Zhang Xue Wants to Make ZXMoto the Next Honda: What’s Behind the Plan

• Goal: more than one million motorcycles per year, with Honda as the role model
• WorldSBK: V5 engine due to be ready by the end of 2027, entry planned for 2028
• Growth: workforce has risen from 300 to 1,700 employees

Zhang Xue thinks big. On the sidelines of the Superbike World Championship race weekend in Cremona, the founder of ZXMoto spoke openly about his plans. They include a superbike with a five-cylinder engine, a model range for the road, the racetrack and off-road, and a company on the scale of Honda. His optimism is based on the brand’s first season in the 2026 Supersport World Championship, in which the young Chinese manufacturer has regularly been fighting for wins with the Evan Bros team.

Who is Zhang Xue?

Zhang Xue is a Chinese entrepreneur who worked his way up from mechanic to founder of two motorcycle brands. He was born in 1987 in a village in Hunan province.

His career began as a mechanic in Chongqing. He then opened his own workshop for custom builds and repairs. In 2017, together with partners, he founded the Kove brand, which builds motorcycles for China and for export. When Kove was doing well, Zhang Xue sold his stake in 2023. About a year later he founded ZXMoto, also in Chongqing. The city is China’s largest hub for the production of motorcycles and components.

By his own account, Zhang Xue has worked in the industry for more than 20 years and used to race himself. In China, many young people see him as a role model because he built successful companies on his own. He describes himself as a motorcyclist who loves motorcycles both technically and from behind the handlebars.

How successful is ZXMoto in the 2026 Supersport World Championship?

In its first season with Evan Bros, ZXMoto has scored six wins and eight podiums. All of these results came with the 820RR and French rider Valentin Debise, who is currently second in the riders’ standings.

They are the first wins for a Chinese manufacturer in the Supersport World Championship. With them, ZXMoto has broken the long dominance of the Italian and Japanese brands. The Evan Bros team brings plenty of experience. It won the Supersport world title in 2019 and 2020 and took the Women’s World Championship title with Ana Carrasco in 2024.

Zhang Xue puts the rapid success down to three things: his own racing experience, a strong team and a fast rider. According to him, many people at the company have raced themselves as well. They know what a race bike needs, and that is more than a normal production motorcycle.

The first win in Portimão is a special memory for him. In China, ZXMoto had organized a large public viewing for the race on an island in the Yangtze River, with hundreds of employees and fans. “Quando abbiamo ottenuto la prima vittoria, il nostro pilota stava piangendo. È stata un’emozione enorme per tutti noi” (When we got our first win, our rider was crying. It was a huge emotion for all of us). More than one million viewers are said to have watched the livestream of the race at the same time for the first time. Since then, people in China who otherwise have little to do with motorcycles have also become interested in the brand.

Cremona showed just how seriously ZXMoto takes its racing program. Zhang Xue came to the track with 200 company guests to watch Debise and teammate Caricasulo on their 820RRs live.

How fast is ZXMoto growing?

ZXMoto has increased its headcount from 300 to 1,700 employees within a short time. According to Zhang Xue, success on the racetrack has also significantly boosted sales.

Asked whether a small company can react faster to demands from the market and from racing, Zhang Xue answered clearly: “Non siamo più molto piccoli. Siamo passati dai 300 dipendenti di inizio anno agli attuali 1700.” (We are no longer very small. We have gone from 300 employees at the start of the year to 1,700 today.) He says he is not worried that the rapid growth will change the way the company works. The company may be young, but he brings a lot of experience from the motorcycle industry. That is why he is confident he can manage the changes within the business.

When does ZXMoto plan to enter WorldSBK?

ZXMoto plans to enter the Superbike World Championship in 2028. The V5 engine required for this is due to be ready by the end of 2027.

