If you wanted a mid-capacity, air-cooled, single-cylinder retro motorcycle, your options consisted of the Benelli Imperiale 400, Honda CB350s, and the Royal Enfield. New to India but not new to motorcycles, Chinese giant QJ Motor is now aiming for a slice of that pie with the visually familiar SRC 500.
Design and build
- By a significant 42 millimeters, the wheelbase of the SRC is even longer than that of the Interceptor 650.
- This is an exceptionally engaging bicycle like how this bike looks, from its retro two-tone bodywork to the extensive use of chrome in the rider’s field of view.
- The paint quality is great, however, this specific white/red colorway isn’t the simplest to keep clean in our circumstances.
Quality
With a few glaring flaws on this otherwise beautiful machine, the quality is a little disappointing. The rider’s footrest is bolted on via a very crude-looking metal bracket, and the pass switch is pressed every time you fully pull in the clutch lever—something we also encountered on the Keeway V302C. There are also a lot of wires, cables, hoses, and other things that can be seen in plain sight.
SRC Features :
- The QJ SRC 500 is heavy at 205 kg—10 kg more than a Classic 350—and you can feel the weight while moving it around or at slow speeds.
- Due to the large turning radius, the weight is also a problem when making tight U-turns. But once you start moving, it gets better, but keep in mind that this bike is wide and long.
- While its 800mm seat level figure appears to be congenial, it’s a piece wide where the tank meets the seat, which spreads your legs out a little
Performance and handling
Plonked in the somewhat old-school twofold support outline is a huge however basic two-valve, air-cooled, 480cc, single-chamber factory that is evaluated for 25.5hp and 36Nm. The SRC is nearly 5 seconds faster than the Benelli Imperiale at 100 kilometers per hour, despite these figures not being particularly impressive on paper for a bike with close to 500 ccs. Thanks to its tall gearing, it can also easily maintain triple-digit cruising speeds all day with minimal vibration.
Should you buy QJ 500?
Despite all the flaws listed above, in the week I’ve spent riding the QJ SRC 500, I’ve come to really like it. That torquey engine is the star of the show for me and the retro design is a visual treat. However, the quality levels are disappointing for a Rs 2.8 lakh bike, and there are quite a few teething issues that need to be addressed.
The biggest problem, though, is that you could get the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 for just Rs 23,000 more, which is better in terms of performance, quality, and appeal. Moreover, Royal Enfield’s extensive service and sales network. There is some ground to cover for QJMotor to cover in order to demonstrate that it is a viable alternative to the established brands.