If you’ve been paying attention to the influx of new models from QJ Motor recently, you’ll know the brand has been quietly building its UK presence. Among the growing list of nakeds, retros, and cruisers sits this — the SRT 900 S. 

It’s the touring sibling to the SRK 900 I recently tested in Bolton, and on paper, it’s packing some seriously premium kit for not a lot of money.

Think of it as an adventure-tourer with its priorities set firmly on long-distance road work rather than muddy trails. Heated grips, heated seat, full luggage, blindspot detection, and even a tyre pressure monitoring system — all standard. 

For around £7,500, that’s a lot of bike for the money.

Engine: familiar twin, familiar grin

The SRT 900 S shares its heart with the SRK 900 naked, and mapping tweaks seem minimal, but that’s no bad thing. The 904cc twin is properly gutsy at the bottom end and delivers a satisfying shove through the midrange. It’s not the most refined engine in the segment, but it’s willing, tractable, and perfectly suited to a big-mile touring role.

Throttle connection is direct without being twitchy, and it feels more polished than you might expect at this price point. Like its naked sibling, the gearbox is where things falter slightly. Push it hard through the gears, and it has a tendency to slip from second back into neutral — something that might be improved by rotating the gear lever around the spline to a more natural position.

When it’s working properly, the quickshifter and blipper are a treat, letting you shuffle up and down the box effortlessly. But when it doesn’t, you’ll notice it.

Electronics and equipment: premium kit, budget badge

If there’s one area where QJ Motor really stands out, it’s value for money. The electronics suite on the SRT 900 S would embarrass a few bikes twice the price. You get a full-colour TFT display, a USB Type-A port, LED lighting throughout, and a (sometimes) working up-and-down quickshifter.

But the real surprises are the luxuries. Heated rider seat? Standard. Heated grips? Standard. Blindspot detection? Also standard.

That last one is a bit of a mixed bag, though. Around town, the system is far too sensitive, lighting up and beeping at you for everything from passing vans to floating crisp packets. On the motorway, however, it behaves more intuitively, only triggering when there’s something genuinely in your blind spot. Thankfully, if you decide it’s all too much, you can switch it off completely.

You also get the usual trio of riding modes — Rain, Road, and Sport — along with switchable traction control and the ability to disable rear ABS. I found ‘Road’ to be the sweet spot, offering all the performance of ‘Sport’ without the choppy throttle response. The traction control, on the other hand, can be a bit overprotective, cutting in too early and taking its time to let go again.

Still, for the spec sheet alone, QJ deserves some serious credit. Heated everything, TFT, rider aids, and luggage — that’s a hefty list for a sub-eight-grand bike.

Comfort: long-haul ready, almost

As you’d expect from a big adventure-style tourer, the SRT900 S is extremely roomy. You don’t perch on top of it — you sit deep within it. The seat cradles you nicely, the bars are wide and easy to reach, and the whole riding position feels natural and relaxed, and you have a great view of the road ahead.

For my 5ft 7in frame, the ergonomics worked well. The footpegs are a touch higher than ideal, but that means they’re out of harm’s way if you do decide to take a gravel shortcut. The seat comfort is excellent, and after a full day in the saddle, I had no complaints. The heated seat and grips are very effective once warmed through, though they take a few minutes to reach full temperature.

The only real drawback is the windscreen — or rather, the lack of adjustment. It’s odd, because some lower-spec QJ models do have adjustable screens. The one fitted here is on the low side, so a taller optional screen would be a worthwhile addition.

On the plus side, overall weather protection is good. The fairing deflects most of the wind and rain, and the large handguards feel sturdy and functional. Combined with that 24-litre tank, you could easily chew through hundreds of miles between fuel stops in comfort.

Handling: road-biased and confident

Despite its adventure bike stance, the SRT 900 S is very much tuned for tarmac. The suspension is plush and compliant, soaking up bumps without ever feeling vague or wallowy. There’s a little movement under hard braking and acceleration, but nothing that unsettles the ride.

At 264kg with luggage, it’s not light, and you can feel that heft at low speeds. The steering feels heavy when manoeuvring or crawling through town, and the high centre of gravity makes slow-speed balance a bit of a workout. Once you’re rolling, though, it behaves far better than you’d expect.