QJMotor’s New Electric Sportbike Revealed in Patents

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Initially shown as a concept earlier this year, QJMotor’s QJ7000D electric looks likely to be slated for production in the future. (QJMotor/)

Think Benelli and your mind probably turns to the big triples of the early 2000s or perhaps the Sei six-cylinders of the 1970s, but like every other bike company these days, the brand’s future is likely to be electric. Now its sister company, QJMotor, is developing a battery-powered sportbike that might just be the ideal starting point.

QJMotor is tightly linked to Benelli, as both companies are part of Qianjiang, the Chinese firm that is itself now a subsidiary of car giant Geely. That’s important, as Geely’s portfolio of brands includes Volvo and its electric car spinoff Polestar, as well as Lotus—the British sports car brand that’s also turning its attention to electric models for the future. QJMotor’s own existing bike range consists largely of machines that share their mechanical parts with Benelli models, differing only in their bodywork.

However, while Benelli’s offerings are still purely gas powered, QJMotor has already started to move to electrics, initially with a trio of small battery-powered scooters, but more recently, the firm showed this sportbike as a future model to add to the range.

Related: QJMotor’s 700cc Models Hint at New Benellis to Come

Given its top speed of 65 mph, the bike will probably be positioned as an affordable entry-level electric sportbike. (QJMotor/)

The bike’s name, QJ7000D, isn’t likely to set many pulses racing, and its performance is firmly in the small-bike class. The “7000” in the name relates to the electric motor’s rated wattage—7kW, which equates to 10 hp—though QJMotor’s own claims put the peak power slightly higher at a 125cc-rivaling 13.4 bhp.

When it comes to performance, the bike’s top speed is around 65 mph and the range is expected to be around the 60-mile mark, though the digital dash is shown reading 120 kph, which equates to 75 mph. This bike isn’t out to set new records for speed or range, but it is likely to be much more affordable than the average electric sportbike. If it can carry a price tag that rivals the 125cc machines it’s targeting, it could be a much-needed entry point to the world of electric bikes. After all, aiming to catch young, new riders with an electric sportbike might well prove to be an easier task than trying to sell expensive, high-performance electrics to motorcyclists with decades of combustion engine experience.

Unlike most electrics, the QJ7000D appears to use a conventional multi-ratio transmission. (QJMotor/)

The QJ7000D was originally shown as a concept earlier this year, but these images come from the firm’s patent application and show some tweaks to the appearance. Most notably, the partially open area under the body panel that would be the fuel tank on a normal bike was completely open on the show model. It’s intended to be a storage area, large enough to swallow a full-face helmet, but on the prototype the helmet kept there was very exposed. The additional black panels shown on the patents appear to act as walls to this storage section, providing a bit more security while keeping the impression that the “tank” section is floating above the main body of the bike.

Unlike a typical electric bike, which drives the rear wheel via a single-speed reduction gearset from the motor, the QJ7000D appears to use a conventional multi-ratio transmission. A conventional bar-mounted clutch lever is clear to see, as well as a foot-operated shifter on the left and a foot brake on the right-hand side, just like a normal bike. Even if the transmission isn’t strictly necessary given the wide speed range and immense low-down torque of electric motors, QJMotor isn’t the first to note that changing gears is an intrinsic part of the riding experience; Kymco’s upcoming RevoNEX electric roadster has a multi-speed transmission as well, as did the Victory (née Brammo) Empulse that formed Polaris’ brief flirtation with the electric bike scene.

Related: New QJMotor 600cc and 700cc Models Revealed

The bar-mounted clutch is easy to see here. (QJMotor/)

There’s no word yet on the launch schedule for the QJ7000D, but it does appear to be penciled in as a production model for the future. Whether the bike will also become a Benelli remains to be seen, but any electric technology used by QJMotor is sure to be shared with the European brand when it comes to entering that part of the market.

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