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Could This Under-the-Radar Moto Be the Affordable Entry-Level Adventure Bike of Our Dreams?

This rally-driven bit of forbidden fruit offers an impressive array of standard features at a price that leaves most competitors in the dust.

Close-up of a gray motorcycle seat with a silver rear rack and part of a rear tire and exhaust visible.QJMotor
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By Steve Mazzucchi

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As the continued popularity of Royal Enfield’s Himalayan 450 and the hype surrounding BMW’s F 450 GS prove, small-displacement adventure bikes are so hot right now. 

Which means that whether it planned to or not, an unexpected brand may be adding some incendiary fuel to the fire. 

Red and silver adventure motorcycle with gold rims and three aluminum storage boxes.
The SRT 450 RX Rally includes as standard a lot of features that are pricey options on other bikes, including the three-piece hard luggage set.
QJMotor

The maker in question is Zhejiang Province, China-based giant QJMotor, and the fuel is the new SRT 450 RX Rally.

Not unlike some other notable Chinese bikes, what it lacks in name recognition for Westerners, it more than makes up for with gaudier specs than its price would suggest.

Value proposition

Let’s point out two key things right off the bat, which (spoiler alert) will be frustrating for North American ADV enthusiasts.

The first is that based on UK pricing (£5,499), this bike will likely come in cheaper than equivalent options from better-known brands, including Kawasaki’s KLE500, Honda’s NX500 and CFMoto’s 450MT.

White and black adventure motorcycle with red accents and gold rims on a white background.
Strip off the luggage and the bike should dip under 400 pounds, a pretty neat feat for an ADV of this size.
QJMotor

The second is that though QJMotor adventure bikes such as the SRT750X are distributed in the US, we don’t know if/when the smaller bike will make its way to the shores of a land where 75 percent of motorcycles sold are 750cc or bigger. 

If it does, the price would likely be much lower than the ~$7,500 that the UK price equates to, considering the fact that the aforementioned SRT750X goes for $8,599. 

Front view of a red and black motorcycle with illuminated white headlights and orange turn signals on handguards.
The bike also comes with full LED lighting, including indicators in the handguards which look cool AF — until you smack into a branch and need to replace them, of course.
QJMotor

Were the bike to come in closer to, say, $6,000, it would be super compelling, because it totally overdelivers on standard features that often cost extra, including heated grips and seat, hand guards, engine bars, bash plate, luggage, USB charging and full LED lighting.

That all comes on top of a 449.5cc parallel-twin engine that edges the Himalayan by making just over 47 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, plus 30 lb-ft of torque, with a balanced tune that should transition smoothly from tarmac to the trails. 

Close-up of a black QJMotor motorcycle engine with visible frame, exhaust pipes, and protective skid plate.
The 449.5cc engine makes 7hp more than the Himalayan’s — and a dash more torque too.
QJMotor

True to its name, the SRT 450 RX Rally carries strong Dakar vibes, plus the increasingly more common vertically oriented TFT dash — one that pairs with Bluetooth for everything from navigation to tire pressure monitoring. 

From an approachability standpoint, we are looking at a seat height of 32.9 inches, a bit high for beginners but pretty standard for ADVs in this class (the Himalayan comes in at 32.5 inches, for context).

Motorcycle digital dashboard display showing speedometer, gear indicator, and trip information with a clear windshield in the background.
The large, vertically oriented TFT screen monitors key data, mirrors your phone for navigation and lets you select from multiple ride modes, adjust ABS and more.
QJMotor

More inviting is a comparatively lean curb weight of 406 pounds, a figure made all the more impressive by the fact that includes the (empty) three-piece hard luggage, which could be removed if you are looking to get more nimble off the beaten path. 

The steel cradle frame bounces along on long-travel Marzocchi fully adjustable USD forks and a multi-link rear shock, with Brembo brakes and Bosch dual-channel ABS with switchable rear intervention helping you keep the shiny side up. 

Availability and pricing

The QJMotor SRT 450 RX is available now in the UK at a starting price of £5,499, roughly equivalent to $7,500.

No word yet on a US release, but with the brand bringing more and more bikes (including ADVs) to our shores, we can always hope.

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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