Usually, when a motorcycle manufacturer outsources the basic design and building of a bike to a competitor, they prefer to keep it quiet. However, in the case of Moto Morini, the Italian/Chinese brand is not hesitant to point out that its Vettore 450 is a reimagined CFMoto Ibex 450. That may not be a bad strategy, as the 2026 Moto Morini Vettore 450 has quite a few interesting features of its own, and the Vettore and Ibex share a $6499 price tag.
To clear the air before we dive into the review, here’s a rundown of the differences between the Vettore and the Ibex:
The Vettore has 8.2 inches of fork travel and 7.5 inches of rear wheel travel (the Ibex has 7.9 inches of travel at both ends)
The final gearing is 15-/46-tooth (the Ibex is geared considerably lower with a 14-/47-tooth combo)
The fuel tank holds 4.9 gallons (0.3 gallons more than the Ibex)
The handlebar is 6-position adjustable (the Ibex bar position is fixed)
The Vettore has its own ergonomics
The rear disc is 255mm (the Ibex is 240mm)
A centerstand is standard (it’s a $280 Ibex accessory)
There’s a high front fender and a low mini-fender (the Ibex has a low-mounted front fender)
The seat is two-piece (the Ibex seat is one piece)
The adjustable windscreen pivots forward (the Ibex screen moves up)
The dash is a 6-inch TFT (the Ibex dash is a 5-inch TFT)
The rear rack and handholds are steel (they are plastic on the Ibex)
Switchgear is backlit
The Vettore has its own styling
The curb weight is about 465 pounds (the Ibex weighs 425 pounds)
The cumulative differences are substantial, especially with the higher gearing and increased weight. That’s enough to make the Vettore its own motorcycle, and that’s how we’re going to judge it.
The 2026 Moto Morini Vettore 450 runs a torquey 270-degree parallel twin. The DOHC, liquid-cooled 449cc powerplant makes a claimed 45 horsepower at 8500 rpm and 31 lb-ft of torque at 6500 rpm. The 270-degree crank gives it a firing pulse like a 90-degree V-twin, and hooks up well in the dirt. Power is not explosive, as it’s a 450 that weighs about 465 pounds with the 4.9-gallon tank filled. Instead, it’s all about smooth power delivery and finding traction.
The motor pulls cleanly from low rpm, and the powerband is linear to the redline. With the strong low-rpm torque, finely tuned fueling, and willingness to overrev when needed, the Vettore’s motor is a sweetheart in the dirt and on pavement. Off-road, there’s plenty of pull when you need it thanks to the torque production, yet it won’t spin up the 140mm-wide CST Ambro A4II tubeless radial without warning, even with traction control off. There’s enough power to cruise all day at 80 mph with no engine strain. The tall gearing and spot-on fueling make the motor feel completely natural in street or dirt settings.
The 2026 Moto Morini Vettore 450 has a basic electronics system. The street and off-Road modes are strictly about ABS and traction control, which is about all you’d need with the manageable Moto Morini. As you would expect, the Off-Road mode turns off the rear ABS and traction control, while they’re both on in the street-oriented All Roads mode. In the All Roads mode, you can independently turn off traction control. In Off-Road mode, you can turn ABS and traction control on, if you like. The smooth motor lessens the impact of traction control. When riding hard on dirt roads, though, we found the front-only ABS to be excessively intrusive, leading to some front brake pumping and heart-in-the-mouth moments as obstacles approached rapidly. Hard riders will want to adjust their braking points accordingly and make use of the rear brake to compensate.
The 6-inch TFT dash is beautiful and nicely laid out, with somewhat challenging switchgear. Everything runs through the display, as there are no independent buttons for modes, ABS, or TC. Switching to Off-Road mode must be done deliberately to appease the legal department. The Off-Road mode has its own display that prominently features your speed and gear position, while the All Roads display adds a tachometer to the mix. ABS and traction control are adjustable independently through the dash menu. It takes some button pushing, though the screen helps walk you through it. When you turn off the key, the mode reverts to All Roads upon restarting. Unusually, rather than warning lights framing the screen, the warning icons are incorporated into the TFT.
Twin counterbalancers keep vibration exceptionally low at all but the highest rev counts. At idle at a red light, you can barely tell the motor is running. On the freeway, once you pass 80 mph, vibration starts to creep in, all the way to a few clicks over 90 mph, which is about where the Moto Morini taps out.
A 6-speed gearbox is flawless, and the clutch pull is light. The lever effort is light enough for all-day use without fatigue, even without an assist function. I punished the clutch in challenging, 1st-gear off-road sections, and it refused to fade. That’s impressive, given the high gearing of the Vettore. We wouldn’t complain if a quickshifter were fitted to the transmission.
The 2026 Moto Morini Vettore 450 feels comfortable as soon as you climb aboard, and there’s some ergonomic adjustability. The seat height is a friendly 33.1 inches, which is a great help off-road to everyone and to shorter-inseamed riders in town. Despite having a tank that holds nearly five gallons, the Vettore has a slim midsection. We were satisfied with the handlebar position, though feel free to pick one of the other five mounting choices if you like. As we went off-road on every test ride, we left the rubber footpeg inserts out, which gave us some welcome legroom. For riders who prefer a foot position closer to the comfortable seat, the rubber inserts tighten the rider triangle a bit. In fact, the rider triangle is somewhat compact when seated and more akin to that of a conventional naked sportbike, though standing isn’t inhibited.
