Chinese brand QJ Motor arrives in the UK, with some intriguing new bikes
There’s been a load of new motorcycle marques from China in recent years: Voge, Kove, CFMoto, and many more. And now there’s another name on the scene, with what looks like one of the most interesting line-ups around, with some unique designs, its own engines, and very attractive pricing.
The brand is called QJMotor, and the bikes are produced by the gigantic Qianjiang Motorcycle Group, founded in 1985 in Wenling, Zhejiang Province, China. It’s one of the country’s largest bike makers, with the Geely car firm as a major shareholder. Geely owns the Volvo, Polestar, Proton, Lotus and Smart brands, as well as part-owning Aston Martin and Renault’s Horse Powertrain engine manufacturing division – so we’re talking about a pretty serious enterprise.
Big business nonsense aside, the QJMoto brand is being imported into the UK by Moto73 ltd, a subsidiary of the MotoGB firm which used to import Royal Enfield until a few years ago, and is the current supplier for Voge, Sym, Benelli and many more brands. Based in the north-west of England, Moto73 is bringing in up to 16 different models from the QJMotor lineup – headed up by the SRK800 RR inline-four supersports bike which is the homologation model for the firm’s World Supersport racer.
The SRK800 has a unique QJMotor-designed 778cc, four-cylinder DOHC 16v engine putting out 120bhp and 74 Nm of torque, from a 67x55mm bore and stroke. The sporty chassis boasts Brembo radial four-piston front brake calipers and 320mm discs, while suspension is by Marzocchi front and rear, with full adjustability. A full fairing with aerodynamic winglets, colour LCD dash, LED lights and a 16-litre tank rounds off the spec, although there’s no definite figure for the dry weight. The price is right though – from just £6,999.
As well as the sports bike, QJ has a few smart-looking adventure machine options. Those are headed up the flagship £7,699 SRT900 SX parallel twin which boasts a 95bhp 904cc parallel twin-cylinder engine, 19” front/17” rear tubeless spoked wheels, 24 litre tank and a 835mm seat height. Next up is the £6,199 SVT650 X V-twin, which comes with a 645cc V-twin engine, spoked wheels, metal luggage, engine bars and 20 litre tank, together with 795mm seat height, 236kg all-up wet weight and a full set of rider aids. Finally, the entry-level parallel twin SRT600 costs just £4,499 yet comes with a Marzocchi rear shock, colour TFT dash, 55bhp output and a 20 litre fuel tank.
QJMotor also offers some more unusual options like the £5,699 SRV600 V – a 561cc 90° V-four powered street cruiser with 67bhp@10,500rpm and 54Nm of torque, belt final drive, Marzocchi USD front forks, a low 720mm seat height and a 16.5 litre fuel tank. There’s a super-naked roadster – the SRK900 – with a 95bhp 270° eight-valve DOHC parallel twin engine, steel trellis frame, Brembo brakes and a £6,699 price tag. And the firm is also importing a couple of 125 learner bikes plus a smart urban scooter in both 50cc and 125cc capacities.
More info on all the new QJMotor machinery at www.qjmotor.co.uk