If you visited Motorcycle Live at the NEC last autumn, one of the undoubted stars was the huge stand featuring QJMotor, the new Chinese brand which makes over a million bikes a year and has now entered the UK via importer Moto73. We’ve reviewed several of QJ’s offerings in the review pages of this website, including the very affordable 125s, but its headline bikes are the SRK921RR sports bike and its naked sibling, this SRK921. Both feature a 921cc four-cylinder engine, quality Marzocchi suspension including a single-sided swing arm, Brembo brakes, lots of electronics, slick styling and, perhaps most impressively of all, prices under £9k.
And if the naked 921 reminds slightly of MV Agusta’s old 2011 Brutale 920, it’s with good reason. The QJ’s engine is based on the 920, as is its chassis, while the styling is by Adrian Morton, ex of MV Agusta, but it’s been brought up to date with the addition of modern electronics, dash and so on.
The result is striking, stylish and well-executed. There are plenty of neat design details, such as the fold-out pillion pegs incorporated into the silencers and it performs well. Yes, there are question marks about being a ‘Chinese copy’, unproven reliability and residual values, but the old 920 was always the most ‘real world’ Brutale and, at this price, less than £9000, it looks like a bargain.
The SRK921’s four-cylinder engine is a development of MV Agusta’s ‘old’ 920cc unit from the 2011 Brutale 920, which was at the time the cheaper, more affordable, more versatile alternative to the then Brutale 910. In MV form it produced 130bhp, in this QJ form, now homologated as Euro5+ compliant, it gives 127.5bhp at 10,000rpm – accompanied by 93Nm of torque at 8,000rpm.
That might not be in the same league as more modern, 200bhp super nakeds from the likes of BMW, Ducati or Aprilia, but on the road it’s still exciting, evocative and potent enough to never feel lacking. What’s more, it has the bonus of a fat midrange that’s a meaty joy to power through. Adding a modern sheen to an engine design which can trace its roots back 15 years are riding modes, cornering ABS and traction control.
Its handling is, on the whole, impressive, too. As with most QJMotors, suspension is by historic Italian brand Marzocchi (although these items are actually made by QJMotor themselves in China under licence) and comprise trunk-like 50mm inverted forks along with a remote reservoir rear monoshock, with both being fully adjustable. Steering geometry is sportily sharp, the wheelbase is a fairly stubby 1425mm, it’s reasonably light, at just 218kgs (wet) and it even comes with decent Pirelli Diablo Rosso sports tyres.
All that adds up to a fairly aggressive sharp steering weapon with a firm, sporty ride, as any self-respecting super naked should be, although in this case that sensation is numbed slightly by a fairly intrusive steering damper. Braking, meanwhile, is taken care of by big 320mm twin front discs grasped by powerful Brembo four-piston, radially mounted calipers which offer bags of power and feel.
The SRK921 has the beefy stance you’d expect from a transverse four roadster, combined with the slightly diluted sports riding position you’d expect from a sportster (the SRK921RR) converted into a naked. The sculpted, two-piece seat is 835mm high and is comfortable enough without being plush. Its ergonomics are aggressive without compromising practicality and it’s all adequate for the type of use it’s intended for – although I wouldn’t fancy a long or two-up motorway ride on one!
As a performance and style orientated ‘super naked’ the SRK921 was never going to be wholly practical or versatile. Instead, it’s for thrill-packed sunny Sunday afternoons on country B-roads or for posing at bike meets – and it does a great job at both. Beyond that, however, its abilities are limited. Pillions are possible but not encouraged; luggage carrying, due to those twin upswept exhausts, is tricky and there’s obviously no wind cheating fairing to help with touring or motorway miles. That said, it’s decent around town, not uncomfortable and nor too precious to use year-round.
I can’t think of any other bike priced under £9k that has such high specification equipment. As well as the flash Marzocchi suspension, Brembo brakes and single-sided swing arm, the SRK921 has LED lights all round, riding modes, cornering ABS and switchable traction control, quickshifter, cruise control (although we’re not sure it needs it), fancy bar end mirrors, MotoGP-style lever guards, and, perhaps fanciest of all, a big, 5” full colour TFT dashboard which is clear and easy to navigate. You simply can’t get more for the money.
At launch, the new SRK921 costs just £8899 (including £200 on the road charges) which puts it more in the ‘affordable middleweight’ category than an exotic roadster one which normally starts at double the price. Admittedly, it has ‘just’ 130bhp rather than the more usual 190-200 associated with hypernakeds, but in terms of style, spec and ability that still makes it some kind of bargain.
If you always fancied an MV Agusta Brutale but couldn’t afford it or stomach the worry of a used buy, now you can – for less than nine grand. That’s effectively what the new SRK921 is. Of course, the one thing the QJMotor hasn’t got is an MV Agusta sticker on the tank – but, at this price, you’ve seriously got to ask yourself how much you care…
QJMotor SRK921 Specification
Price: £8,899 on the road
Engine: 921cc transverse four, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooled
Power: 127.5bhp (94kW) @ 10,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm (68.6lb-ft) @ 8,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed, chain
Frame: Tubular steel with cast alloy plates
Suspension: (F) Marzocchi 50mm USD telescopic forks, compression and rebound adjust (R) Marzocchi preload and rebound adjustable monoshock.
Wheels: Cast alloy, (F) 17in (R) 17in
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV (F) 120/70 x 17, (R) 190/50 x 17
Brakes: (F) 2 x 320mm discs, Brembo Stylema 4-piston radial calipers, (R) 260mm disc, Brembo twin piston caliper, ABS
Weight: 218kg (wet)
Wheelbase: 1425mm
Seat height: 835mm
Fuel tank: 15.5 litres
Fuel consumption: N/a
Service intervals: 6000 miles/12 months
Warranty: 24 months unlimited mileage
Contact: www.qjmotor.co.uk
Words: Phil West
Photos: Sim Mainey
