Morbidelli T1002V (2025 - ) review

Chinese brand bikes have moved on leaps and bounds in recent years, this Morbidelli T1002V a case in point. Formerly called MBP, this new brand was set up in 2021 by Keeway, the export arm of Chinese giant Qianjiang Motorcycle Group which has also owned Benelli since 2005. MBP then acquired the Morbidelli brand in 2024 following the death of Giancarlo Morbidelli, the bikes carrying his name finding fame in 1970s GP racing with three 125cc titles on the trot. The first new Morbidelli-badged bike was last year’s C1002V V-twin cruiser, this new adventure bike based on a modified version of the same in-house engine. This was created at Keeway’s design centre in Benelli/Morbidelli’s historic home of Pesaro, developed in Germany and Spain and is built in China. And, on this evidence, the rest of the world’s motorcycle industry needs to take note. The T1002V is stylish, superbly equipped and available in fancier 2VX version with wire wheels for just a couple of hundred quid more. A modest 88 horsepower means it’s not in the same league of performance as more established rivals but it is credible and effective, while a starting price several thousand less than most equivalent 1,000cc adventure bikes looks incredible value.

Typical full-size adventure bike style, but with a few useful additions. Although fairly tall with its 820mm seat height the V-twin engine layout means it’s also reasonably narrow, so not too awkward for getting your feet down. Seat and grips are both heated as standard (although the pillion’s isn’t), bars, levers and foot controls are all adjustable and the same goes for the screen, even if the mechanism is a little awkward on the move and the range of movement limited. The tallest setting still made motorway cruising far more pleasant, though.

Big adventure bikes usually make practical all-rounders, if sometimes compromised by their bulk. The new T1002V is essentially the same, and some may find it a bit tall and bulky for town use. That’s more than compensated for by its equipment, including aforementioned heating for grips and seat and affordably priced three-box aluminium luggage set. A centre stand is also included, and useful for regular maintenance jobs like lubing the chain, you get two USB charging ports and there are standard crashbars should you be unfortunate enough to drop it and more besides. If you can handle the size of it there’s nothing better at the price.

The Keeway designed and Morbidelli branded 997cc V-twin is a distinctive motor for its unusual 80-degree angle where most equivalents are 90-degree. On face value the 88 horsepower doesn’t sound all that impressive when even Suzuki’s aging V-Strom 1050 has over a hundred and the big, premium equivalents from BMW, KTM, Ducati and others are all around 150 horsepower, or more. Out there in the real world the Morbidelli V-twin is perfectly sufficient, though. Street, Sport, Rain and Off-road riding modes help you tune it to the riding conditions, albeit (annoyingly) only at a standstill and while it may lack a degree of the urge or refinement of some of those rivals it is still entertaining to use, lugs the bike’s bulk effectively and can even cruise two-up fully laden without breaking too much of a sweat. Braking is sufficient rather than exceptional, as you’d expect considering its price. There are twin front discs grasped by J-Juan four-piston radial calipers and more than enough power, even if feel isn’t as good as some.

The Morbidelli’s suspension is by KYB and comprises beefy 43mm inverted forks with a monoshock rear. Impressively, all are fully adjustable, although there’s no remote preload adjuster. On the whole, it’s adequately set up. Straight-line motorway cruising is stable, comfortable and pleasantly plush. Cornering is a little less precise, due in part to the knobbly Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres and 19-inch front wheel, but it can be hustled happily enough even if it’s not quite as sporty and secure as some more established, refined and expensive rivals.

The Morbidelli T1002V is an all-new bike, with an all-new engine, from an all-new brand, so predicting running costs takes some guesswork. That said, it’s comparatively underpowered next to other bikes of this type, fuel economy is likely in the mid-50s and there shouldn’t be the wear and tear on consumables like tyres, chain, brake pads you might get on sportier rivals. On top of that, its cycle parts, such as suspension, wheels, brakes and tyres, are all from proven brands. Like any big, heavy adventure bike it’s never going to be cheap to run, but we’d expect it to be a little more affordable than its higher powered, more expensive rivals.

Again, as a new bike reliability is currently an open question while its bargain positioning and Chinese heritage might give some cause for concern. That all said, the T1002V’s engine is notably understressed, the C1002V using the same motor has now been out for a year with no reported reliability concerns, parent company Keeway has been building bikes for years, its build quality is greater than might be expected and most of its components are also proven. Nothing went wrong on our day-long test ride and, although some elements could be improved (the indicators, for example, don’t self-cancel and the warning light is small, dim and easy to miss) we’ve no real reason to doubt its reliability.

Being a brand-new engine means the T1002V comes with recommended service intervals of only 3,000 miles, which is significantly lower than most rivals and may come round faster than the usual annual rate if you do big mileages. Its warranty is more conventional. The T1002V comes with a standard, manufacturer-backed, two-year/unlimited mileage warranty covering all parts and labour.

Impossible to criticise the new Morbidelli T1002V in this area. To repeat, the T1002V has adjustable screen, pegs, bars and levers, a large TFT dash, LED lights all round, those heated grips and seat, the four riding modes, Bluetooth, backlit switches on the left cluster, cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring and more for just £7,999 at the time of writing. For just £200 more you can have the T1002VX version with wire wheels and different graphics, too. If that isn’t enough you can add a three-box aluminium luggage set (not the biggest, but OK) for just £499.

It would be easy to say buy for the price alone and leave it at that. But there’s to it than that. The T1002V revives a classic name, does everything you’d hope of a full-size adventure bike and is an attractive machine in its own right. The lack of self-cancelling indicators is an annoying niggle and the engine is a little unrefined and down on power. Nor is it likely to convert anyone from a premium alternative like a BMW, KTM or Ducati. But it’s more than good enough to compete with the likes of a Suzuki V-Strom for significantly less money.