Latest images revealed on social media show a purported 1,000 cc superbike from QJMotor, the Chinese brand of the Qianjiang Group and sister brand of Benelli. The styling is quite similar to the QJMotor 600RR that was revealed in updated form last year. But the model seen in the pictures could be much farther from a production model, given away by the fact that the bike in the pictures sports two different colour schemes on each side.
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The QJMotor 1,000 cc superbike sports winglets on the fairing, underscoring the bike's performance-oriented lineage.
What is noteworthy is that under the skin, the 1,000 cc QJMotor bike shares the same engine, frame, swingarm and the quad exhaust outlets from the MV Agusta Brutale 1000. The fuel tank also has a similar shape as the Brutale 1000’s. The only mechanical parts which are different is the front fork, which is a Marzocchi unit, possibly made in China, a result of Marzocchi’s partnership with Qianjiang to set up Chinese production facilities in early 2022.
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The use of the hardware from the MV Agusta Brutale 1000 is a natural evolution in a way. In 2020, Qianjiang and MV Agusta announced that MV Agusta would provide 1,000 cc inline four-cylinder engines to be used in future Benelli-branded models to be produced by Qianjiang. While there’s no news of a new litre-class Benelli superbike yet, the parent company seems to have decided to use the powerplant in the QJMotor brand, which has been rapidly growing, particularly in the domestic Chinese market, over the past few years.
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The only clarity which remains is how these different motorcycle brands will maintain each other’s intellectual property. KTM’s parent company Pierer Mobility has already acquired 25 per cent stake in MV Agusta, which is seen as a first step in complete acquisition of the Italian brand. KTM already has a relationship with another Chinese firm CFMoto, which manufactures some mid-size KTM engines in China.
