Weird Flex: QJMotor 550cc Faired Bike Teased, Looks Like Ducati Panigale V4

Shares its powertrain with the MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5 ADV, as QJMotors already has ties with the Italian brand

QJMotor has teased a 550cc supersport, and will likely launch the faired bike in the Chinese market soon. Going by the teaser photos, it will be a properly premium, sporty-looking supersport based on the MV Agusta Lucky Explorer 5.5 engine platform. That’s because MV Agusta already has a partnership with QJ Group, and had developed the Lucky Explorer in conjunction with the Chinese conglomerate.

The yet-to-be-named supersport is powered by the same 554cc parallel-twin liquid-cooled engine as the Italian ADV; however, it has been tweaked to produce 57.1PS and 54Nm as opposed to the ADV’s 47PS and 51Nm. The massive difference is because the ADV’s powerplant has been restricted to produce less as it has to comply with the European A2 licensing norms. QJMotor has ‘unlocked’ the potential of the engine as it is not bound by such norms. 

The bike is also equipped with premium components including KYB suspension and Brembo radial calipers holding on to twin discs from Sunstar. It even features a single-sided swingarm, something that you usually only see on superbikes. 

While the bike looks properly aggressive, it is ironic that QJMotor chose to make it look like the Ducati Panigale V4 while it has close ties to MV Agusta, which arguably makes some of the world’s most beautiful faired bikes. Nonetheless, it will grab eyeballs, thanks to its bright red colour scheme with white highlights, winglets, and stylish alloy wheels. Despite looking sporty, its ergonomics seem to be comfortable as the bike gets mid-set footpegs and raised clip-on handlebars, resulting in a Kawasaki Ninja 650-like riding stance. That should make the bike versatile enough for everyday commutes as well. 

Expect QJMotor to make a formal launch announcement soon, and the bike could cost an equivalent of Rs 4 lakh. It will be a more powerful alternative to the recently-launched CFMoto 450SR. As for Indian enthusiasts, the most appropriate option in the 300-odd cc faired bike segment would be the TVS Apache RR 310 BTO. Another worthy alternative would be the 2022 KTM RC 390, which is all set to be launched soon.