The WorldSSP Championship may be just about to kick off down under, but not all teams and riders scheduled to hit the track in the intermediate class this year will be starting their 2024 seasons at the flyaway.

Indeed, a handful of so-called ‘European Cup’ entries are holding back until Round 3 at Assen to save on the monies, including the intriguing brand-new entry from Chinese manufacturer, QJMotor.

The firm - owner of storied Italian marque Benelli and budget favourites Keeway - were a surprise addition to the WorldSSP entry list when it was revealed at the end of 2023, not least because no-one was aware it was planning a maiden foray into international racing as a factory entity.

Truthfully, little is known about the entry beyond the fact it will run experienced racer Raffaele de Rosa on a single version of its new mid-size sportsbike, the QJMotor SR 800 RR. However, it is a factory team - it says so right in the name.

While its absence from both Phillip Island and - perhaps more concerningly - the approved list of homologated motorcycles for 2024 raises more questions than they answer, testing is at least underway behind the scenes.

In the absence of any obvious press service from QJMotor means we are relying on a short snippet of reel video from de Rosa himself, who posted a quick shot to Instagram of him popping an epic wheelie aboard the SR 800 RR.

Granted, that means we can’t tell all that much beyond the fact it can hold its form pretty well on two wheels and it’s not a bad looker, but we can also at least say this project is happening… something that is reassuring given the number of teams that pop up talking big game before going remarkably quiet when the business end swings around.

It’s nice to have some variety and - who knows - QJMotor (or Benelli) could well use this as a precursor to a full-on WorldSBK effort as the firm is reportedly working on a new 1000cc sportsbike project with engineering assistance from MV Agusta. See, now you’re interested…