Part of Throttle Times’ live coverage of EICMA 2026.

Moto Morini has officially resurrected one of the most revered nametags in European rally raid history at EICMA in Milan: the Moto Morini Camel. Built to spearhead the Trivolzio-based marque’s hardcore off-road ambitions, the 2027 Camel is not a cosmetic sticker package on an existing soft-roader, but a clean-sheet adventure motorcycle built around an all-new in-house 670cc parallel-twin engine and genuine 21-inch rally running gear.

The revival arrives four decades after the original 1981 Camel 500 conquered brutal desert terrain in the early Paris-Dakar rallies. By stepping directly into the white-hot middleweight rally category, Moto Morini is mounting an aggressive challenge against established benchmarks like the Yamaha Ténéré 700, the Aprilia Tuareg 660, and the newly revealed Benda Capra 700.

A Clean-Sheet 670cc Parallel-Twin Built in Trivolzio

The mechanical core of the new Moto Morini Camel is an all-new 670cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine designed and developed entirely in-house by Moto Morini’s Italian R&D engineering team. Featuring double overhead camshafts (DOHC), four valves per cylinder, and a 270-degree crankshaft firing order, the powerplant produces 81.5 hp (82 CV / 60 kW) at 8,500 rpm and 70 Nm of peak torque at 6,500 rpm.

Crucially for the European market, Moto Morini confirmed an A2-licence-compliant 35 kW (47.6 hp) version will arrive alongside the full-power machine. Fuel metering is managed by a contemporary ride-by-wire throttle assembly, integrating three selectable engine maps (Road, Rain, and a dedicated Off-Road mode), multi-stage switchable traction control, and electronic cruise control as standard equipment.

“The Camel is the true soul of Moto Morini’s off-road heritage,” the engineering team shared during the Milan unveil. “We did not want to adapt an existing touring chassis; we built a purpose-designed 21-inch platform with true 250mm suspension stroke that can take repeated pounding over desert washboards.”

250mm Long-Travel Suspension and 21-Inch Rally Geometry

Chassis architecture centers on a heavy-duty tubular steel trellis frame joined to a lightweight cast aluminum swingarm, engineered to provide controlled lateral flex when tracking over rocky single-track. Suspension hardware is strictly pro-spec: a fully adjustable 45mm upside-down front fork providing 250 mm of wheel travel, matched to a progressive-link rear monoshock also delivering 250 mm of travel with remote hydraulic preload adjustment.

Ground clearance measures an impressive 260 mm, while wire-spoked tubeless wheels (21 inches up front, 18 inches at the rear) come factory-fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR dual-sport rubber. Braking is entrusted to Brembo, utilizing dual 320mm front floating discs clamped by radial calipers and a 255mm rear disc. The Bosch dual-channel ABS system features full cornering capability in street modes and can be fully disengaged at the rear wheel (or switched off entirely) for dirt work.

The Rider’s Trade-Off: True 250mm Travel Versus Highway Reach

Building a legitimate desert raid machine demands real mechanical sacrifices. Delivering a class-leading 250 mm of wheel travel and 260 mm of sump clearance inevitably pushes the unladen seat height up to 875 mm, putting flat-foot reassurance out of reach for riders under 178 cm on uneven off-camber trails. Furthermore, equipping the Camel with a substantial 19-liter rally fuel cell ensures an impressive 400+ km touring range between remote fuel stops, but that high-volume fuel load raises the bike’s center of gravity during low-speed rock crawling.

Specification Moto Morini Camel 670 (2027) Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid Aprilia Tuareg 660
Engine Layout 670cc Parallel-Twin, DOHC 689cc CP2 Parallel-Twin 659cc Parallel-Twin, 270°
Peak Power 81.5 hp @ 8,500 rpm 73.4 hp @ 9,000 rpm 80.0 hp @ 9,250 rpm
Peak Torque 70 Nm @ 6,500 rpm 68 Nm @ 6,500 rpm 70 Nm @ 6,500 rpm
Front / Rear Wheels 21” / 18” Tubeless Spoked 21” / 18” Tube-Type Spoked 21” / 18” Tubeless Spoked
Suspension Travel 250 mm F / 250 mm R 230 mm F / 220 mm R 240 mm F / 240 mm R
Ground Clearance 260 mm 250 mm 240 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity 19.0 Litres 23.0 Litres (Dual Tanks) 18.0 Litres
Seat Height 875 mm 890 mm 860 mm
Estimated EU Price ~€9,490 (Est.) €12,999 €11,999

Pricing and European Availability

Behind the navigation-tower-style front fairing sits a full-color 5-inch TFT instrument display complete with turn-by-turn navigation mirroring, Bluetooth smartphone telemetry, and dual USB-C charging ports tucked behind the cockpit. Dual stacked projector LED headlamps are framed by distinctive desert-sand bodywork finished in matte black and vintage Morini red striping.

Moto Morini announced that European commercial deliveries for the Camel 670 are scheduled to begin in late 2027. While official pricing will be formalized closer to market launch, brand representatives indicated a targeted European MSRP around €9,200 to €9,500—positioning the Camel as an intensely competitive alternative to the Royal Enfield Himalayan 750 and establishing a serious European rally contender with genuine heritage cred.

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Official source: https://motomorini.eu

Reporting via: dueruote.it, red-live.it