Whether you love them or hate them, there's no denying that a lot of Chinese motorcycle manufacturers have been gaining stride in the global motorcycle industry. With all the new models being churned out from what can only be described as a motorcycle printing press, it's really no surprise that a lot of riders – especially those on slightly tighter budgets – would gravitate towards these made-in-China machines.
After all, for what it's worth, a lot of these Chinese motorbikes have built their technology on the foundations of other more established brands – and indeed, most of the time, they put little to no effort to hide this fact. That being said, relatively modern tech packaged with super low prices tends to be the recipe for success, especially in the entry-level market. With that, is it really a surprise that brands like QJ Motor have grown as rapidly?
Speaking of QJ Motor, the Chinese manufacturer is expected to unveil yet another new model in the coming months. Catering to the rapidly growing adventure bike scene in Europe, the QJ Motor SRT 700 and 700 X are anticipated to stir up the middleweight ADV segment, especially now, with the entrants of new models from established brands like Honda and Suzuki. As you would probably expect, the SRT 700 doesn't quite stack up in terms of performance when compared to the Transalp or V-Strom, but it certainly makes up for it in terms of price – 6,999 Euros (a hair over $7,500) to be exact.
In terms of performance, QJ's newest adventurous enduro is equipped with a 698cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine. With a stroke of 64.5 millimeters and a bore of 83 millimeters, we can expect this mill to be a rather rev-happy motor, outputting up to 73.5 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 47 pound-feet of torque at 6,000 rpm. Good news for new riders with an A2 license: the bike can be restricted to 35 kilowatts (47 horsepower).
Other components include a new aluminum swingarm absent from the bike's predecessor, as well as wire-spoked wheels on the SRT 700 X variant measuring 110/80 ZR19 at the front and 150/70 ZR17 at the rear. Meanwhile, the road-going SRT 700 gets wheels measuring 120/70 ZR17 at the front and 160/60 ZR17 at the rear. Across the board, the bikes get a TFT display, full-LED lighting, Bluetooth connectivity, USB charging, and even fancy heated grips.
Gallery: QJ Motor Stirs Up European ADV Segment With New SRT 700 And 700 X
