I wonder if Moto Morini considered that as a name before landing on Alltrhike (which in my head I keep calling “all-thrike”), apparently a mash-up of all-terrain and hike.
Even though that doesn’t totally make sense, it doesn’t stop this bike from rumbling into the increasingly popular niche of more affordable, smaller-displacement adventure bikes.
The best known is of course the Himalayan 450, an absolute banger for the price, but bantam bikes from a number of other brands have been popping up as well.
There’s CFMoto’s Ibex 450, sure, but even smaller options such as Jawa Yezdi’s Adventure and Yamaha’s KLX230 Sherpa S ABS are making noise too.
All are a welcome respite for novice off-road riders, who may be intimidated by, say, BMW’s R 1300 GS and Harley’s Pan America 1250, which are fantastic but much bigger and more expensive.
A new player has joined
Now, besides its funny name, how might the Alltrhike pull focus from Royal Enfield’s bike and the others?
First and foremost, for lots of potential customers, it looks great. I’m especially enamored of the standard black and especially the green colorway (which recalls a much pricier BMW ADV).
That said, the white-hued upgrade, known as High Equipped, offers traits the stock Himalayan lacks: handguards, heated handgrips and a heated seat.
Beyond the looks, the steel-framed bike boasts an off-road-tuned 450cc liquid-cooled parallel twin engine making 44 horsepower and 32 pound-feet of torque and capable of a top speed of around 90 mph — pretty similar numbers to what the Himalayan offers.
The Alltrhike rolls on adventure-ready 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels wrapped in dual-sport tires, riding out the bumps thanks to a 41mm Kayaba fork with 208mm (more than 8 inches) of suspension travel and an adjustable rear monoshock.
Disc brakes, ABS and traction control (all standard) also help you keep the shiny side up.
With a curb weight reported to be between 404 and 419 pounds, the Alltrhike is lighter than Royal Enfield’s bike (432 pounds), but unfortunately, it’s taller too.
The 840mm (~33-inch) seat height could be a real dealbreaker for newer and shorter riders compared to the Himmy’s 31.5-inch saddle.
While there’s not a ton of tech on board, you do get a built-in display, nav system, USB charging ports and an adjustable windscreen.
Like the bike itself, it’s just enough to get where you’re going without too much fuss — and hopefully having a ton of fun in the process.
Availability and pricing
Pricing has not yet been announced, but with the brand’s considerably larger X-Cape starting at $7,999, I could see the Alltrhike coming in around the € equivalent of $6,000. That would put it squarely on the block of Royal Enfield’s Himalayan 450, which starts at $5,799.
While there is no word on a US release (yet), it is expected to roll into European dealerships in September.
Moto MoriniMoto Morini Alltrhike
