QJMotor 1,000 cc superbike By Ben Purvis
Not long ago the idea of a Chinese motorcycle company manufacturing a 1,000 cc, four-cylinder superbike appeared unlikely - but now there are multiple brands exploring exactly such machines, and QJMotor is at the forefront of them.
QJMotor is part of Qianjiang, Benelli's parent company, and has expanded incredibly fast - launching a model range of more than 30 bikes since 2020 and moving into the European and U.S. markets for 2023. Its current line-up ranges from 125 cc singles to a variety of parallel twins from 250 cc to 800 cc, a 650 cc V-twin and a 600 cc four-cylinder, and the next step appears to be a 1,000 cc four-cylinder superbike.
The company has already made both styling models and running prototypes of the bike, shortcutting the usual development process by using elements, including the chassis and engine, from MV Agusta's Brutale 1000.
Qianjiang already has a relationship with MV Agusta. The MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5 adventure bike is essentially a Qianjiang design, using the same chassis and 550 cc twin-cylinder engine that's used in the QJMotor SRT550 but wrapped in MV-designed bodywork. Harley-Davidson's new X350 is similarly an existing Qianjiang model that's restyled to fit the H-D aesthetic.
Back in 2021, Qianjiang announced plans to make a four-cylinder, 1,000 cc bike under the Benelli name, using an MV Agusta engine as its power source. That hasn't happened yet, but the prototype QJMotor-branded machine is likely to be a stepping stone in that direction. Since MV Agusta itself currently doesn't offer a fully-faired superbike, despite having a suitable powertrain in the naked Brutale 1000, there's no immediate clash between the two brands' plans.
One stumbling block to the relationship between MV Agusta and Qianjiang could be the fact that KTM snapped up a 25% share in MV late last year. Some see that as a first step towards a more substantial stake. KTM already has close ties with CFMoto in China - a key rival to Qianjiang - so it remains unknown whether the interplay between the brands will be altered by the Austrian involvement.
In the meantime, leaked images of the QJMotor 1000RR show a styling model for a bike that's mechanically identical to the MV Agusta Brutale 1000, using the same frame, engine, suspension and brakes. Even the exhaust is unaltered, although some sources in China suggest that QJMotor won't have access to the most powerful version of the MV four-cylinder engine and will instead use a smaller 921 cc variant.
If the 1000RR does get the green light, it won't be China's only multi-cylinder superbike. CFMoto has been working on a 1,000 cc V4 engine intended for its own superbike project, and another competitor, Zontes, is set to launch a 1,000 cc triple in the near future. Meanwhile a number of other Chinese brands, including Benda, Loncin, Moxiao and others, are launching four-cylinder machines in the 600 cc-800 cc range.
