QJmotor’s Redesigned 600RR Sportbike Is Imminent

[Hugh Janus]

QJmotor’s soon-to-be-launched 660 sport model uses a Benelli-designed four cylinder engine, said to output 87hp. (QJmotor/)

The redesigned version of QJmotor’s SRK600RR, which we revealed back in January, is about to get its official launch in China, and leaked pictures from inside the factory show that bikes are already rolling off production lines. Simultaneously, QJmotor’s parent company, Qianjiang, has filed design patents for the restyled bike, which is getting a complete face-lift after little more than a year on sale.

The original version of the bike first broke cover in late 2020, using the mechanical components of the Benelli TNT 600i but wrapping them in supersport styling—alongside an unfaired model using the same Benelli mechanicals, it was one of the bikes that introduced the QJmotor brand. In less than two years, the QJmotor range has grown to around 15 models, ranging from the retro SRC500 single to the four-cylinder SRK600 and SRK600RR, but with a real focus on parallel twins, ranging from the new 400cc SRK400RR sportbike to the SRT800 adventure model.

Related: Benelli’s Tornado 650, 550, and TNT 550 Models Teased

The new bike has already been type-approved in China and, rumor has it, is ready to be shipped to dealers. (QJmotor/)

The closeness between the Chinese market QJmotor range and the global Benelli brand’s offerings is all too clear, and there’s plenty of reason to believe that eventually the Chinese market machines will lead to Benelli-branded spinoffs. QJmotor itself also has an eye on international sales, having shown its model range at last year’s EICMA show, and opted to compete in the Moto3 World Championship this year, partnering with the Avintia team and using rebranded KTM bikes.

The redesigned SRK600RR carries over many of the same mechanical components as the original version, using the Benelli-designed four-cylinder engine that was originally created for use in the stillborn Quattro sportbike project—a hub-center-steered project led by Bimota Tesi designer Pierluigi Marconi in the early 2000s.

A four-cylinder sportbike is due to return to Benelli’s range in the future as a “Tornado 650″ model (Chinese approval paperwork suggests actual capacity will be 628cc). While styling changes are certain, and sketches have already emerged online, the Benelli version is expected to be mechanically much the same as the QJmotor 600RR, certainly sharing the same chassis and a very similar engine.

The bike retains its color TFT display but adds new headlights and exhaust system. (QJmotor/)

The new SRK600RR seen in these images has already been type-approved in China and still uses the smaller 600cc version of the engine but with 87 hp rather than the old version’s 80 hp. The existing version already has an impressive array of equipment, including keyless start and full-color TFT dash, but the updated model adds even more, including a new, larger display and on-board tire pressure monitors. Pictures on Chinese social media show rows of the restyled bikes, apparently inside the QJmotor factory, in three different paint schemes, ready to be shipped to dealers.

The matching design drawings give a clearer view of the styling from all angles, showing details including new headlights which sit between a pair of large winglets that extend from the side panels. The exhaust is also new, and likely to be a major contributor to the power increase over the previous model.

The latest design sketches hint at a set of cameras as well, here seen just above the license plate. (QJmotor/)

One feature that’s yet to be confirmed but seems apparent in the design sketches is a set of front and rear cameras. A circular mark just below the screen and a matching one just above the license plate at the rear appear to be lenses for this camera system. A similar setup has already been introduced on the Chinese market Benelli 1200GT touring bike—a 1,200cc three-cylinder based on an enlarged version of the old Tornado Tre engine, which could yet be given a worldwide release. Although there are still conventional mirrors, the feeds from the cameras can be monitored via the TFT instruments, as well as being recorded, dashcam-style, to an SD card.

The display has also been enlarged and new winglets extending from the side panels have been added. (QJMotor/)

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[ReggiePezza]

Harlequin colours. 

[XTreme]

14 minutes ago, Mawsley said:

Something only a mother or Pete could love.