Another day, another fresh bike from one of the new Chinese bike makers hitting the UK streets. And this time, it’s a mini-superbike from QJMotor, with a spec sheet which would have made our mouths water back in the heyday of 400cc sportsbikes from Japan.
Indeed the new SRK421 RR is a match, on paper at least, for the latest competition in the sector from the likes of Kawasaki and Honda, measuring up nicely against the ZX-4RR and forthcoming CBR500RR four respectively in terms of spec, power and mass.
It’s all based around QJMotor’s own engine: a proper inline-four cylinder unit with the usual DOHC, 16-valve liquid cooled layout. It has a 421cc capacity from a 57mm bore and 41.2mm stroke, with 12.6: 1 compression ratio, and Bosch MSE9.0 ride by wire fuel injection.
That all helps make a solid peak power figure: claimed 78bhp at 14,000rpm, with maximum torque of 39Nm at a heady 13,000rpm. It’s fair to say she’ll be a bit of a screamer we reckon…
QJMotor is also trumpeting the engineering inside the powerplant: the firm says its new motor features high-end parts like DLC-treated valve tappets, electroplated ceramic-coated aluminium cylinders and forged alloy steel camshafts.
Many components are also sourced from major Japanese brands, including FCC paper-based clutch plates, NTN bearings, RIK piston rings, and Daido crankshaft bearings. This is pretty interesting – the new Chinese firms are keen to use well-known brands on visible chassis parts like the Marzocchi suspension and Brembo brakes, and it’s good to see them applying that thinking to components that you can’t see as well.
The plan is clear – settle potential buyers’ minds about the quality and reliability of the novel machinery as much as possible.
This neat mini-sportsbike lump is bolted into a hybrid frame which the firm calls ‘steel-aluminium alloy braided’ but which seems to be a combination of steel tube main sections and aluminium swingarm pivot plates and steering head. It’s a style used by the likes of MV Agusta, and is perhaps a product of QJMotors’ partnerships with the Italian brand (the QJMotor 921 super naked uses an old Brutale 920 engine).
Sadly, it’s mostly hidden by the full fairing, so you don’t really see much of it. There is a smart gull-arm cast aluminium swingarm on show though, plus a neat bolt-on alloy rear subframe, and other parts like the top yoke are nicely designed too. Weight overall is decent: a claimed 176kg dry, which compares well to the Kawasaki ZX-4RR which is specified as 189kg wet.
That frame is matched to fully-adjustable upside-down telescopic forks and an adjustable rear multi-link shock absorber from Marzocchi. Brakes are by Brembo (though there are QJMotors-branded calipers in some of the press pics), with a pair of radial four-piston calipers acting on 300mm dual front discs and a two-piston caliper operating a 240mm single rear disc, all controlled via a dual-channel cornering ABS system.
Tyres are home-market CST fitments from Cheng Shin, in light sportsbike sizes (120/70 17 front 160/60 17 rear), and are perhaps the one area where you might fancy an upgrade to a premium brand early on.
The rider interface is controlled through a 7-inch TFT LCD dash which lets riders access stuff like the tyre pressure monitoring system, optional front/rear integrated action cameras, smartphone connectivity, and navigation mirroring.
Riders can toggle between Normal and Sport modes to tweak the power and throttle response and can also adjust the level of intervention from the Traction Control System (TCS) and ABS. Sport is designed for track use, allowing slight rear wheel slip and wheelies, and there’s an up/down quickshifter too.
The styling is pretty cool, and has been penned by Italian design agency C-CREATIVE and British designer Adrian Morton, also known for his work on the Benelli Tornado back in the day, and MV Agusta machines more recently.
The LED headlights dominate the front end, and the slightly-fussy tail unit has a floating tail-light assembly. There’s aerodynamic winglets and spaced fairing panels, all of which may be a little moot on a 78bhp 400 compared with a 215bhp litre superbike, but are nicely shaped anyway.
So – a good-looking little sportsbike, with solid specifications, high equipment levels and a decent price – £5,299 plus on the road charges, which is a big saving over the Kawasaki ZX-4R at £8,799. Well worth a look if you’re in this market we reckon: find a local dealer at www.qjmotor.co.uk
QJMOTOR SRK421 RR specifications
New price: £5,299 (+OTR)
Capacity: 421cc
Bore x Stroke: 57.0mm × 41.2mm
Engine: inline four-cylinder, 16-valve, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke DOHC
Power: 77bhp (57kW)@14,000rpm
Torque: 39.0 Nm @ 13,000rpm
Transmission: 6 speed, chain final drive
Technical features: 7″ TFT Dash, Traction Control (TCS), Smartphone Connectivity, TPMS, USB charger
Frame: high-strength steel-aluminium alloy braided frame
Front suspension: Marzocchi upside-down (USD) telescopic forks, fully adjustable
Rear suspension: Marzocchi Multi-link mono-shock, fully adjustable
Front brake: dual 300mm discs, Brembo four-piston calipers, ABS
Rear brake: single 240mm disc, Brembo single-piston caliper, ABS
Front wheel & tyre: 120/70 ZR17 CST High-Performance Sport
Rear wheel & tyre: 160/60 ZR17 CST High-Performance Sport
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 2020mm x 720mm x 1130mm
Wheelbase: 1375mm
Ground clearance: 150mm
Seat height: 808mm (kerb)
Fuel tank size: 16 litres
Weight: 176kg
Warranty: 2 years, unlimited mileage
Colours: Black, White, or Red/Silver
Contact: qjmotor.co.uk
QJMOTOR SRK 421 Tech Highlights
– Brembo radial brakes with cornering ABS
– Switchable ride modes
– Adjustable Marzocchi suspension
– Marzocchi steering damper
– Quickshifter (up and down)
– Slipper clutch
– Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
– Switchable traction control system (TCS)
– Full LED lighting
– 7” TFT dashboard
– 18W dual-port USB (A&C) fast charger