Prior to now, when one appeared particularly for a mid-capacity, air-cooled, single-cylinder retro bike, the choices have been — Benelli Imperiale 400, Honda CB350s and the Royal Enfields. Becoming a member of this bandwagon now’s the new-to-India however not new to bikes, the Chinese language big QJMotor, which is aiming for a slice on this phase with the SRC 500.
We had an opportunity to look at each the Imperiale and the SRC facet by facet. Whereas the QJ is visually just like Benelli, it’s a noticeably bigger and heftier bike. Actually, the SRC’s 1,440mm wheelbase is longer than an Interceptor 650, by a big 42mm. Appears to be like clever, that is an interesting bike; from its retro two-tone bodywork to the beneficiant use of chrome within the rider’s area of view. The paint high quality is nice, however this explicit white/crimson colourway will not be the best to maintain clear in our circumstances.
The retro theme is bolstered by halogen bulbs throughout and the headlight does a superb job of illuminating the street. The SRC’s absolutely digital twin-pod show is effectively laid out and shows related information, however I imagine the Imperiale’s digi-analogue set-up would have suited the QJ’s retro character extra.
High quality is a little bit of a letdown with a number of eyesores on this in any other case good-looking machine. Multitudes of wires, cables and hoses are seen in plain sight, the rider’s footrest is bolted on a crude-looking steel bracket, and the go change is pressed each time you absolutely pull within the clutch lever (one thing we additionally confronted on the Keeway V302C). But, these irritants pale compared to this one — there may be just about no hole between the chain and the left ‘leg’ of the centre stand — leading to an alarming, loud clanking sound because the chain smacks in opposition to it when the engine is beneath load. The corporate says it’s engaged on this situation.
At 205 kg, the SRC 500 is hefty (10kg greater than a Traditional 350), and you’re feeling the load at gradual speeds or whereas shifting it round. The burden can be a problem whereas taking tight U-turns as a result of its giant turning radius. When you get shifting, nevertheless, it does get higher however it’s important to be conscious that this can be a large and lengthy bike.
Whereas its 800mm seat peak determine appears approachable, it’s a bit large the place the tank meets the seat, which splays your legs out a bit. At 5’11”, it was not a problem for me, however shorter riders can be affected by this. Then again, taller riders might also discover the seat peak to be barely low in relation to the foot pegs. Total, the driving place is relaxed along with your higher physique almost straight and your toes positioned neutrally, which is conducive to spending lengthy hours within the saddle.
Plonked within the fairly old-school double-cradle body is a big however easy two-valve, air-cooled, 480cc, single-cylinder mill that’s rated for 25.5hp and 36Nm. Whereas these figures are usually not precisely spectacular on paper for a near-500cc bike, the SRC is faster than the Benelli Imperiale to 100kph by almost 5s. It might additionally simply maintain triple-digit cruising speeds all day lengthy, with minimal vibrations, helped by its tall gearing.
In our time with it, the SRC 500 achieved a decent 33.3kpl (general), which mixed with its 15.5-litre gasoline tank, means it could actually comfortably cowl greater than 450km on a single tankful. The gearbox is a 5-speed unit and my grievance with it’s that there’s a disproportionately giant hole between the foot peg and equipment lever, ensuing having to magnify your foot motion each time you could shift gears. This could not have been a problem if there was a heel-shifter, one thing you’d anticipate on a laidback machine.
What dissuades you from holding the aforementioned cruising speeds are weak, spongy brakes. Then there may be the inventory suspension set-up, which is much too smooth, with the dual rear shocks bottoming out fairly simply over most bumps. Including two clicks of preload on the rear helped, (I weigh near 86kg with gear), however the general really feel from the suspension will not be of well-controlled damping. As has been the case with all of the Chinese language bikes we’ve examined lately, the SRC’s ABS calibration is just too delicate and the accelerator’s journey is abnormally lengthy.
Regardless of these flaws, we’ve come to love the QJ SRC. That torquey engine is the star of the present and the retro design is a visible deal with. Nevertheless, the standard ranges are disappointing for a ₹2.8 lakh bike, moreover a number of teething points that have to be addressed.
