As you may have seen, newcomer brand QJMotor was big news in 2025 – and with more new bikes including a family of 125s, is likely to be even more so in 2026. Arguably the biggest of all Chinese manufacturers, QJMotor entered the UK last year through importers Moto73 (a spin-off of MotoGB).
As a company, QJ produces well over a million machines annually, has just opened a vast new factory in SE China and is owned by the vast Geely concern which also owns Volvo and Lotus. In short, they’re serious players.
After launching in the UK in 2025 with an assortment of 600-900cc nakeds and adventure bikes, even more are arriving for 2026. This includes a whole family of impressive, affordable A1 class 125s or which this SRK125S is likely to be the most popular.
It’s a sporty, ‘naked’ roadster (there’s also a fully faired, sports sibling called the SRK125R) with a credible specification (liquid-cooled engine, USD forks, TFT dash etc), competitive performance, decent quality and, above everything else, a hugely tempting price. Which, when you’re 17 and on a tight budget means it ticks a lot of boxes indeed!
Of course, there’s only so much you can get out of an A1 licence compliant 125cc engine and the SRK125S’s (and its sportster sister, the SRK125R), pretty much does it all within those constraints.
The liquid-cooled, four-valve, four-stroke single is contemporary and claimed to produce the maximum class allowed 15bhp (although it’s not quite as impressive as either QJMotor’s updated 125 unit in its COV machines or the even more cutting-edge designs in KTM’s latest Duke 125 or Yamaha’s VVT-equipped unit in its YZF-R125). As such it’s reasonably responsive, smooth and all you can ask for in a bike of this type.
Its handling is more than acceptable, especially considering its price, too. There’s a pukka twin spar frame (albeit steel, not aluminium), inverted forks and a monoshock rear end and the whole plot combines nicely to give light, nimble, intuitive steering and manners with just enough stability and security to reassure novices, which, at the end of the day is what bikes like this are all about. Sure, the two-piston brakes, suspension ‘feel’ quality and CST tyres are not the best available, and reflect the QJ’s budget pricing, but these, really, are minor quibbles.
As already mentioned, the SRK125S is the ‘naked’, unfaired roadster version of the SRK125R sportster, with that achieved by the loss of the sports full fairing and switch to slightly higher handlebars. In terms of comfort there are pros and cons to that. No fairing means less weather protection (although in truth, the R’s is both so small and the screen so low it offers little anyway) but the higher ‘bars mean a slightly more upright and relaxed riding position, so it’s swings and roundabouts. It’s also light, slim and a doddle to manouvere, all qualities that will appeal to learners.
Practicality-wise, especially in the context of being an A1 class learner machine, the SRK125S has a lot going for it as well. Upright roadsters often appeal to learners for their added affordability and easier manners (not to mention less to get damaged – Ed). Just as Kawasaki calls its sports bikes Ninjas and Yamaha’s raciest models are named ‘R’, so SRK is QJ’s line of performance bikes.
The SRK 800 RS is their new entry into the Supersport World Championship and some of that DNA is filtered down to the 125. The SRK’s sporting roots gives it extra appeal and a tad more dynamism. The result is both great around town, an appealing bike to learn on and one that’s also, within the 125 brief at least, of delivering some sporting fun as well – and all for a bargain price.
That frequently mentioned bargain price (which we’ll again come back to at the bottom) is also all the more astounding given the SRK125S’s genuinely impressive equipment levels. Not does this sporty roadster boast USD forks, a beam frame, monoshock rear and wavy discs, all premium items compared to standard fare, there’s a very impressive and attractive 5” TFT dash, both USB-C and USB-B charging sockets, twin LED headlights and, perhaps most impressive of all, even a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) of the type usually only seen on £15k+ machines.
At launch the new QJMotor SRK125S is priced at just £2,499. That’s phenomenal value when you consider that similar machines from the more established manufacturers often cost thousands more. Yamaha’s MT-125, for example, is currently £5301, while Honda’s CB125R is £4,799. Sure, the QJ can’t match those bikes’ refinement, reassuring brand reputation and residuals, but it’s genuinely not far off. It’s also worth saying here that that £2,499 also isn’t the whole story. In reality you also have to add £200 ‘On the Road’ costs before riding off into the sunset. But it’s still a bargain.
As such, straight out of the starting blocks, if you’re in the market for a new, sporty, learner roadster, the SRK125S has to be on your shortlist. The name is becoming established, the dealer network is improving almost by the week, and the bike itself delivers as it should. Yes, I can understand any lingering doubts when it comes to choosing a relatively unknown brand but, at this price, you have to ask yourself if it matters.
QJMotor SRK125S Specification
Price: £2,499 (+£200 OTR charges)
Engine: 125cc single, SOHC, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooled
Power: 15bhp (11kW) @ 9,500rpm
Torque: 12Nm (8.85lb-ft) @ 7,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed, chain
Frame: Steel perimeter beam
Suspension: (F) 35mm USD telescopic forks, no adjust (R) preload adjustable monoshock.
Wheels: Cast aluminium, (F) 17” (R) 17”
Tyres: CST (F) 100/80 x 17, (R) 130/70 x 17
Brakes: (F) Single x 260mm wavy disc, two-piston caliper, (R) 240mm wavy disc, single piston caliper ABS
Weight: 143kg (wet)
Wheelbase: 1345mm
Seat height: 790mm
Fuel tank: 10 litres
Fuel consumption: N/a
Service intervals: 4000 miles/12 months
Warranty: 24 months unlimited mileage
Contact: https://qjmotor.co.uk
Words: Phil West
Photos: Moto73/Sim Mainey
