QJMotor reveals 600 cc V4 By Ben Purvis
For decades, the V4 engine has had an aura of the exotic. Whether powering a MotoGP bike or a Yamaha V-Max, it's a layout that's been associated with high-end models simply because it's more expensive to manufacture than either inline four or V-twin designs. So, the existence of not one but two Chinese-made V4 engines - with more in the pipeline - is a striking illustration of how far the country's motorcycle industry has progressed.
The latest is the newly revealed QJMotor 600 V4, a middleweight cruiser powered by a 90-degree V4 that shares a few design cues with some of Honda's old engines, but not enough to be considered an outright copy.
Using four chain-driven overhead camshafts, it's the centrepiece of a bike that has almost no direct rivals apart from the machine that beat it into production as China's first V4 motorcycle, the Benda Black Flag 500. Benda's model was launched last summer, and is also a cruiser, powered by a homegrown V4.
'China's second V4-powered bike'
At the moment, QJMotor hasn't revealed specifications of its V4, but the Benda will be its clear target. With an extra 20% capacity over the Benda's 496 cc, it should achieve a similar increase in power - the Benda makes 54 hp at 10,000 rpm, so the QJMotor will be somewhere around 65 hp.
The bike's styling has some overtones of Harley's Sportster S, particularly in its lozenge-shaped headlight and the shapes of the tank and rear fender. Like other QJMotor bikes, its suspension comes from Marzocchi - QJMotor's patent company, Qianjiang, manufacturers Marzocchi components for both the Chinese and export markets - while the brakes use QJMotor-branded radial calipers.
QJMotor already has a growing export presence, with many of its bikes type-approved in Europe and the USA, and importers and dealers in both of those markets. As such, the V4 is likely to appear outside China in coming years. The engine is also likely to appear in other models beyond the initial cruiser.
Future Chinese V4 engines include another Benda design, this time a much more powerful, 1200 cc unit, and one being developed by CFMoto, targeting 1000 cc and more than 200 hp.
