There are greater than 200 particular person bike corporations in China, creating merchandise that dominate greater than 55 % of the worldwide market within the type of roughly 37 million items a yr. Maintaining observe of all these might be difficult, however right here’s a reputation that we expect will likely be value keeping track of: ZXMOTO.
The model was launched late final yr, did the usual Chinese language ‘run earlier than you possibly can stroll’ factor of going via a number of names (together with ZXJC and Zhang Xue Moto), and solely made its European debut final week at EICMA.
Sure, a lot of its merchandise observe the long-standing Chinese language manufacturing development of being spinoff. The model’s 500F bare bike, for instance, couldn’t look extra like a Seventies/80s Honda even when it was made by Honda. However we expect there’s cause to concentrate to ZXMOTO – due in no small half to the person whose initials give the model its identify: Zhang Xue.
Zhang Xue
An interesting backstory
You could or might not recognise Zhang Xue’s identify. Off-road fans are in all probability just a little extra accustomed to him.
“Yeah, I used to be the founding father of Kove and its CEO,” Zhang informed media and attendees final week at ZXMOTO’s EICMA presentation.
Zhang, an off-road fanatic from childhood, began Kove with 5 different buyers in 2017 and served because the charismatic face of the corporate because it grew exponentially. Lately, it boasts on its web site that it’s “the No. 4 home bike model in China for fashions over 300cc.”
What you gained’t discover on Kove’s web site is any point out of Zhang. In line with him, Kove achieved a sure stage of success, however there was disagreement amongst shareholders (presumably about future path), and “then I’m fired as CEO.”
ZXMOTO
This a part of the story had not been informed earlier than final week’s EICMA occasion. All we knew is that Zhang had left fairly abruptly and that he popped up just a few months later because the founding father of a brand new firm.
In line with Zhang, he was initially stored on as director of R&D for Kove, “however when there was no proper to outline the product, I selected to depart the corporate.”
It is the character of firms – Chinese language firms particularly – that the complete story of a given motion or sequence of occasions hardly ever will get informed. However clearly there was some unhealthy blood and Zhang left with a chip on his shoulder.
ZXMOTO
“I’ve full management of this firm,” he acknowledged, earlier than turning to a presentation chart exhibiting that ZXMOTO’s first product available on the market, the 500RR sportbike, has spent the final yr quickly shifting up gross sales charts in China.
“I take advantage of my initials within the firm emblem… that signifies that our model and my life are bundled collectively,” Zhang mentioned. “I’m able to spend the remainder of my life taking ZXMOTO to a really excessive stage.”
9 fashions coming in 2026
“From the racetrack to the wild, each ZXMOTO bike embodies precision engineering, racing heritage, and a fearless pursuit of efficiency,” claims a media launch from the corporate. “[The brand is] a real reflection of Zhang Xue’s perception that nice machines are born from ardour, refined via engineering, and confirmed on the highway.”
A lot of particulars stay unknown at this level – reminiscent of whether or not any of those bikes will make their method to the UK particularly – however Zhang says that the entire following fashions will likely be coming to the European market in 2026:
ZXMOTO 500RR
500RR – That is the machine that has already confirmed to be wildly widespread in China, with ZXMOTO claiming to have offered greater than 10,000 items there since March. Pushed by an inline 4, the midsize sportbike is “crafted for riders who crave velocity, precision, and the adrenaline rush.” Boasting 83 hp, the 168kg bike claims a high velocity of 146 mph.
ZXMOTO 500F
500F – Nearly indistinguishable from Honda’s not too long ago introduced CB500 Velocity 4, the 500F claims to be a “rebirth of the basic bare bike, mixing the elegant silhouette of Eighties/Nineties UJMs with [modern] efficiency.” It makes use of the identical inline 4 because the 500RR however has been detuned to 73 hp for the sake of delivering extra torque earlier within the rev vary.
ZXMOTO 820RR
820RR – Powered by an 819cc three-cylinder engine that ZXMOTO says was “100-percent developed in-house,” the 820RR claims 133 hp and is ”engineered for unparalleled energy and torque supply in its class.”
ZXMOTO has additionally developed a race-focused 820RR-R (extra on that beneath) which it says can outgun a Yamaha R1, Ducati Panigale V2, and Kawasaki ZX6R when it comes to 20-120km/h acceleration. Peak energy on this one is 143 hp. And the limited-edition 820RR-RS claims 147 hp.
Zhang spent a variety of time speaking concerning the 820RR/820RR-R/820RR-RS in his presentation, and one facet that stood out to us was the pleasure he took in how straightforward the bike is to work on. Apparently you don’t want instruments to alter the air filter. That’s higher than my Kawasaki, which requires that you just take away the fairing, carry the tank, and fiddle with a number of screws.
ZXMOTO 820R
820R – Successfully a unadorned model of the 820RR, the 820R is pitched as “a light-weight triple-cylinder streetfighter that balances agility with consolation.” The bike is extra centered on low- to mid-rpm efficiency, in response to Zhang, and as such very a lot a street-focused machine.
ZXMOTO 820ADV
820ADV – Constructed across the identical triple that powers the opposite 820 bikes, the 820ADV joins the very, very crowded journey bike class with a machine that’s extra adventure-touring than old-school dual-sport journey.
“It takes into consideration day by day bike journey,” Zhang defined. “Nonetheless, it additionally has sure off-road features. And it’s very, very digital.”
