- EICMA 2026 from 5 to 8 November: a V5 appearance is being discussed, but not confirmed by the manufacturer
- World Superbike: only four-stroke engines with 2, 3 or 4 cylinders are eligible
- The Superbike Commission roadmap through 2030 makes no provision for five cylinders
ZXMoto founder Zhang Xue has announced a five-cylinder engine in a V layout with around 1,000 cc via social media. The engine is to run in racing first and then go into a high-performance street-legal production motorcycle. The year targeted for that is 2028. Since then, a brief announcement has turned into a project with a show date and a racing series, at least on paper. ZXMoto has confirmed none of it. In one respect the target and reality already fail to match, and that is the rulebook.
What is known about the ZXMoto V5 so far?
Only three key points are officially known: five cylinders in a V layout, around 1,000 cc and the target year of 2028. Zhang Xue has not given a power figure, the dimensions of the engine or the name of the motorcycle. There is no technical data sheet.
A first photo of the engine is in circulation, however. It shows three cylinders leaning forward and two leaning back. The angle between the two cylinder banks cannot be determined precisely from the oblique shot. It looks close to 90 degrees, but that has not been measured.
Two sets of figures are also doing the rounds, and they do not match. The first quotes around 1,000 cc, a supercharger with fuel injection, 253 hp (186 kW) at 13,500 rpm, 137.5 Nm (101 lb-ft) and an engine weight of 55 kg (121 lbs). The finished motorcycle is said to reach 310 km/h. The model names being mentioned are ZXMoto 1000 RR for the road and 1000 RR-R for racing. The second set comes from China and speaks of around 1,100 cc and more than 210 hp (154 kW). That source explicitly calls it speculation. Neither set of figures comes from the manufacturer.
When is the ZXMoto V5 due to be shown in public?
The engine is said to exist already and to be shown at EICMA, which runs from 5 to 8 November 2026 in Milan. That comes from an Italian report dated 11 September.
According to that report, the V5 will be displayed either as a standalone engine or fitted into a prototype. So far there is no evidence for this. The manufacturer has not confirmed the report, there is no data sheet and no quote from Zhang Xue. The report remains the only one of its kind. It can be checked at the Milan show at the latest. Many manufacturers present their new models for the coming season there, and the V5 will either be on display or it will not.
Why is World Superbike being mentioned as the target for 2028?
According to the report from 11 September, ZXMoto wants to enter the Superbike World Championship with the V5 in 2028. That would require a road-going version by the end of 2027.
This report quotes around 210 hp (154 kW) from 1,000 to 1,100 cc. It makes no mention of a supercharger. On one central point it therefore differs from the first set of figures with its 253 hp.
What has ZXMoto achieved in racing so far?
ZXMoto can already point to results in racing. The brand was founded in 2024 by Zhang Xue in Chongqing after he left the manufacturer Kove. For the 2026 season, ZXMoto entered the Supersport World Championship with the 820 RR-R and an in-house inline three-cylinder engine. After 18 of 24 races, Valentin Debise sits second in the riders standings with 241 points and six wins. Only Albert Arenas on a Yamaha is ahead of him, with 311 points. In the manufacturers standings, ZXMoto is third behind Yamaha and Ducati.
That shows the brand can develop an engine of its own that is competitive. But a three-cylinder with 818 cc for the middleweight class is a different matter from a litre-class five-cylinder.
Is a five-cylinder allowed to race in World Superbike?
Not under the current rules. The motorcycling world governing body FIM defines the Superbike class as a class for four-stroke engines with 2, 3 or 4 cylinders.
Displacement is precisely defined as well. Twins may run more than 850 up to 1,200 cc, triples and fours more than 750 up to 1,000 cc. There is no separate displacement limit for a five-cylinder. It simply does not appear in the rulebook.
MotoGP is no different. From 2027 the limits there are 850 cc, a maximum of four cylinders and a maximum bore of 75 millimetres. Forced induction is banned in MotoGP. A V5, with or without a supercharger, would therefore have no place in the premier class either.
What does the new World Superbike roadmap through 2030 change?
The roadmap brings rev limits, a single fuel, new support for weaker manufacturers and more displacement for four-cylinder machines. It does not permit five cylinders.
The Superbike Commission adopted the roadmap on 31 July 2026. From 2027, every manufacturer gets its own rev limit, adjusted in steps of 500 rpm. Added to that are a single fuel and a noise level reduced by 3 decibels. From 2028 there will be a new system of concessions. It allows weaker manufacturers to catch up technically. From 2030 the displacement limit for four-cylinder engines rises to 1,200 cc.
