[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fQzHm4qV3V9CtBJK5r1Qlq99XvHStwTViX-xVLGn6klo":3,"$f9z-G5HPeH3Bi2aCiE8uQt_qAy3r2XUSQjyftksXJbMs":32},{"id":4,"slug":5,"pays_origine":6,"date_fondation":7,"logo":8,"image_hero":8,"translations":9},"ff5a6108-6aa8-4eba-8405-4afb0aa71bbb","qjmotor","Chine",1985,null,[10],{"id":11,"constructeurs_id":4,"languages_code":12,"nom":13,"histoire":14,"sites_production_actuels":15,"sites_production_historiques":16,"adn_marque":17,"caracteristiques_cles":18,"modeles_emblematiques":27,"points_forts":28,"points_faibles":29,"meta_title":30,"meta_description":31},"a451fe3f-9c30-4d02-b73d-b91657419b8f","en","QJ Motor","## How did a small Chinese factory become a global motorcycle powerhouse?\n\nQJ Motor is a story of relentless ambition. Founded in 1985 as the Wenling Motorcycle Factory in Zhejiang Province, China, this modest operation has transformed over four decades into one of the world's largest two-wheeler manufacturers. Now the owner of Benelli, a partner of MV Agusta, and a competitor in World Championship racing, QJ Motor embodies China's push onto the global motorcycle stage.\n\n## The origins: from Wenling to the world\n\nIn its early years, the Wenling factory focused on producing small engines and low-displacement motorcycles, primarily scooters and commuter bikes in the 50cc to 125cc range for the booming Chinese domestic market. As China opened up to market economics in the late 1980s and 1990s, demand for affordable personal transportation surged, and Qianjiang Motorcycle — as the company was then known — grew rapidly to meet it.\n\nA pivotal moment came in 1999 when Qianjiang Motorcycle listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (ticker: 000913). The IPO raised significant capital for R&D investment, factory modernization, and the first steps toward international expansion.\n\n## The Benelli acquisition: betting on Italian heritage\n\nIn 2005, Qianjiang pulled off a landmark deal by acquiring Benelli, the legendary Italian brand founded in Pesaro in 1911, for approximately 60 million euros. It was the first international acquisition by a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer, a milestone that sent shockwaves through the industry. Benelli, then struggling financially, gained a lifeline through massive investment from its new owner.\n\nQianjiang poured an additional $26 million into Benelli in 2009 to revitalize the brand. The design center and engineering office remained in Pesaro, Italy, while production gradually shifted to Wenling, China. This \"designed in Europe, built in China\" strategy became the group's template, allowing it to offer European-styled motorcycles at highly competitive prices. The Benelli TRK 502's success as one of Europe's best-selling adventure bikes in its segment is the clearest proof of this approach.\n\n## Geely enters the picture: corporate firepower\n\nIn September 2016, Chinese automotive giant Geely — the company behind Volvo, Lotus, and Polestar — acquired a 29.8% stake in Qianjiang Motorcycle for 1.1 billion yuan, becoming its largest shareholder. Backing from a Fortune Global 500 conglomerate was transformative: Qianjiang gained access to world-class engineering resources, advanced manufacturing technology, and deep financial reserves.\n\nUnder Geely's guidance, the company accelerated its move upmarket and its international expansion. Production capacity reached 1.2 million motorcycles and 2 million engines per year across three IATF 16949-certified plants in Wenling, supplemented by around ten CKD (Complete Knock Down) assembly facilities worldwide.\n\n## The birth of the QJ Motor brand\n\nIn 2020, management created a new premium brand for global markets: QJ Motor. The logic was straightforward. \"Qianjiang\" was difficult for Western customers to pronounce and remember. QJ Motor was designed to be modern, international, and clearly positioned above the domestic Qjiang brand.\n\nThat same year, a strategic partnership was signed with Harley-Davidson to co-develop small-displacement motorcycles for Asian markets. This collaboration produced the Harley-Davidson X350 and X500 in 2023, both manufactured at the Qianjiang plant in Wenling.\n\n## Racing: from Moto3 to WorldSSP\n\nInternational motorsport has been central to QJ Motor's brand-building strategy. In 2022, the brand debuted in Moto3 with the Esponsorama team. In 2023, it stepped up to Moto2 as title sponsor of Gresini Racing's intermediate class effort.\n\nThe most significant move came in 2024, when QJ Motor became the first Chinese manufacturer to enter the World Supersport Championship (WorldSSP) with a production-based machine — the SRK 800 RR, ridden by Italian veteran Raffaele De Rosa. In 2025, the team expanded with Finnish rider Niki Tuuli, and QJ Motor won the WorldSSP Challenge in Italy, a symbolic victory for both the brand and Chinese motorcycle manufacturing as a whole.\n\n## QJ Motor today: a global offensive\n\nThe QJ Motor catalog is now vast: approximately 140 models spanning scooters, naked bikes (SRK range), adventure bikes (SRT range), cruisers (SRV range), and soon superbikes. Displacements run from 125cc to over 1,000cc, with engine configurations including singles, parallel twins, V-twins, inline fours, and even a V4 in the SRV 600 V cruiser.\n\nIn Europe, QJ Motor is distributed across several countries. In France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, SIMA (based in Beaune, France) has held exclusive distribution rights since 2024. In the UK, the US, and over 130 countries worldwide, the brand is steadily building its dealer network.\n\nTechnical partnerships are a key asset: Marzocchi suspension (QJ Motor holds a joint venture for Chinese production), Brembo brakes, Pirelli or Metzeler tires. All at aggressive price points — in France, the SRK 421 RR (inline-four sportbike) lists at 5,999 euros, while the SRT 800 SX touring comes in under 9,000 euros.