Sports style, A1 class compliant, leaner bikes are among the most popular – and expensive – 125s of all, so the arrival of a new, budget priced Chinese offering is big news.

After all, while Yamaha’s R-125 (currently at £5501), KTM’s RC125 (at £5099) and Aprilia’s RS125 (from £4775) are undoubtedly mouthwatering poster bikes for a teen generation, they’re also so pricey that, in reality, it’s cheaper, more basic, Chinese offerings such as the likes of Lexmoto’s LXR125 (£2579.99) and Sinnis GPX125 (from £3199) that are the best sellers.

So, say ‘Hello’ to the new SRK12R from new Chinese brand QJMotor. As we’ve mentioned before, QJMotor is a new brand to the UK, having first been brought in last Autumn by UK importer Moto73, who are a spin-off of established UK outfit MotoGB.

There was an initial dozen-bike line-up of mostly adventure and naked machines and for 2026 this has been expanded further with six new 125s, a new 450 adventure, a pair of new four-cylinder 800s and 921s in naked and sportster guise, a new V-twin 600cc cruiser and even three new scooters.

And while ‘QJ’ is new to the UK, it’s not a new brand. It’s the ‘own brand’ of QiangJiang Motor, which was founded in 1985, has since grown to be ones of China’s largest with annual bike production of around 1.5million machines, was previously best known for buying historic Italian brand Benelli in 2005 and is now part of the vast Geely group, which also owns Volvo, Polestar and Lotus.

UK importer Moto73 (an offshoot of independent specialists MotoGB) invited us to its HQ near Chorley in Lancashire to sample its latest additions. 

As you’ve probably noticed from some of our other QJMotor reviews recently, SRK125R is just one of the six new QJMotor 125s mentioned above, the others being: the LTS125 scooter; the COV125S and X (an enduro and supermoto based on the same platform); the budget priced TRX125 roadster (starting at just £2299) and the SRK125S, which is the ‘naked’, roadster sibling to the fully-faired SRK125R sportster.

Both SRKs are based on the same liquid-cooled, 125cc, SOHC, four-stroke, four-valve, single-cylinder engine, but while the S has a steel twin-spar frame, the R has an oval-section tubular steel double cradle.

The sporty suspension, brakes and wheels are also shared by both bikes with the other main differences being the sportster R’s slighter lower, two-piece, clip-on handlebars (the S has higher, wider, tubular one-piece bars) and, most obviously, the R’s full, sports-style fairing, where the S makes do with a small headlamp cowl.

At launch, the SRK125R costs £2999 plus ‘On The Road’ (OTR) costs, i.e., covering things like registration, pre-delivery inspection, and so on, which normally add £200, so taking it up to £3199.

That compares to the naked SRK125S, which is £500 less at just £2499 (plus OTR). Admittedly, that’s not the cheapest of Chinese 125cc sportsters.

The Lexmoto LXR125, for example, at £2579.99, is notably cheaper. But it also has to be said that it is a significantly older and more basic design. What’s more, even at £3199, the SRK125R is nearly £2000 less than the Yamaha, KTM, and Aprilia mentioned at the start. That alone means it deserves a serious look.

The SRK125R, like all current QJMotor models, is available now from Moto73’s 30 or so dealers dotted around the UK, with more set to come. For the latest info, go to the QJMotor UK website.

Both SRKs use the same QJMotor-produced, liquid-cooled, 125cc, single overhead cam, four-valve, four-stroke single cylinder motor, which is actually a previous generation to the one used by QJ’s new COV125s, but still produces a virtually identical 11kW (15bhp) at 9500rpm and peak torque of 12Nm at 7000rpm.

That claimed peak power figure is bang on the limit of the A1 category regulation. The Lexmoto, by comparison, produces slightly less at 10.6kW and 11.5Nm respectively.

That’s delivered to the rear wheel via a six-speed gearbox and chain final drive, which is standard for this style of bike. There are no switchable riding modes or other electronic rider aids, such as traction control, which are today commonplace on larger bikes but would also be unnecessary and expensive on a learner 125.

The result is the sort of performance you might pretty much expect for a bike of this type. The SRK125R starts and pulls away happily enough and is reasonably flexible and sprightly.

