Of late, there has been an influx of Chinese-owned brands in India that have been garnering ample attention. The latest to join this bandwagon is QJMotor, which makes its foray into our market with four models. The most powerful and expensive of the lot is the SRK400 street naked, and we spent a few days riding it.
What is sure to be a big draw for potential buyers is the SRK400’s engine. As the name denotes, it is a 400cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin that puts out respectable figures of 40.9hp and 37Nm. It also has a sweet exhaust note, just like the Benelli twins it is based on.
Performance is good too, as the SRK does 0-100kph in 5.86s, which is just 0.01s slower than the new KTM RC 390. As for in-gear acceleration, the QJ betters the KTM’s time in the 20-50kph and 50-80kph runs, but the latter is quicker in the 30-70kph run. The QJ makes its peak power at 9,000rpm so you have to wring it to extract the most from it. When you do that, you are faced with what is this motor’s biggest shortcoming.
Being a parallel-twin, you expect the SRK’s motor to be buttery smooth, but that is not the case. While vibrations are nominal at idle, you start to feel a buzziness on the handlebar and the foot pegs as you pick up pace. Our test unit was brand new, so a first service should ideally make it smoother. Still, it is not a feeling you would want from a twin.
On the move, the SRK400 does feel like it weighs close to 190kg, but it is easily manageable. You have plenty of leverage to filter through traffic, the clutch action is light enough and the engine heat is managed well. You are also sat upright and the foot pegs are not too rear set. The only thing that is uncomfortable is the hard seat padding.
However, the ride quality does help alleviate this. The SRK feels composed over most bumps and it is only the sharpest and nastiest of bumps that catch it out. Suspension duties are handled by a USD fork up front and a monoshock that is adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping. The handling, meanwhile, is neutral, but it does take a little effort to tip it into corners and there is not much feedback from the front end. It also weighs up in an unusual manner as sometimes it feels loose and disconnected, while other times the steering feels heavy. However, the grip from the Maxxis tyres is more than sufficient.
Coming to braking, while it does come with twin discs up front and has ample stopping power, the brakes just are not feelsome enough. There is a lack of initial bite and under panic braking situations, the ABS tends to intervene making the lever go hard, which is not a nice feeling.
The SRK400 is a sharp-looking bike too. I particularly like the minimalist rear end with the tyre hugger, the offset monoshock and the exposed trellis frame. The front end looks aggressive thanks to the chiselled tank, small bikini fairing and dual projector headlights. While the design looks derived from a particular Japanese brand, you can not deny, does turn heads.
What is a let down though is the way this bike has been put together. Our test bike was brand new and there already were some panel gaps and rattles from the bodywork. Even some of the materials — like the instrument cluster housing — had sharp edges and were not sitting flush with the display. And when you are paying around ₹4 lakh for a motorcycle, you really expect better.
Speaking of expecting better, that is also the feeling that comes across once you see the SRK’s features list. Part of the package is all LED lights, a basic-looking negative LCD unit, adjustable levers, backlit switchgear, dual-channel ABS and that is it. There is no traction control, cornering ABS, slipper clutch, quickshifter, colour TFT and smartphone connectivity, all of which are available on its chief rival, the KTM 390 Duke, which also happens to cost much less.
In conclusion, there is a lot to like about the SRK400, but you get the sense that it could have been better. Sure, the performance is brisk, the soundtrack is appealing and the ride well-judged, but the SRK is let down by its high price tag, sparse equipment list, fit and finish. Furthermore, the aftersales service of QJMotor remains a question mark. As such, this is a motorcycle you should only go for if you really want to be seen (and heard!) riding something unique.
