More capacity and more power for MV-derived range-topper
China’s motorcycle marques are undoubtedly forging ahead faster than ever before in their quest to become credible rivals for the best that Europe and Japan have to offer, and with the SRK1051 RR, QJMotor has taken another substantial stride in that direction.
The messaging on this bike has been confused at best. Visually, it’s identical to the machine that was presented in early 2025 as the SRK1000 RR, which then carried specs showing it had a 921cc four-cylinder engine – the same motor used in the more conventionally styled SRK921 RR and the Superveloce-mimicking Super 9 – but that variant appears to have been revamped before even reaching showrooms to become the SRK1051 RR with a 1051cc version of the engine.
The styling is a direct evolution of the SRK1000RC Ten78 concept bike that was shown back in 2023, penned by former MV Agusta design boss Adrian Morton, one of the founders of design studio C-Creative – alongside ex-MV boss Giovanni Castiglioni – that’s now being used for most of QJMotor’s bikes. It’s a strong look, too, that can clearly avoid the criticism often levelled at Chinese brands of aping rivals’ bikes. Under that skin, there’s a close relationship to the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 when it comes to the chassis and engine, a legacy of a previously planned deal between the two companies that was originally intended to see QJ take on the responsibility of making low-cost MV models in exchange for being able to adopt the Italian brand’s aging four-cylinder engine design into its own machines. While that tie-in never quite happened, QJMotor clearly gained enough to be able to build its own version of MV’s engine in-house at its Chinese factory.
The 1051cc four promises 106kW at 10,600rpm and 105Nm at 8,000rpm, still a long way short of the 150kW-plus of the best litre four-cylinder superbikes, and importantly well behind the performance promised by rival CFMoto for its upcoming V4 machine, but a performance level that would have been unthinkable from an affordable Chinese-made bike until very recently.
Equipment includes ride-by-wire with three riding modes and multi-level cornering traction control backed by a six-axis IMU, adjustable Marzocchi suspension (QJMotor’s parent, Qianjiang, is responsible for all Marzocchi manufacturing), Brembo brakes and Pirelli Diablo tyres. There’s cornering ABS, too, and a bidirectional quickshifter as well as a 5-inch TFT dash that includes tyre pressure information and navigation alongside the usual revs and speed readouts.
At 205kg dry, the bike is a bit heavier than the latest and greatest litre fours from established brands, but it’s also likely to be substantially more affordable, although pricing has yet to be announced.