As is widespread amongst Chinese language ADVs, it has a formidable suite of rider aids, together with cornering ABS and traction management, bidirectional quickshifter, adaptive cruise management, electronically adjustable suspension, entrance and rear cameras, and some options that we’re not sure about, together with an “digital clutch” (like Honda’s E-Clutch, maybe?), an “digital lock” and an “digital throttle.”
ZXMOTO MX250
MX250 / MX450 – Shifting extra to Zhang’s conventional bread and butter, these two motocross bikes are “constructed for skilled efficiency,” in response to ZXMOTO. “From energy supply to suspension tuning, each component is engineered for victory on the hardest tracks.”
ZXMOTO 450 Rally
450 Rally – Carrying ahead the off-roading theme, Zhang has a variety of expertise in Dakar. He was the driving pressure behind Kove’s shocking and admirable Dakar efforts from 2022-2025. ZXMOTO says that the 450 Rally comes from the identical engineering group behind these efforts (So, it wasn’t simply Zhang who left Kove?), and that “it embodies pure aggressive DNA, with each part tuned for one objective: to beat and win.”
That mentioned, Zhang says ZXMOTO gained’t be going to Dakar in 2026. He needs the main target first on reaching success with the 820RR-R in WorldSSP (World Supersport), after that the objective is to return to Dakar and win the factor outright.
ZXMOTO 600V
600V Cruiser – Lastly, there’s, after all, a cruiser. However with a claimed moist weight of 179 kg, ZXMOTO’s 600V undoubtedly stands out towards far heavier rivals. Additionally distinctive to the middleweight cruiser class is the presence of rear cylinder deactivation.
Massive ambitions
You’d suppose that delivering a full line-up in such a brief time period could be sufficient, however Zhang has very massive goals. For instance: as talked about above, ZXMOTO says that it plans to pit its bikes towards one of the best in international competitors. The 820RR-R goes to be competing within the WorldSSP championship in 2026 via a partnership with the Evan Bros Racing Staff. The group will initially encompass riders Federico Caricasulo and Valentin Debise.
ZXMOTO 820RR-R
On high of that, ZXMOTO says it’s engaged on creating two enduro fashions: the ZX300 and ZX350. Each apparently two-strokes.
AND, the corporate says it’s exhausting at work at perfecting a 1000cc boxer twin-cylinder engine, set to seem in bikes as quickly as 2027.
“At ZXMOTO, we purpose not simply to duplicate previous success however to exceed it,” mentioned Zhang “Our philosophy is straightforward: let expertise drive efficiency, and let ardour information each machine we create.”
Literal pink flags
Now, if you happen to’re one for conspiracy theories you may observe that components of the Chinese language flag function prominently on a lot of bikes, such because the 820RR-R. It stands out just a little as a result of we’re used to many Chinese language producers hiding or a minimum of blurring their nationwide connections.
However flying the flag of your nation isn’t suspicious in and of itself. Just about each model with even a tenuous connection to the UK slaps a Union flag on its merchandise. Ducati may be very completely happy to adorn its fashions with the Italian il Tricolore. Japanese producers have carried out comparable issues through the years, too.
ZXMOTO
However how does an organization that began so not too long ago provide you with all the cash and assets to develop 9 new fashions – together with a minimum of one which was “100-percent developed in-house” – rocket towards the highest of home gross sales, and switch its consideration to the profitable European market all within the area of roughly a yr?
Who’s behind all that cash and useful resource? Does that cash and useful resource even truly exist?
“The optimist’s take might be that Zhang is the overly passionate mad genius sort of man that’s simply doing all this loopy stuff… with never-ending quantities of cash one way or the other,” noticed Logan of the YammieNoob YouTube channel. “Or it might be one other grift.”
ZXMOTO appears to be alert to this kind of scepticism. To this finish, at his EICMA presentation Zhang addressed one thing you don’t typically hear a lot about from Chinese language producers: after-sales.
ZXMOTO 500RR
“Now we have discovered that not everyone seems to be proud of the effectivity of aftersales service,” he mentioned. “So, we have now provide you with a five-point plan.”
That plan consists of:
- A Europe-based components warehouse that may ship to European sellers inside three days. No extra ready a fortnight for an alternator to indicate up.
- Making certain that sellers maintain a superb inventory of widespread spare components, reminiscent of brake and clutch levers.
- A guaranty that’s on par with “high tier manufacturers” (although Zhang didn’t truly say how lengthy the guarantee could be).
- Assured instances on repairs. “For instance, a shock absorber breaks,” defined Zhang. “If it isn’t changed inside [the promised amount of time], then we are going to compensate the rider for daily that we exceed that point – even to the purpose of the restore being freed from cost.”
- Lastly, Zhang says he will likely be internet hosting a weekly stay broadcast. Inside that, there will likely be a chance to straight deal with points to the corporate CEO. “That’s, myself,” mentioned Zhang. “Then I’ll observe up on it myself.”
Definitely all of it sounds good, and, once more embracing the optimist’s view, it might be that Zhang is doing all this to shake off the detrimental or unsure impressions that many Western riders have about Chinese language bikes. On the finish of his presentation, Zhang spoke very proudly of the idea of ‘Made in China.’
ZXMOTO 500RR
Solely time will inform what truly comes of all this. However as we are saying, ZXMOTO has our consideration. We’ll be protecting a eager eye on what it manages to ship.
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