China's ZXMOTO claimed a double win in the World Supersport category at the Portuguese round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, with French rider Valentin Debise powering the ZXMOTO 820RR-RS to first place in two races last weekend.

This achievement marks the first victory by a Chinese manufacturer in the category, as well as the first time that a Chinese motorcycle brand has won a race in a WSBK round.

Zhang Xue, founder of the Chongqing-based motorcycle maker, talked about the breakthrough and what it means for the country's presence in top-level production-based racing.

"Why did we win? What makes our bike competitive? Let me put it this way: among bikes of the same displacement, ours has the highest horsepower, the lightest weight and the lowest center of gravity," he said.

The WorldSSP victories represent a milestone for a Chinese manufacturer competing against established international brands in a globally recognized championship. For Zhang, the success did not come easily.

"If you measure by the time and energy I've put into this industry, you could say I've been in it for 20 years. But in reality, I've done the equivalent of what most people would do in 40 years. Throughout the year, I take no more than five full days of complete rest – days where I do nothing but rest. And on normal days, aside from eating and sleeping, almost everything I do is about motorcycles," the 39-year-old added.

Zhang continues to believe chasing extreme performance is a constant catalyst for growth, even after a double win. The ZXMOTO founder identified room for improvement in his bike's launch speed, with clear solutions already in mind.

"To be honest, I've already pretty much figured it out. We'll have a countermeasure in place very soon," Zhang concluded.