We put on rides of up to 300 miles a day and were not worn out. Also, legs weren’t cramped, and butts were not sore. This feeds into the Vettore’s capability as a lightweight adventure-tourer, as it effortlessly gets over 200 miles out of a tank of gas.
The Vettore has delightfully neutral handling. The 59.5-inch wheelbase feels right, and the 26 degrees of rake and the 21-inch front tire give the bike plenty of agility. It’s an intuitive motorcycle to ride, and the wide, flat-bend handlebar gives the rider plenty of leverage. This is not a motorcycle you have to fight off-road or on paved twisties, and the center of gravity feels unexpectedly low. Happily, the Vettore is not nervous at speed. It’s happy to run at 80 mph as long as you like. You might want to move the adjustable windscreen forward to block the wind a little better, though it’s best if you do it at a stop.
The 21-/18-inch wire-spoke wheelset signals real off-road intent. The tubeless, tangentially spoked wheels carry 90/90 front and 140/70 rear sizes, which offer access to nearly every quality ADV tire. We had no complaints about the stock CST Ambro A4II They work well on the street, and hold their own in the dirt. The rear block pattern is good for stability on the street and predictability in the dirt, even if that means some sliding with TC off. Up front, the narrow 90mm tire is drama-free on the pavement and willing to turn confidently in the dirt.
KYB suspension at both ends is almost fully adjustable. The 41mm inverted fork is fully adjustable and offers 8.2 inches of travel. The rear KYB shock is linkage-assisted and controls 7.5 inches of travel, with adjustment for rebound damping and spring preload. The suspension is soft and plush for the road, then firms up deeper in the stroke for support in the dirt. That makes for a comfortable off-road ride without introducing wallowing. The damping is measured, and the springing supports the chassis impressively. While you won’t forget you’re on a 465-pound adventure bike, the suspension is encouraging off-road, particularly at slower and moderate speeds. Should you start to push hard in more difficult terrain, the limitations gradually become apparent.
Braking comes courtesy of J.Juan with Bosch ABS. The 320mm disc and radially mounted 4-piston caliper combination is all you want with a 90mm-wide front tire. It slows the bike down appropriately on the street, with a friendly, soft initial bite that builds progressively. ABS is excellent on the street, though the front ABS is a bit too ambitious for our taste, as mentioned earlier. The rear block tire pattern offers good traction for rear wheel braking on the street, and you definitely want ABS off on the rear 255mm disc in the dirt.
The dash connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth for the usual functions. Music and phone call alerts are part of the third-party, China-based Carbit Ride that Moto Morini uses to communicate with the dash. If you want turn-by-turn navigation, you have to spring for a subscription. USB-A and USB-C power ports sit behind a rubber cover on the dash mount.
The Vettore 450’s true calling is as a small-displacement adventure-tourer. With the tall gearing, long pavement drones are not too arduous. There’s luggage mounting on the fuel tank and a roomy rear rack. The accessory catalog gives you access to aluminum panniers and a top box ($1950 with mounting hardware), a larger windscreen ($150), heated grips ($200), a heated front seat ($220), and lower bars (price TBA). Outfitted like that, I’d be willing to ride coast-to-coast, knowing that off-road excursions would be more accessible than usual. Oh, and there’s a larger $200 aluminum skidplate. The standard centerstand is robust and, even though I suck at deploying centerstands, I was able to get the Vettore up on the stand on the first try, an unheard-of feat.
A bonus function for the Vettore is commuting duty. It’s a wonderful way to get to work. On the freeways, you have a commanding view of the road, and the CST tires are not put off by rain grooves. Concrete expansion joints are not a problem for the ADV-ready suspension, so you don’t have to be picky about lane placement. The lack of vibration means you arrive fresh at your destination. Brisk acceleration up to 80 mph reduces mental fatigue, as you know you can get out of the way via the throttle when necessary. Commuting by motorcycle is always fun, and the Vettore emerges as one of the greats.
It’s amazing what $6499 buys these days. The 2026 Moto Morini Vettore 450 is another reminder that China is establishing itself as a motorcycle-building juggernaut, much as the Japanese did in the 1970s. The Italian influence adds a bit of style to the equation, and Moto Morini gives the base CFMoto Ibex 450 enough extra goodies and changes to make the Vettore 450 a standalone motorcycle. While the dealer list is growing, you still won’t find a Moto Morini dealer everywhere, which is a bit of a concern for touring riders. On the upside, the Vettore has a three-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, so that’s a vote of confidence. This slice of the ADV market is growing, and bikes like the Vettore 450 are a big reason why. Maybe you don’t need a liter-plus engine and five-figure MSRP after all.
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In our first segment, Don Williams and Nic de Sena chat about the latest Yamaha MT-07. The amazing motor in the Yamaha is mostly unchanged, however just about everything else with this bike has changed. Don and Nic have extensive experience riding this beast and you’ll hear both their likes and a couple of dislikes too.
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Our guest for this episode is Nikolas Lazos, a 15-year old young man from Melbourne, Australia who starting racing in the Supersport 300 category in Australian Superbike last year. Nikolas had an awful crash at the tail end of last year that put him out of contention for the Championship. Teejay chats with Nikolas about his journey so far, and the physical and mental challenges he’s facing coming back from injury.
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Here’s quick reminder to check out our monthly digital magazine. It’s filled with everything you want to read on motorcycling, including some things you’ve probably not seen elsewhere. It’s absolutely free and you will find it on the Apple App Store and of course on Google Play as well.
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