You may not be familiar with QJMotor, but the name Benelli probably rings a bell. The companies are sisters, both owned by Qianjiang Motors, and their motorcycles share a lot of components across their platforms.

That’s why it’s a bit exciting to see some pictures of a 645cc 90-degree v-twin powered upright adventure bike coming from that general direction. We’ve seen rumors about the bike for a while, but the photos all but confirm its imminent release. You can see Bennets’ photos below; non-watermarked photos are available at ZigWheels. No word on their origin, but it seems likely to be someone inside the QJMotor organization.

QJ/Benelli have been busy

We’ve been hearing a whole lot about QJMotors and Benelli. There has been a ton of speculation about the motorcycles coming down the QJ/Benelli pipeline, but this one is different in that it’s a V-twin.

The TRK502, 702, and potential 800cc bikes get chatter but a company can only design and build motorcycles so fast, so we’ll tell you what we could find out about this newest player. The middleweight adventure bike segment continues to be absolutely on fire, so we can’t blame a company for attempting to get as many of them to market as possible.

The Specs

According to gossip from Asia and Europe’s moto-press, the new V-twin 650 adventure bike will supposedly put out about 75 hp and weigh around 482 lb. That’s a bit piggy for a modern adventure machine, but if you’re building a bike to be rugged and cheap, it’s going to be heavy.

The 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels get power from a chain final drive. They’re shod with 100/80R19 up front and 15070R17 rubber on the rear. The twin-pot dual front and single-pot single-disk rear Brembo brakes bring it to a stop. And, yes, of course, it’s fitted with ABS. Those wheels are sprung on upside-down forks up front and a single monoshock out back. It looks like it will be available in a couple of configurations, with cast wheels or wire wheels, and with or without factory luggage (the addition of which ups the weight another 40 lbs).

The engine hangs out in a steel-tube frame and rolls on a cast aluminum swingarm.

LED lighting all around is de rigueur& these days and this bike is no different. A TFT screen dash completes the modern touches.

The Look

Let’s talk about aesthetics for a moment. The Dakar shroud looks like it’s making a real style comeback. This bike has a low front fender and no beak, perhaps as an echo of the super successful Ténéré 700. Those elements, though, mark it as more of a street machine than a dirt warrior. Which is, of course, what most adventure bikes are.

That all said, this bike could easily compete directly with the V-Strom 650, the smaller Versys, the aforementioned Ténéré – if Benelli can bring it to market where those bikes are sold. But Qianjiang Motors might never put a Benelli badge on the bike, and it might just stay in the Asian market. There’s no telling, only hoping.

Credit: advrider, bennetts.

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