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QJMotor SRK921 (2026) – Technical Review

Motorcycle Journalist

Posted:

10.02.2026

Price

£8,699 (£8,999 OTR)

Power

127.5bhp

Weight

218.4kg

Overall BikeSocial rating

TBA

China’s motorcycle industry is developing at a breathtaking pace at the moment and churning out increasingly impressive new models at a rate that’s hard to keep up with. QJMotor’s SRK921 is among them and it’s hitting the UK market in March 2026 at exactly the sort of price point that will have established brands looking over their shoulders.

From one perspective it’s a concept-bike-made-real styled by a legend of the industry, packing vast levels of equipment and a charismatic powertrain. From another viewpoint it’s a Temu MV Agusta-alike. You’ve probably already made your own mind up about which side of the fence you stand on, but let’s take an objective look at what’s on offer here and how it stacks up against alternatives on the market today.

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Design comes via C Creative in Italy, founded by ex-MV top dogs Giovanni Castiglioni, Adrian Morton and Paolo Bianchi, giving the SRK921 a unique look.

  • Big name suppliers include Brembo for the brakes and Marzocchi for the suspension

  • Engine is derived from MV Agusta’s previous-generation four-cylinder

Cons
  • Brand recognition remains low at the moment: throwing a set of QJMotor keys on the bar isn’t a brag

  • Confusing launch strategy has seen the same design appear before production as a ‘1078’ and ‘1000’ before settling on 921cc

  • Inevitable concerns over depreciation: we can’t know how well the SRK921 will hold its value in the used market

2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Price & PCP Deals

QJMotor’s headline figure for the SRK921’s price is £8,699, but there’s a £300 on-the-road fee to add to that, bringing the real world figure to £1 shy of £9k. That makes it one of the most expensive Chinese-made motorcycles on the market in the UK, but it’s also one of the most high-spec and powerful machines from that country – getting a similar spec from a more well-known brand would probably cost more.

Plenty of naysayers will point out that a used MV Agusta (we can’t ignore the similarities to the Brutale) could be had for the same money, but that’s going to be several years old and long out of its manufacturer’s warranty period, while the QJMotor has two years’ parts and labour coverage with no mileage limit.

While the red-and-black version seen here, with fluorescent yellow highlights, is the most eye-catching variant, you can also opt for black-and-grey with red flashes, or black-and-white with yellow graphics. Oddly, the machine used for QJMotor’s promotional pictures has a graphic on the side of the engine reading ‘1078 cubic centimeter [sic] displacement’ – suggesting that either a larger-engined version is on the way or the final 921cc displacement hadn’t been settled on by the time the pictures were taken. A 1078cc version of the same engine certainly exists, and was used in the ‘Ten-78’ concept bike that first hinted at the SRK’s styling direction a couple of years ago.

2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Engine & Performance

The roots of QJMotor’s 921cc four-cylinder engine lie in Varese, Italy, as it’s origin is the MV Agusta four that debuted in the late-90s F4 superbike. Today’s four-cylinder MVs, the Brutale 1000 and Rush, use a second-gen engine that’s noticeably different both inside and out, but the older MV design appears to have been lent to QJMotor’s parent company, Qianjiang, as part of a deal between the two companies back in 2020. At that time, Qianjiang took on the task of distributing MVs in China, and announced plans to build a four-cylinder, 1000cc bike under the Benelli brand that it also owns, using the MV-based engine.

Qianjiang was also linked to MV Agusta when the Italian company showed its Lucky Explorer 5.5 concept back in 2021, based on a Qianjiang 550cc twin and chassis. That project was cancelled but such is the tangled web of the Chinese motorcycle industry and its partnerships in Europe, a nearly identical bike with the same styling, engine and chassis as the Lucky Explorer 5.5 has now reached production as the Rieju Xplora 557X, joined by and a larger-engined Xplora 707X version for 2026.

Back to the SRK921, the engine shares its 921cc capacity, 73mm bore and 55mm stroke with the short-lived MV Agusta Brutale 920, essentially making it a sleeved-down version of the old F4 1000’s motor (which had a 76mm bore and the same 55mm stroke.) It’s a four-valve-per-cylinder, DOHC design, and has been reworked to meet the latest Euro5+ emissions rules, with a peak power of 127.5hp at 10,000rpm and max torque of 68.6 lb-ft arriving at 8,000rpm – both figures that are nearly identical to the old Brutale 920’s outputs.

The QJMotor engine features ride-by-wire throttles, allowing a choice of three riding modes – Normal, Rain or Sport – plus cruise control and an up/down quickshifter, all as standard.

Power goes through a slip-and-assist clutch to a six-speed box and chain final drive.

2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

The MV similarities continue with the chassis design, which pairs a steel trellis front section with cast alloy segments for the rear engine mounts and swingarm pivot – a design that’s been used on MV’s since the F4’s launch in the late 90s. It’s not a one-for-one copy of an MV chassis, though, and other brands use a similar solution, so QJMotor can’t be accused of simply cribbing the Italian brand’s work

The similarities might be linked to the fact that the bike, along with several other recent QJMotor machines, has been developed with the help of C-Creative in Italy, a company founded by ex-MV Agusta boss (and owner) Giovanni Castiglioni, son of Claudio Castiglioni, who brought the MV name back with the F4 in the 90s. He’s joined by ex-MV and Benelli design chief Adrian Morton, as well as engineer Paolo Bianchi, who previously led MV’s R&D department, CRC.

There’s a single-sided swingarm – a feature that’s highly valued in China where a growing number of higher-end bikes are getting them – and the suspension comes from Italian brand Marzocchi. Again, there’s an existing link there, as Marzocchi’s production in China is done via a tie-in with Qianjiang. The forks are fully-adjustable, 50mm upside-downers, paired with a remote-reservoir monoshock that’s also adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping.

