Two decades of pursuit: founder Zhang Xue leads ZXMOTO to historic double victory in WSBK

Zhang Xue (middle) poses for a picture with a rider (left) before the Australian round of the World Superbike Championship.

Chinese motorcycle brand ZXMOTO secured a historic breakthrough at the Superbike World Championship (WSBK), winning both races in the WorldSSP (Supersport) class at the Portugal round on March 28 and 29, local time.

This marked the first time a Chinese-made motorcycle has claimed victory in a top-tier international competition, ending decades of dominance by European, American and Japanese brands in the category.

"I've waited 20 years for this moment," said Zhang Xue, founder of Chongqing-based ZXMOTO, following the win.

The winning machine, the 820RR-RS, was developed from the production 820RR model launched just days earlier on March 21. In the opening race, the rider powered to victory with a commanding lead of nearly four seconds, underscoring the bike's competitive edge.

While the win surprised many, for Zhang, it represented the culmination of a two-decade journey. His story began far from the racetrack. Twenty years ago, Zhang worked as an apprentice in a small repair shop in rural Xiangxi, Hunan province in central China, drenched in engine oil and surrounded by spare parts. At the time, Chinese-made motorcycles were often overlooked, but he held onto an audacious ambition: to build a world-class, high-performance motorcycle for China.

A defining moment came when Zhang was 19. He rode an aging secondhand motorcycle -- older than himself -- over 100 kilometers through cold rain and winding mountain roads, chasing a media crew for a chance to be seen by a professional racing team. His determination paid off, opening the door to a career in motorsports.

"That was the most important bike in my life. It's where my dream started," he recalled. Through years of dedication, he rose from a repair apprentice to a prizewinner in national motorcycle maintenance competitions. Yet Zhang wanted more than just fixing bikes; he was determined to build championship-winning machines.

"Why are all the bikes on the track foreign brands? Can't we build our own high-performance motorcycles?" he recalled asking himself.

In 2013, Zhang moved to Chongqing municipality in southwest China with just 20,000 yuan (about $2,700), drawn by its strong industrial base as China's "motorcycle capital."

"The reason Zhang's team can rapidly roll out high-performance vehicles at relatively controllable costs is essentially that the industrial chain has developed the supporting capacity for high-performance products," said Zhang Lipeng, deputy director of the Tianjin Internal Combustion Engine Research Institute.

Chongqing is home to 51 major motorcycle manufacturers and more than 410 parts suppliers. Over 80 percent of components can be sourced locally, from engines and frames to electronic control systems.

From research and development and mass production to iterative upgrades, high-performance motorcycles can rely on solid industrial support right here.

"Here, you can find almost every motorcycle component you need," Zhang said.

Starting with modifications, he gradually built a team, established a brand, and moved into independent research and development -- investing his time, energy and even all his personal savings into the venture.

Under WSBK rules, race bikes must be based on production models with only limited modifications. As Zhang Lipeng noted, this means competitive success largely reflects the commercial version's inherent performance capabilities.

Lightweight design proved decisive. Zhang said his team reduced the bike's weight by about 10 percent compared with competitors. The production 820RR weighs 193 kilograms, while the race version was trimmed to just 175 kilograms.

This engineering advantage translated into commercial success. In 2025, ZXMOTO's sales exceeded 25,000 units, with total output value reaching 745 million yuan and R&D investment approaching 70 million yuan. Its products are now exported to markets including Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Russia.

Looking ahead, Zhang identified Europe and North America as key targets for further expansion.

According to Zhang Lipeng, high-performance motorcycles require the integration of multiple systems, including powertrains, frame rigidity, suspension geometry, aerodynamics and electronic controls. With thousands of precision components involved, manufacturing demands are extremely high.

"Before 2015, key technologies such as electronic fuel injection relied heavily on foreign suppliers," Zhang Lipeng said, adding that in recent years, domestic companies have made steady breakthroughs.

The success of ZXMOTO would not have been possible without Zhang's own dedication and expertise. At the same time, it shows that after more than 40 years of development, China's domestic motorcycle industry has continuously matured its research and development and supply chain systems. Technologies that were once constrained by foreign dominance, such as electronic control and tuning systems, are now reaching mid-to-high levels internationally.

"I hope Chinese motorcycle manufacturers will work together to secure a true place for domestic brands on the global map," he said.

French rider Valentin Debise rides a ZXMOTO 820RR-RS at the Portugal round of the World Superbike Championship.

(Photos provided by ZXMOTO)