Could the QJ SRK 700 become a Benelli-badged MT-07 rival?
The Benelli parent company QJ has announced the SRK 700 pointing to an MT-07 rivalling twin from Chinese-owned Italian marque
BENELLI could have a bike to rival the all-conquering Yamaha MT-07 soon, as its parent company GJ Motor announces the SRK 700 in China.
With the middle-weight twin-cylinder sector going through a very strong period of growth at the moment, it seems silly for GJ Motor’s European outpost of Benelli not to join in on the act, and this could be the bike it does it with.
Benelli also recently began trading in the US, again, a huge market for lightweight and cost-effective machines like the venerable MT-07.
While the QJ SRK 700 is not quite as sharp-suited as the current Yamaha MT-07 or Triumph Trident, and clearly nowhere as well-equipped as the Aprilia Tuono 660, but the cheap and cheerful charm of the bike and the badge on the tank might be enough to steal a few sales.
At the heart of the machine is a 693cc parallel-twin which produces 76bhp. It’s hardly earth-shattering in a class that includes near 100bhp machines, but potent enough, and again, might actually play in the bike’s favour.
Unlike some of the bikes in the middle-weight Benelli range, the SRK 700 is a solid-looking naked, with no retro styling tweaks whatsoever. It does though already look a little bit dated, despite having just been unveiled. If indeed it does make it out as a re-badged model for the Italian marque, we’d expect Benelli to sprinkle some glitter on it.
There is no official confirmation around the bikes arrival, although motorcycle media both in Asia and Italy are pointing to this as the next big model from Benelli. We'll let you know once it is confrimed.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