A 1425mm wheelbase (5mm shy of the old Brutale 920’s 1430mm) is par for the course in this class, and along with the strong suspension spec and the bike’s 218.5kg curb weight, ready-to-ride, suggests the SRK921 should be competitive with its direct rivals.

Brembo supplies the brakes, with four-pot radial calipers on dual 320mm discs at the front and a single-piston caliper and 260mm rotor at the rear. Less commonly at this price point, there’s a six-axis IMU allowing cornering ABS as standard.

2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Comfort & Economy

The SRK921 is essentially a naked version of QJMotor’s current range-topping sports bike (the SRK1051RR, which has yet to get a UK launch), and as such it’s pegs are high and set a long way back. Wider, higher bars than the sports bike should make for a less extreme riding position, though, and the seat is roomier and more deeply padded, with an 835mm height that’s in the same ballpark as rivals like Yamaha’s MT-09.

Whether that will make for long-distance comfort remains to be seen, but until we’ve ridden the bike there’s no reason to believe it will be any less comfortable than its competitors.

The quick-shifter and standard-fit cruise control should help reduce the rider’s workload, and on paper the suspension specs suggest the ride should be well controlled if QJMotor has got the setup right.

Passengers aren’t forgotten, either, with a grab rail and clever, fold-out pillion footpegs that emerge from beneath the exhaust cans – a neater solution than most, but one that means aftermarket pipes are probably off the agenda unless you’re prepared to give up the passenger seat.

There’s no word on economy yet, but with a 15.5 litre tank the bike’s range should align with expectations in this class.

2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Equipment

Chinese bikes, like cars from the same country, are rapidly gaining a reputation of offering lots of toys that you’d expect to find on pricier machines and the SRK921 is no exception. We’ve already covered that six-axis IMU, cornering ABS, the cruise control and the up/down quick shifter, but that’s just the start. You also get heated grips and a heated seat as standard, plus an integrated camera set into the nose between the headlights, acting as a dashcam and letting you record journeys. That’s another feature that’s increasingly commonplace in China, so expect to see more bikes adopting a similar system in the coming months and years.

The 5-inch TFT dash is par for the course these days, with all the associated smartphone connectivity for music, calls and navigation, but the SRK921’s standard-fit tyre pressure monitoring system isn’t as easily found in this price bracket.

It’s in this modern equipment, and the sheer amount of it, that the argument for buying a second-hand bike from a more established brand as an alternative starts to falter: you’ll need to forgo some luxuries as well as that warranty.

2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Rivals

You’ll struggle to get quite as much equipment for £9k from more established brands, but the QJMotor SRK921’s price puts it up against some very substantial competition. You only have to stretch to £9810 to get Yamaha’s latest generation MT-09, while £8995 puts you onto a Triumph Street Triple 765 R. It also means the QJMotor is facing Honda’s CB1000 Hornet – RRP £9,099 – with 150hp on tap from a Blade-derived, litre four.

Honda CB1000 Hornet | Price: £9,099

Read more
Power/Torque

150bhp / 76.7lb-ft

Weight

211

Yamaha MT-09 | Price: £9,810

Read more
Power/Torque

117bhp / 68.6lb-ft

Weight

193kg

Triumph Street Triple | Price: £8,995

Read more
Power/Torque

118.4bhp / 59lb-ft

Weight

189kg

2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Verdict

When it comes to a combination of equipment and performance per pound, the SRK921 looks like screaming deal at under £9k. You’ll struggle to find anything else with the same combo of Brembos, fully-adjustable suspension, cruise control and heated-everything at that price without delving deep into the used market and going without a warranty as a result. But if your priorities skew towards a better-known brand and strong residual values, and you can live without the striking styling and technological bells-and-whistles, there are a lot of compelling alternatives on the scene. In a few years, if QJMotor can establish the sort of reputation enjoyed by more longstanding brands, the old guard’s advantage on that front will evaporate.

 

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2026 QJMotor SRK921 - Technical Specification

New priceFrom £8,699 (+£300 OTR)
Capacity921cc
Bore x Stroke73mm x 55mm
Engine layoutInline four-cylinder
Engine details16v, liquid-cooled, 4-stroke DOHC
Power95kW (127.5bhp) @ 10,000rpm
Torque93.0 Nm (68.6 lb-ft) @ 8,000rpm
Transmission6 speed, chain final drive, Quickshifter (up & down)
Average fuel consumptionTBC
Tank size15.5 litres
Max range to emptyTBC
Rider aidsCruise control, traction control, cornering ABS, six-axis IMU, TPMS
FrameSteel/Aluminium frame
Front suspension50mm Marzocchi upside-down forks
Front suspension adjustmentFully adjustable
Rear suspensionMarzocchi monoshock
Rear suspension adjustmentFully adjustable
Front brakeDual 320mm discs, Brembo 4-piston radial calipers, Cornering ABS
Rear brakeSingle 260mm disc with Brembo 1-piston caliper, ABS
Front wheel / tyreCast aluminium, 120/70-ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso
Rear wheel / tyreCast aluminium, 190/50 ZR17 Pirelli Diablo Rosso
Dimensions (LxWxH)2130mm x 930mm x 1130mm
Wheelbase1425mm
Seat height835mm
Weight218.4kg (kerb)
Warranty2 years, unlimited mileage
ServicingTBC
MCIA Secured RatingNot yet rated
Websiteqjmotor.co.uk

What is MCIA Secured?

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As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

  • A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

  • An ignition immobiliser system

  • A vehicle marking system

  • An alarm system

  • A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.

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