Great leap forward for Chinese brands
Like it or not, Chinese bike makers are on the move in the UK. They’re joining the various car brands from that country, like MG, Jaecoo, OModa and BYD, in bringing in a slew of new models, at decent prices, which the great British public likes a lot.
Times are hard out there for a lot of people, and while we’d all no doubt love to be riding about on top-end exotica from Italy and premium machinery from Japan, more keenly-priced kit from India and China is catching the eye when it comes to signing the finance papers.
Royal Enfield and BSA are representing India very well at the moment, while new brands like CF Moto and Benda, plus legacy names like Benelli are showing what China can do.
That’s alongside the less-obvious Chinese influence on production: many of the mainstream European and Japanese brands are using Chinese industrial know-how to build components, engines and even whole bikes for them.
QJMotor is the latest name to launch in the UK, with importer MotoGB expanding its operation with the new brand. The bikes are made by the QianJiang company, and it’s been putting out some premium models, with solid chassis kit from mainstream suppliers like Brembo, Showa and Pirelli.
QJ is offering a full range too, from 50cc mopeds through middleweight adventure bikes, naked roadsters, sportsbikes and even full-power supersports kit – all at very tempting prices.
The latest tranche of new models includes a brace of new 904cc parallel-twin adventure bikes, the SRT900 S and the SRT900 SX. The S and SX models are based on the same engine and frame package, but have different running gear to suit a more off-road, or more tarmac-biased customer.
The cheaper S model comes with cast aluminium 17-inch wheels front and back and is priced at £7,499. Meanwhile, the £7,699 SRT900 SX variant has tubeless wire-spoked wheels with a 19 inch front and 17 inch rear, along with adding a three-piece hard luggage system as standard – a massive benefit for just £200.
The S uses road-biased Pirelli Angel GT tyres, sized 120/70 17 front and 180/55 17 rear, while the SX has Maxxis Maxxventure tyres, in 110/80 19 and 150/70 17 sizes.
Both bikes share the same 904cc parallel twin-cylinder 8-valve DOHC engine architecture, with a very oversquare 92mm bore and 68mm stroke, and a 270° firing order. That motor delivers a solid 95 hp(70kW) at 9,000 rpm with 90Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm, very decent numbers indeed, and is also fully compliant with the latest Euro 5+ emissions standards.
The transmission uses a six-speed gearbox with a full up/down quick-shifter and a fully ride-by-wire throttle engine management setup means you have advanced traction control functions and selectable ride modes, plus cruise control.
The chassis on both bikes is based around a steel tube trellis-type cradle frame, with a cast aluminium monoshock rear swingarm. Suspension is from Italian brand Marzocchi, which provides long-travel USD forks at the front and a hydraulic monoshock at the rear, and the brakes are also from Italy.
QJMotor has added a premium Brembo braking system that features dual 320mm Sunstar discs with four-piston radial calipers at the front and a single 260mm disc at the rear, both backed by dual-channel ABS.
One downside is the weight – the firm gives a claimed wet weight of 264kg, which is a bit chunky, albeit that’s with a full tank of fuel in the 24litre tank, plus hard luggage and engine bars all in place
The new bikes are fairly laden with useful accessories and fun toys as well. A big full-colour LCD TFT dash screen serves as the command centre for riders, and is packed with information, including a gear indicator and tyre pressure monitoring.
On both SRT 900 models, you get Bluetooth connectivity for screen mirroring, allowing for turn-by-turn navigation and phone notifications. Full LED lighting provides excellent visibility in all conditions and to other road users while USB-A and USB-C charging ports are fitted as standard, adding to the bike’s practicality to charge devices on the go.
You also get a neat blind-spot warning system in the mirrors, plus both two-piece heated seat and heated grips for winter comfort – nice – and both SRT 900 models come equipped with tough tubular steel crash bars and heavy-duty handguards. That 24 litre fuel tank will give a huge range between fill-ups – it’s 5.2 gallons and would give you more than 260 miles between stops at a not-unreasonable 50mpg.
The two models have slightly different seat heights: 815mm for the S and 835mm for the SX, which isn’t too grim even for the stumpy of leg. Both bikes also have decent ground clearance of 210mm.
The QJMotor SRT 900 S and SRT 900 SX are available in UK dealers now, in a choice of three colours; White/Black, Silver/Red and Black/Yellow. For more information, visit www.qjmotor.co.uk
QJMotor SRT900 S and SX specifications
New price: £7,499 (S) / £7,699 (SX)
Capacity: 904cc
Bore x Stroke: 92mm x 68mm
Engine details: Parallel twin-cylinder, 8v, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke DOHC,
Power: 95 HP / 70kW @ 9,000 RPM
Torque: 90 Nm Torque @ 6,500 RPM
Transmission: 6 speed, chain final drive
Fuel tank size: 24 litres
Technical features: Switchable ABS and traction control system, riding modes USB A&C chargers, full LED lighting, Bluetooth connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation, quickshifter
Frame: Double cradle steel
Front suspension: Marzocchi USD forks
Rear suspension: Marzocchi mono-shock
Front brake: 2 x 320mm discs with Brembo 4-piston radial calipers Bosch Dual Channel ABS
Rear brake: Single 260mm disc with Brembo 1-piston caliper Bosch Dual Channel ABS
Front wheel & tyre: S 10-spoke cast aluminium, 120/70-17 Pirelli Angel GT tyre
/ SX tubeless spoked 110-80-19 Maxxis MaxxVenture,
Rear wheel & tyre: S 10-spoke cast aluminium, 160/60-17 Pirelli Angel GT tyre / SX tubeless spoked 150/70-17 Maxxis MaxxVenture,
Dimensions: (LxWxH) 2250mm x 950mm 1390mm
Ground clearance: 210mm
Seat height: 815 / 835mm
Colour options: White/Black, Silver/Red or Black/Yellow
Warranty: 2 years, unlimited mileage