Around town, it’s more than sufficient to keep up with traffic, as long as dual carriageways are treated with caution; it’ll top out at around 70-75mph (depending on how long you’re prepared to tuck in or how much of a downwards slope you’re on and it’s unintimidating and learner-friendly.

Having ridden COV125S on the same day, which has QJMotor’s newer engine, it does have to be said that the SRK doesn’t feel quite as refined, even though there’s nothing in it, performance-wise. Overall, therefore, the SRK125R’s motor does more than the job, though.

Its performance is all you can expect; it delivers cleanly and efficiently, and if it's lacking anything, it’s only a touch of refinement that realistically you’ll never notice in isolation.

Learner 125cc sports bikes are all about delivering sports style and some sporting thrills, but they’re also learner bikes, so they also have to be unintimidating and easy to get on with. Accordingly, although the new QJMotor SRK125R has a convincing sports style, its riding position isn’t in any way extreme, its seat is nice and low, it’s easy to get on board, relatively slim, light and easy to manage – and certainly in the same ballpark as its rivals mentioned earlier.

The result is a nice place to be – easy to get on with from the outset, undemanding to control, intuitive, nimble both around town and through traffic and, thanks to the weather protection offered by the full fairing, more practical and comfortable than you might have expected over longer distances, too.

Where many QJMotor machines stand out against similarly priced Chinese rivals is the quality of its cycle parts. Where some budget sportsters have conventional suspension and uninspiring brakes, for example, the SRK125R has chunky inverted front forks, a proper monoshock rear end and stylish ‘wavy’ disc brakes.

OK, so the 35mm forks are non-adjustable, the rear monoshock is only adjustable for preload, and the front brake calliper is only a two-piston design, so they’re still not quite in the same league as more expensive offerings from Yamaha, KTM and Aprilia. But neither are they notably in any way bad either. 

The ride is on the firm side of plush, as you’d expect; the steering is ultra-light and instant, yet stable, too, and although the budget CST tyres are nothing to write home about either, the SRK125R’s overall handling attributes are more than acceptable, especially considering its necessarily limited learner performance. Even the brakes are more than sufficient.

Another area where many QJMotors impress is with their level of equipment, even though supposedly budget machines. The SRK125R, for example, has a slick-looking 4inch LCD digital dash, USB charging point, LED lighting all round and dual-channel ABS brakes.

No, that might not again be in the same league as the Yamaha, KTM and Aprilia, which all have TFT dashes and more, but it’s certainly better than the Lexmoto, so placing the SRK125R somewhere midway between those two extremes.

You pay your money, you make your choice…

Yes, there is some good, some par for the course. One plus is the fact that the SRK125R comes in three colour scheme options – the red/silver shown here, or black/red or an all-blue option, which will have your mates thinking you’ve got a Yamaha.

Warranty and servicing-wise, the SRK is also fairly typical for an ‘affordable’ sports 125, in coming with a standard, manufacturer-backed, two-year, unlimited mileage warranty from first registration covering all parts and labour, while standard service intervals are 6000miles or annually, whichever comes first.

Of course, as with most other QJModels, being a new model from. A new, unknown Chinese manufacturer with no track record in the UK, the SRK’s reliability and likely residuals are unknown. But it’s also worth pointing out that they’re well-made, from a long-established (in China) manufacturer and feature decent cycle parts, so overall we have little cause for concern.

There is already plenty of quality sports 125s out there with Yamaha’s R125, KTM’s RC125, and Aprilia’s RS125 all deservedly standing out.

But they’re also all now well over £4000, indeed, some are over £5K, which is a big deal when you’re 17 and on a restricted budget.

There are also more than a few budget-priced Chinese sports 125s, such as the best-selling Lexmoto LXR125. But these sometimes also, despite being best sellers primarily based on their sub-£3000 prices, are conspicuously basic, crude and, increasingly, outdated.

The new QJMotor SRK125R stands out for us by offering the best of both worlds: it has all the style of high-end rivals, but at a fraction of the price. And if not quite as cheap as the most affordable ones, it more than justifies it by its more modern design and engine, better spec, and fresher looks.

If I were 17, I know which one I’d go for…