ZXMoto wins WSBK races, showcasing China's manufacturing prowess

A Chinese motorcycle brand has roared into the global spotlight. ZXMoto, founded by entrepreneur Zhang Xue, secured back-to-back victories at the Portugal round of the World Superbike Championship (WSBK), marking a historic first for China's motorcycle industry and breaking a 38-year dominance by established European and Japanese brands.

At the center of the win is the ZXMoto 820RR-RS, a fully domestically developed machine, from its core engine and key components to its final tuning. Its triumph is widely seen as a milestone moment, not only for Chinese motorsports but also for the country's broader push into high-end manufacturing.

WSBK, as one of the world's premier motorcycle racing series, is considered a proving ground for production-based performance. Competing bikes must be derived from mass-produced models, making victories a direct reflection of real-world engineering strength.

Behind the headline-grabbing result is a two-decade journey. Zhang began as a 14-year-old apprentice in a motorcycle repair shop, steadily working his way up to build a brand now capable of competing – and winning – on the world stage. His story mirrors a deeper transformation underway in Chinese manufacturing: from scale-driven growth to innovation-led advancement.

Chongqing: The industrial backbone behind the win

Zhang's decision to build his company in Chongqing is pivotal. The southwestern municipality hosts one of China's most complete and mature motorcycle supply chains, with more than 2,000 related enterprises and a local parts matching rate exceeding 90 percent.

This dense industrial network dramatically accelerates innovation. Specialized components that might take weeks or even months to prototype elsewhere can be produced in Chongqing in a matter of days, significantly lowering costs and enabling rapid iteration.

The ecosystem also strikes a balance between competition and collaboration. Talent flows freely across companies and along the supply chain, allowing new technologies and expertise to spread quickly, creating the environment that helped shape both Zhang and his team.

Today, Chongqing has formed a coordinated industrial landscape. Central districts such as Banan and Jiulongpo focus on upgrading fuel-powered motorcycles. Meanwhile, western areas, including Tongliang and Dazu, are emerging as hubs for electric models. In 2025, the city produced 7.857 million motorcycles, accounting for 35.5% of China's total output.

"Chongqing's supply chain is on par with the best in the world," Zhang said. "Give us a blueprint, and the city's industrial ecosystem can turn it into a top-tier product."

This model is not unique. Across China, industrial clusters – from Shenzhen's electronics sector to the Yangtze River Delta's robotics industry – are driving a similar shift, pushing "Made in China" from mass production toward technological sophistication, innovation and brand building.

A city that rides with its industry

Chongqing's role extends beyond manufacturing. Its mountainous terrain and layered urban design, dubbed an "8D metropolis," make motorcycles a practical and efficient mode of transport.

Unlike many neatly planned cities, Chongqing is a three-dimensional metropolis built on mountains and along rivers. For example, the Huangjuewan interchange, with its five levels and 20 ramps, leaves drivers scratching their heads, wondering, even with GPS, how to navigate it. In a city like this, compact and agile motorcycles find their perfect playground.

Local governance has reinforced this riding culture. A balanced regulatory approach that emphasizes licensing, helmet use, two-person limits, and right-lane riding ensures both safety and accessibility. With more than two million motorcycles on its roads, Chongqing is widely seen as one of the most motorcycle-friendly cities in China.

In parallel, motorcycle racing events have surged in recent years, from national championships to international off-road series. These high-frequency competitions serve as real-world testing grounds, pushing technological limits and feeding innovation back into mass production.

Each September, the city also hosts the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition, Asia's largest and China's only national-level motorcycle expo. The 2025 event drew 950 exhibitors, and the 2026 edition is expected to feature a dedicated cross-border e-commerce section to support global expansion.

From scale to strength on the global stage

Chongqing's motorcycle industry is also accelerating its push into overseas markets. In 2025, the city exported 6.109 million units – 77.8 percent of its total output – with export value rising 29.5% year on year to 26.47 billion yuan ($3.85 billion). Chongqing-based firms now account for half of China's top 10 motorcycle exporters.

Policy support has played a key role. The authorities have encouraged companies to participate in major international exhibitions, improved logistics through rail and river-sea intermodal networks, and supported the establishment of overseas marketing, service centers, and warehouses to enable localized operations.

Despite producing more than 60 percent of the world's motorcycles and leading global exports for three decades, China's industry has long been associated with low-cost manufacturing. In the high-displacement segment, Chinese brands still compete largely on price-performance. Models from established brands such as Ducati and Yamaha often retail for around 200,000 yuan, while comparable Chinese bikes are typically priced at 70% to 80% of that level, or lower.

But that perception is beginning to shift.

"China's motorcycle industry has never lacked the courage to innovate or the capability to build world-class products," said Zhang Hongbo, secretary-general of the China Chamber of Commerce for Motorcycles. "This victory is a powerful reflection of decades of accumulated strength."

ZXMoto's breakthrough captures that evolution. It is the result of years of steady, technology-driven progress and a sign that Chinese manufacturing is moving beyond its low-cost roots toward the high end of the global value chain.