Is This Simply the Best-Looking Entry-Level Adventure Bike Yet?

Complementing the stunning style of this particular forbidden fruit is an impressive feature set for the price.

Close-up of a silver motorcycle exhaust pipe attached to a red and black bike body.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published March 6, 2026

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Updated March 6, 2026

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With a growing number of Italian legacy motorcycle brands (Benelli, Morbidelli, Moto Morini and more) now rolling out of China, the intertwining of different influences has been fascinating to watch.

These relationships marry head-turning Italian design with Chinese manufacturing prowess, producing bikes that look great, run well and don’t break the bank.

Red and black off-road adventure motorcycle with knobby tires and a tall windshield. — The SRT 125 DX confidently carries a classic, unfussy style that will hold up for years to come.

While QJMotor is a wholly Chinese company (and a big one), the strategic partnership it formed with MV Agusta six years ago continues to bear formidable if forbidden fruit.

The latest example is the new SRT 125 DX, which combines a potent feature list with aesthetics that rival those of much bigger and more expensive bikes.

Form and function for the win

When you are trying to stand out in an increasingly popular and crowded segment, it can be tempting to get weird.

But while other entry-level ADVs, like, say, BSA’s funky-looking Thunderbolt, are fun to talk about, things change when you start to think about actually owning one.

Red and black dual-sport motorcycle with knobby tires and a silver exhaust on a white background. — The color-blocked paint job is perfectly on point. That’s good because this is the only version QJMotor makes.

That’s where this little SRT gets to quietly flex, with a comparatively elegant machine that takes cues from MV Agusta’s Enduro Veloce but perhaps even more so from Honda’s Africa Twin, one of the most popular and enduring ADV nameplates.

Why not borrow from the best, especially when you are coming in at a size so much smaller than even the smallest bikes from major names in the space, including BMW, Royal Enfield and Yamaha?

Close-up of a red QJMotor motorcycle front with dual round LED headlights and gold front forks. — The semi-circular headlights recall iconic Africa Twins of yore.

Visually, highlights include the tall windscreen, spoked wheels and distinctive dual LED headlights, plus a nicely contoured tank, serpentine exhaust culminating in a swollen silver pipe and an unfussy paint scheme that just works.

For its size and price (which converts to well under $5,000), the SRT also delivers a pretty compelling little package.

With an eye on Europe, the engine is dialed to produce the maximum legal amount for an A1 license (the introductory tier in the continent’s two-tiered system).

Close-up of a black QJMotor engine casing with silver circular cover and red coil spring in a motorcycle frame. — The compact engine is basically as powerful as one can be and still qualify for Europe’s A1 class.

The liquid-cooled 125cc single-cylinder makes 15 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and about 9.2 pound-feet of torque at 7,500 rpm, controlled through a six-speed gearbox and mated to a chain final drive.

Suspension on the tubular steel cradle comes in the form of an upside-down fork and a preload-adjustable rear shock, while ground clearance is nearly nine inches and both the front and rear disc brakes are supported by ABS.

Standard features you don’t often see in this class include hand guards, a rear rack, a 5-inch TFT display and a pair of USB charging ports.

Digital motorcycle dashboard display showing neutral gear, speedometer at zero, fuel gauge, and odometer reading 3 miles. — A TFT screen on a sub-$5,000 bike is a somewhat rare and welcome sight.

If there’s one element that gives me pause, particularly where beginners are concerned, it’s the 33.9-inch seat height.

While that metric is somewhat ameliorated by the feathery curb weight of 284 pounds, that’s still intimidating AF for a noob with, say, a 28-inch inseam.

If and when this bike does make its way to the USA, perhaps that’s a bit of ammo you can use to get the dealer to knock a few bucks off the already nice price.

Availability and pricing

The QJMotor SRT 125 DX is available in Europe, among other places, for €3,999, which roughly converts to $4,635 USD.

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.

QJMotor SRT 125 DX

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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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