Zhang Xue confirmed the timeline in clear terms: “Il progetto Superbike è già iniziato. Stiamo lavorando ad un motore a 5 cilindri a V e contiamo di essere pronti alla fine del prossimo anno, per poi entrare in Superbike nel 2028” (The Superbike project has already started. We are working on a V-shaped five-cylinder engine and expect to be ready at the end of next year, so that we can enter Superbike in 2028). Development is taking place in China. In 2027, ZXMoto will initially remain in the Supersport World Championship as before.

He cites mainly sporting and technical reasons for stepping up. In WorldSBK, riders, teams and bikes are at a higher level, and ZXMoto wants to measure itself against the best. Racing in the top class for production-based motorcycles should also give the company the technology and experience to build larger and more powerful production bikes.

Will Evan Bros remain ZXMoto’s partner?

Zhang Xue wants Evan Bros to remain ZXMoto’s partner in the future, but this apparently has not been finally settled for WorldSBK. In one interview, he committed to continuing to work with Fabio Evangelista’s team in both the Supersport and Superbike World Championships. Elsewhere, he was more cautious: there is still time until 2028, so not everything has been decided yet. ZXMoto is currently working with Evan Bros on development and is jointly exploring the options for the future.

By his own account, he values the team’s way of working, its structure and above all its passion. Customer teams are not on ZXMoto’s radar at the moment. However, Zhang Xue does not rule out other teams running the superbike later on. The bike is to be built largely in China. There are already manufacturers of high-quality superbike components there, and for some special parts the company plans to rely on specialist suppliers.

Why can’t the V5 race under the current rules?

The WorldSBK regulations currently only allow two-, three- and four-cylinder engines. Five-cylinder engines are not provided for, not even in the outlook for the coming years.

Larger four-cylinder engines of up to 1,200 cc are only due to be permitted from 2030. In addition, the displacement of the ZXMoto V5 is likely to exceed 1,000 cc. The responsible bodies have so far neither announced nor publicly discussed opening the rules to five cylinders. These include the series’ rights holder, the world governing body FIM and the MSMA, the association of manufacturers in the motorcycle world championships.

Zhang Xue is counting on the rules being changed earlier to allow ZXMoto to enter. Whether that will happen remains open. Reportedly, not all manufacturers in the MSMA are keen to see a strong new competitor from China.

How many Chinese manufacturers race in WorldSBK?

Several Chinese brands are represented in the WorldSBK paddock or have announced their entry. Alongside ZXMoto, QJMotor races in the Supersport World Championship, and Kove won the last title of the now discontinued Supersport 300 World Championship last year.

CFMoto was also present in Cremona and sent riders from Aspar’s Moto2 and Moto3 teams, among others, out on track for demonstration laps. Against this backdrop, the announcement of the V5 project almost seemed like a response to its rival. According to Zhang Xue, Chinese manufacturers are investing heavily in racing, and that is plain for everyone to see.

Why is Honda ZXMoto’s role model?

Zhang Xue takes Honda as his role model because the Japanese manufacturer is represented worldwide with a huge variety of models. A specialized brand like Ducati is explicitly not his template.

Asked where he sees ZXMoto in five to six years, he said the company should be among the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. His goal is a complete lineup with models for every rider and every segment. He was even clearer when comparing ZXMoto with Honda: “Si, il mio ideale di azienda è la Honda, presente in tutto il mondo con tantissimi modelli diversi. Voglio che ZXMOTO arrivi a produrre oltre un milione di moto all’anno” (Yes, my ideal of a company is Honda, present all over the world with a huge number of different models. I want ZXMoto to produce more than one million motorcycles a year).

Part of this plan is expanding the model range. Alongside road racing, ZXMoto is also involved in rally racing and off-road. According to Zhang Xue, the company has the technology and know-how to build off-road motorcycles as well. In the future, it plans to offer models for the road, the racetrack and off-road.

A race on home soil would also help the brand. At the time of the conversation in Cremona, he said negotiations were underway for a round of the Supersport and Superbike World Championships in China. He has no influence on this himself but would be very happy about it. Chinese fans could then watch ZXMoto’s bikes race, and perhaps win, in person.

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