Chinese motorcycles get a lot of hate. Scroll through the comments section of any article we write about them and you’ll see what I mean. Riders are quick to dismiss them as cheap knockoffs, unworthy of comparison to Japanese or European machines. But here’s the reality: they’re here, they’re not going anywhere, and some of them are genuinely good. Seriously good.
CFMoto has proven it with bikes like the 800NK and 450SR. QJ Motor, another major Chinese player, has also been flexing its engineering muscles. And now, they’re at it again, with an updated version of their middleweight supersport, the SRK 800 RR.
The news comes courtesy of Cycle World’s Ben Purvis, who spotted the new bike in recently filed Chinese type-approval documents. What’s surprising is just how quickly QJ Motor is iterating. The SRK 800 RR only recently hit showrooms, yet here we are with a sharper, more aggressive version already lined up. That kind of pace is unusual in the motorcycle world, and it shows how determined QJ Motor is to catch up with the established players.
The outgoing SRK 800 RR had a unique split personality. Buyers could choose between a steel chassis or a more premium aluminum frame, both wrapped in the same fairings. The new generation drops the steel option altogether, going all-in on the alloy frame. That’s the smarter move. Not only does it position the bike more credibly against Japanese and European rivals, but it also signals that QJ Motor wants the SRK to be taken seriously as a performance machine.
Visually, the updates are hard to miss. The nose is reshaped with a lower-mounted ram-air intake that now sits between redesigned headlights. The old stalk-mounted turn signals are gone, replaced by sleeker, mirror-integrated units. Small winglets have given way to extended fairing-mounted aerofoils that run along the sides, giving the bike a racier silhouette. Out back, the tail section is slimmer, with a new taillight and less bodywork around the passenger perch, emphasizing its supersport intentions.
Underneath the bodywork, the bike sticks with an aluminum swingarm, Marzocchi suspension, and Brembo brakes—names that carry weight with enthusiasts and put the SRK on par with established brands in terms of componentry. The front fender is new, but the big difference is in the ergonomics.
The first-gen SRK 800 RR rode more like a sporty road bike, with relatively upright clip-ons and low-set pegs—closer to a Honda CBR650R or a Ninja 650 than a true race-replica. The updated version flips that formula. Higher-mounted rearsets and lower clip-ons move the rider into a crouched, tucked-in posture, much more like a Honda CBR600RR or Yamaha R6. It’s a noteworthy shift that clearly leans the SRK toward track use and hardcore riders who value authenticity in a supersport.
At the heart of the SRK 800 RR is QJ Motor’s 778cc inline-four. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the engine borrows heavily from Honda’s CBR650R/CB650R architecture, right down to its 67mm bore. But QJ Motor hasn’t just copied—it has tuned. The latest approval documents peg output at 123hp, a solid figure that places it between the Kawasaki ZX-6R (128hp) and the Honda CBR650R (94hp).
Curb weight is listed at 205 kg, which is competitive in this class. Pair that with electronics like a six-axis IMU, cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, a quickshifter, and even tire pressure monitoring, and you’ve got a package that stacks up impressively well against the established Japanese and European middleweights. These aren’t budget-bin features—this is kit you’d expect to find on bikes costing significantly more.
It’s easy to dismiss Chinese bikes as “cheap alternatives.” But QJ Motor isn’t just selling on price anymore. By offering a supersport with a solid frame, reputable suspension and brakes, respectable power, and a modern electronics suite, it’s forcing riders to ask a harder question: what exactly makes a bike “legitimate” in this segment?
No, QJ Motor doesn’t have the decades of racing pedigree that Yamaha, Honda, or Suzuki can draw on. Its World Supersport efforts have been modest so far, with only a single point scored in the manufacturers’ standings. But the bikes have shown they can keep pace with the middle of the pack. Combine that with aggressive product development cycles and competitive pricing, and it’s clear that Chinese brands are closing the gap faster than most people expected.
And that brings us to the big question. Japanese four-cylinder sportbikes once ruled the world. Machines like the CBR, R1, and GSX-R defined the superbike dream. But could it be Chinese models like the QJ Motor SRK or CFMoto SR that end up carrying the torch and keeping the inline-four sportbike alive for the next generation? If the answer is yes, then maybe it doesn’t matter where they’re built. It’s still a win for the motorcycle world.
Source: Cycle World
