This Beginner-Friendly ADV Motorcycle Has A Very Complicated Family Tree

QJMotor’s SRT 125 DX borrows rally proportions and global development history for beginner riders in Europe.

Photo by: QJ Motor

By: Enrico Punsalang

Feb 26, at 9:43am ET

Add RideApart as a preferred source in Google

Comment

For years, QJ Motor has been one of those companies shaping the industry from behind the scenes. It’s part of the Qianjiang Group, one of China’s largest motorcycle manufacturers, and it’s been building engines and complete bikes since the 1980s. If you’ve followed brands like Benelli, Keeway, and MBP over the last decade, you’ve already seen QJ’s production muscle at work.

The company understands scale, platform sharing, and how to turn one core architecture into multiple global models. And things got particularly interesting in 2020 when Qianjiang entered into a strategic partnership with MV Agusta. The agreement focused on expanding MV’s presence in China and exploring technical collaboration. Still, when two manufacturers with very different identities start sharing resources, something usually comes out of it.

The MV Agusta Enduro Veloce was the end result of the QJ partnership, even if it technically no longer involved Chinese production.

One of the clearest results of that phase was the MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5. The bike wore classic Italian styling cues and leaned heavily into rally inspired design, but it was tied to QJ-developed architecture. It showed how globalized motorcycle development has become. Italian design and brand storytelling layered over industrial scale from Asia.

Later, MV Agusta’s direction shifted again when Pierer Mobility became the controlling stakeholder. That transition ultimately produced the MV Agusta Enduro Veloce, powered by a 931cc triple and positioned as a premium adventure machine. Mechanically, it moved away from the earlier collaboration phase. But visually, the rally stance and tall ADV proportions carried forward.

That’s where the new QJMotor SRT 125 DX becomes interesting.

At a glance, the headlights may look like the Honda Africa Twin's, but they're really inspired by the MV Agusta Lucky Explorer Project.

Photo by: QJ Motor

At first glance, it looks like a scaled down Africa Twin style machine. Tall fairing, upright windscreen, spoked wheels, and that unmistakable dual headlight setup. But this isn’t about copying one specific bike. It’s about how the adventure segment has standardized around certain proportions, and how QJ is applying that formula to the most accessible tier of the market.

The SRT 125 DX runs a liquid cooled, four valve 125cc single making 15 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and about 9.2 pound feet of torque at 7,500 rpm. That’s right at the legal ceiling for A1 riders in Europe. Power goes through a six speed gearbox and chain final drive. It’s not trying to outperform bigger bikes. It’s maximizing what the class allows.

A petite 125cc engine makes this rally-inspired machine accessible to first-time riders.

Photo by: QJ Motor

The chassis tells you it’s meant to be taken seriously. It uses a tubular steel cradle frame, an inverted fork, and a preload adjustable rear shock. Ground clearance comes in at roughly 8.9 inches. Seat height is about 33.9 inches, tall for a 125 but exactly what gives it that proper rally silhouette. Fully fueled weight is around 284 pounds, which keeps it manageable off pavement.

Braking is handled by an 11.8 inch front disc with a dual piston caliper and an 8.7 inch rear disc, both backed by ABS. You also get LED lighting, a tall windscreen, hand guards, a rear rack, dual USB ports, and a 5 inch TFT display with connectivity. For an entry level displacement, that’s a strong equipment list.

A color TFT screen on a 125 was practically unheard of a couple of years ago.

Photo by: QJ Motor

What do you think?

View

Comments

What this bike really represents isn’t raw performance. It’s aspiration. Younger and newer riders don’t want something that looks like a compromise. They want a machine that mirrors the stance and intent of a full size adventure bike, even if the engine is a fraction of the size.

The SRT 125 DX shows how shared development history and industrial scale trickle down into the smallest segments. The partnership phase with MV Agusta didn’t result in the hyped up and accessible model lots of riders had hoped for, but it did reflect how interconnected global motorcycle development has become. And now, QJ is using that experience to deliver full sized adventure presence in a lightweight, accessible package.