The roadmap says nothing about five cylinders. That leaves two possibilities. Either the rules are opened up for such an engine, or the 2028 racing entry refers to something other than World Superbike, a national series in China for instance. Nobody has commented on this so far, neither ZXMoto nor those responsible for the racing series.
Has there ever been a road motorcycle with five cylinders?
Yes, but not as a V5. The Megola from Munich had a five-cylinder radial engine from 1921 to 1925 that sat in the middle of the front wheel and rotated with it while riding.
The Megola engine had 640 cc and 14 hp (10 kW). Around 2,000 examples were built. In 1966 the Honda RC149 followed with an inline five-cylinder of 125 cc. It was a pure race bike and was never allowed on the road.
The best-known V5 was also built by Honda. From 2002 the RC211V took a 990 cc V5 into the new four-stroke era of MotoGP. It, too, had three cylinders leaning forward and two leaning back, with an angle of 75.5 degrees between the cylinder banks. The RC211V took three riders titles, two with Valentino Rossi and one with Nicky Hayden. But it was a race bike built in very small numbers, with no regard for emissions standards, servicing or cost.
It is often confused with the Honda RC213V-S from 2015. That is indeed a street-legal offshoot of the MotoGP bike, but it has a V4. A street-legal five-cylinder in a V layout has therefore never existed.
How do unconfirmed numbers turn into technical specifications?
Since mid-September the unconfirmed values have in part been passed on as established technical specifications, even though no new facts have emerged.
On 16 September the 253 hp at 13,500 rpm, the 137.5 Nm, the 55 kg, the supercharger, the name ZXMoto 1000 RR and the 310 km/h appeared under the heading of technical details. The standfirst said Zhang Xue had released the figures. The text itself, however, gives neither a source nor a quote. A day later the figures were picked up again. Up to mid-September, ZXMoto had commented neither on the numbers nor on the supercharger.
A comparison with the Kawasaki Ninja H2 shows how high 253 hp would be. It has 998 cc, a supercharger and 231 hp (170 kW) at 11,500 rpm. A manufacturer founded only in 2024 would therefore have to deliver more power than Kawasaki straight away with its first engine of this size.
Supercharger, V4 and new layouts: the field around the V5
ZXMoto is not alone with an unusual engine concept. Several manufacturers want to extract more power from less displacement while staying within emissions limits.
CFMoto from China relies on a classic V4 with 997 cc and more than 210 hp in the V4 SR-RR. On 15 June 2026 the brand reached 315.82 km/h with a prototype at the test facility in Shangrao and had the figure certified by a notary. That is the best mark for a motorcycle built in China. The production model is expected for 2027.
MV Agusta also showed a five-cylinder at the end of 2025 with the Cinque Cilindri. It has two crankshafts, one for the three front cylinders and one for the two rear ones, arranged in a U layout. Displacement is said to be adjustable from 850 to 1,150 cc. In its strongest form, more than 240 hp (176 kW) at over 16,000 rpm is being discussed. However, production at MV Agusta has been halted since April, and a court will decide on the restructuring of the company in November.
Honda takes the forced-induction route with the V3R 900 E-Compressor. Its liquid-cooled V3 with around 900 cc and a 75-degree cylinder angle gets support from an electrically driven supercharger. Honda says this delivers the performance of a 1,200 cc machine. The production version is expected for 2027.
What happens next with the ZXMoto V5?
The next opportunity to learn more is EICMA from 5 November in Milan. That is where it will become clear whether the engine actually exists.
Even then, some questions will remain open. It is unclear what power the V5 produces and whether it will get a supercharger. It is also unclear which racing series it is meant to contest in 2028. So far there is one photo, two sets of figures that contradict each other, and a target year for which no suitable racing series yet exists.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Will the ZXMoto V5 be shown at EICMA 2026?
That is possible, but not confirmed. According to a report from 11 September, the engine is said to exist already and to be on display at EICMA from 5 to 8 November in Milan, either as a standalone engine or in a prototype. ZXMoto has not confirmed this so far.
-
Is the ZXMoto V5 eligible for World Superbike?
No, not under the current rules. The FIM only admits four-stroke engines with 2, 3 or 4 cylinders in World Superbike. The Superbike Commission roadmap through 2030 makes no provision for five cylinders either.
-
How much power does the ZXMoto V5 have?
There is no official figure. The numbers in circulation are 253 hp (186 kW) at 13,500 rpm with a supercharger, and around 210 hp (154 kW) from 1,000 to 1,100 cc without one. Neither value comes from the manufacturer.
-
Has there ever been a street-legal motorcycle with a V5 engine?
No. The Honda RC211V with its V5 was a pure race bike, and the street-legal Honda RC213V-S has a V4. The Megola from the 1920s did have five cylinders, but as a radial engine in the front wheel.
