The Most Rider-Friendly Touring Bike For First-Time Owners

Touring motorcycles are plentiful, but rarely do they come cheap. After all, Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle have spearheaded this segment for a long time now, neither of which is known for building “affordable” bikes. Even the cheapest touring bike from a “popular brand” hovers near $10,000.

However, there is a lesser-known touring cruiser in town that doesn’t skimp on performance, comfort, accessibility, or even looks while still being priced affordably at under $7,000. Here’s us giving you insight into the cheapest touring bike you can buy today in America. And how this Moto Morini hits the right chord as the perfect touring bike for first-time riders.

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The Moto Morini Calibro 700 Bagger Is The Perfect Touring Bike For First-Time Owners

Price: $6,799

Moto Morini has designed the rider triangle of the Calibro 700 Bagger for long hauls. It has a fairly low seat height of 28.3 inches, forward-set footpegs, and a tall and upright handlebar. The rider sits in a commanding position, and the scooped-in saddle offers a fair bit of lower back support, which is handy during long saddle hours. Making long rides more comfortable is its standard windshield atop the batwing fairing. This should offer decent wind deflection, reducing fatigue.

Then there is its weight, which is impressively low at 443 pounds. For reference, its closest rival weighs a whopping 644 pounds. Couple this Moto Morini’s perks with its low center of gravity, and we have a touring bike that welcomes new riders. Moreover, the Calibro 700 Bagger is a two-up bagger from the factory. You might think otherwise because most of the press images show a rear seat cowl, which actually comes in as an accessory.

The Calibro 700 Bagger Is The Most Affordable Touring Bike With Saddlebags

Upping the ante is the price. Close to 70 horsepower for under $7,000 makes this the affordable touring bike with the best price-to-power ratio. Its standard hardcase lockable saddlebags make the package even more desirable with added practicality. You get a total of 38 liters of cargo space, enough for a cozy weekend getaway. This is the only touring bike under $10,000 that offers hard-case saddlebags as standard fitment. Optional tank bags and tail bags give you added storage.

The Calibro 700 Bagger Packs Sturdy Underpinnings To Go The Distance

This touring bike has simple yet sturdy underpinnings. The chassis comprises a double-steel cradle frame and a solid steel double-sided swingarm. It is suspended by conventional forks up front and preload-adjustable dual shocks at the rear. On paper, the suspension setup aims to offer a plush riding experience.

We emphasize this because the rear shocks provide 4.0 inches of travel. But generally, touring cruiser bikes with similar low-slung stances barely hit the 4-inch suspension travel mark at the rear. J. Juan hardware handles braking duties, with a 320 mm disc up front and a 255 mm disc at the rear. Thanks to alloy wheels with tubeless tires, a flat tire during long rides won’t spoil the mood.

Chassis And Hardware Specs

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Powered By A Peppy And Proven Parallel-Twin Engine

Power: 68 Horsepower

A peppy parallel twin powers this beginner-friendly touring bike. This 693cc twin is a modified version of the previous-gen Kawasaki Ninja 650 twin. After Kawasaki opened up the engine design patent for fellow bike makers, CFMoto built a distinctive variation, finally ending up in this Moto Morini. The reliability quotient can also be trusted since the engine is based on a tried-and-tested Japanese design. Despite being a touring bike engine, this twin is athletic, with peak power and torque produced at a fairly high 6,500 RPM and 8,500 RPM, respectively.

With 68 horses and over 50 pound-feet of torque, we can very well call the Calibro 700 bagger an affordable power cruiser. But despite its spirited nature, this touring bike offers a smooth, low-end, and strong mid-range torque curve. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a 6-speed gearbox. Elevating the reliability quotient further is a belt-driven rear wheel, which requires minimal maintenance.

Engine And Performance Specs

Just The Right Amount Of Technology To Not Overwhelm New Riders

We believe that beginner motorcycles should not be bombarded with technological features, as they tend to overwhelm a newbie and, to an extent, rob the rider of learning certain basic skill sets. Moto Morini agrees with us, as the Calibro 700 Bagger is barebones in terms of technology features. Apart from standard dual-channel ABS, there are no other assistive features here.

The instrument cluster is old-school, too, with a huge tachometer and a tiny LED at the bottom right. This layout actually complements this touring bike’s classic vibing design. Other notable features include LED lighting all around and a USB port for charging duties on the go.

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The Moto Morini Calibro Bagger Is A Looker

Blacked-Out Retro-Vibing Design

Moto Morini has hit it outside the park with the Calibro 700 bagger’s design. While this is essentially the barebones Calibro 700 cruiser with touring-specific add-ons, the bagger has a distinctive aura. Its all-black theme has a sinister vibe, which sure complements its spirited performance. The coolest design elements have to be the batwing fairing and the neatly designed saddlebags.

Despite being boxy and sharp, they go well with the curvy silhouette of this bagger. The design has an old-school charm, which is elevated further with the round LED headlamp design, low-slung stance, and muscular lines across the body. The underbody exhaust gives it a clean look, too. Moto Morini states the Calibro has a “bold, American-inspired look.”

Notable Design Features

• A solo paint job option—Metallic Black
• Cool-looking nine double-spoke alloy wheels
• Chunky rear tire dimensions add to its visual drama.
• Batwing fairing encloses a classic round headlamp design.

No Rival Offers The Moto-Morini’s Beginner-Friendly VFM Proposition

The Moto Morini Calibro 700 Bagger has turned out to be an underdog. With much more power and about 200 pounds less than any of its immediate rivals, this new bagger redefines entry-level touring bikes. The likes of the Suzuki Boulevard C50T and the Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT sure come with standard saddlebags, but they are leather-wrapped and not lockable. Also, these two metric cruisers try a bit too hard to mimic old-school American charm. This robs it of performance and adds a lot of weight. These two might be linear and low on performance, but are in no way beginner-friendly, especially when we have a more welcoming Moto Morini in the bunch.

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Surprisingly, the only touring cruiser bike that matches the performance-to-price ratio of the Calibro bagger is the liter-class Honda Rebel 1100T. Like the Calibro, this Honda gets a peppy parallel-twin, high on performance, but with a calmer torque curve, making it urban-friendly. It is also the lightest rival in this bunch. This Honda is the only other touring bike with standard hardcase lockable saddlebags. But it’s a whopping $4,000 more expensive than our underdog, which instantly seals the deal.

2025 Moto Morini Calibro Bagger Vs Rival Touring Bikes