\n\nIn 2024, QJ Motor also acquired the historic Morbidelli brand (through its Keeway subsidiary), rebranded as Morbidelli MBP, with a new design center planned for Bologna. And the 2023 partnership with MV Agusta produced the striking SRK 921 RR, whose inline-four engine is derived from the MV Agusta F4 platform.\n\n## The bottom line\n\nQJ Motor is no longer an outsider. With Geely's financial muscle, Benelli's design heritage, MV Agusta's engineering, and a methodical expansion strategy, the Chinese manufacturer has the tools to disrupt the global market. The challenge remains one of trust: building a credible brand image, developing a reliable dealer network, and proving long-term quality. But given the journey from a small Wenling factory in 1985 to world championship racing in 2024, underestimating QJ Motor would be unwise.","Wenling, Zhejiang, China (main site, 670,000 m2, 3 IATF 16949-certified plants)\nPesaro, Italy (Benelli design center and R&D)\n10 CKD assembly plants in various countries","Wenling Motorcycle Factory, Zhejiang, China (original plant, 1985)","QJ Motor is Chinese industrial might with global ambitions. Backed by Geely (Volvo, Lotus), owning Benelli, and partnered with MV Agusta, the brand wields a technological and financial arsenal that few motorcycle manufacturers can match. The formula is straightforward: generously equipped motorcycles featuring Brembo brakes, Marzocchi suspension, TFT displays, and quickshifters as standard, all at prices that aggressively undercut Japanese and European rivals. If you want the best spec-to-price ratio on the market with machines that look and feel the part, QJ Motor deserves serious attention. The question is no longer whether China can build real motorcycles — it is how fast they will catch up with the established players.",[19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26],"Geely Group","Benelli owner","Value for money","Chinese inline-four","WorldSSP","MV Agusta partnership","Massive range","Global expansion","## SRK 600 (2020)\n\nThe SRK 600 is the bike that put QJ Motor on the map in China. Launched in 2020, it was the country's first-ever inline four-cylinder motorcycle, powered by a 600cc engine derived from the Benelli platform. With 80 horsepower, a steel trellis frame, and modern naked styling, it proved that the Chinese motorcycle industry could produce credible mid-displacement machinery. The SRK family led Chinese sales in the 250cc-and-above segment for eleven consecutive years, making it the backbone of the QJ Motor lineup and the platform on which all subsequent models were built.\n\n## SRK 800 RR (2023)\n\nThe SRK 800 RR marked QJ Motor's entry into the purebred sportbike world. Equipped with a 778cc inline four producing 123 horsepower at 12,000 rpm, adjustable Marzocchi suspension, and Brembo brakes, it also became the machine that made QJ Motor the first Chinese manufacturer to compete in the World Supersport Championship. Piloted by Raffaele De Rosa in WorldSSP from 2024, it has already proven its potential on the international racing stage. Its power-to-price ratio is virtually unmatched in the 800cc sportbike segment.\n\n## SRK 921 RR (2024)\n\nQJ Motor's flagship supersport machine. Its 921cc inline-four engine, derived from the MV Agusta F4 platform, produces 127 horsepower and 93 Nm of torque. Steel trellis frame, single-sided swingarm, MV Agusta-inspired exhaust tips, full electronics suite with riding modes, traction control, quickshifter, and launch control — the SRK 921 RR aims to compete directly with premium European sportbikes at a fraction of their price. Unveiled at EICMA 2023 and launched in China in early 2024, it is progressively reaching European and global markets.\n\n## SRT 800 SX (2024)\n\nIn the fiercely competitive mid-size adventure segment, the SRT 800 SX takes on the Yamaha Ténéré 700, Honda Transalp 750, and KTM 790 Adventure. Its 799cc parallel twin delivers 91 horsepower and 77 Nm of torque, with Marzocchi suspension, Brembo brakes, quickshifter, cruise control, and a connected TFT display all included as standard. In France, the touring version with full aluminum luggage lists at under 9,000 euros. For riders who want a fully loaded adventure bike without breaking the bank, it is arguably the strongest value proposition in its class.\n\n## SRV 600 V (2024)\n\nA genuine rarity on the market: the SRV 600 V is a cruiser powered by a V4 engine displacing 561cc. A2-license compatible in Europe, it offers an engine architecture usually reserved for premium machines costing twice as much, all in an affordable and manageable package. With refined styling, copper-finished exhaust tips, a belt final drive, and a round TFT display, it brings genuine originality to a cruiser segment overwhelmingly dominated by V-twins. It is a bold statement of QJ Motor's engineering ambition.","- Unbeatable equipment-to-price ratio: Brembo, Marzocchi, TFT, quickshifter standard on most models\n- Extremely wide range covering every segment (naked, adventure, sport, cruiser, scooter)\n- Backed by Geely group with massive financial and industrial resources\n- Technology synergies with Benelli and MV Agusta for design and powertrains\n- World Championship racing commitment (Moto2, WorldSSP) building credibility\n- Massive production capacity: over one million motorcycles per year\n- International presence in over 130 countries","- Brand image still fragile in Western markets: trust in Chinese manufacturers remains a work in progress\n- Very limited dealer network in Europe, after-sales service and parts availability still uncertain\n- Long-term reliability unproven in European markets with limited track record\n- Resale value unknown in Western used-bike markets\n- Frequent distributor changes in Europe (DIP then SIMA in France), undermining commercial continuity","QJ Motor — History, Models & Reviews | Moto-Académie","QJ Motor (Qianjiang), founded 1985 in China, Geely group. Benelli owner. SRK nakeds, SRT adventure, SRV cruisers. Complete brand guide.",{"data":33,"hasMore":34,"marques":35},[],false,[36,37,38,39],"Aprilia","KTM","Triumph","Yamaha"]