It isn’t likely you are old enough to remember the relatively sudden rise of Japanese motorcycle brands. In the United States, there was plenty of prejudice against Japanese products, much of it related to the memories of WW2.
Despite this, the Japanese could not be stopped. People like Soichiro Honda were driven by a passion to succeed, both in the showroom and on the race track. Are we seeing something similar now?
The Chinese manufacturers also face some prejudice, and preconceptions regarding quality and innovation. Some of the motorcycles have styling that is derivative. Chinese motorcycles defining characteristic, in the minds of many, is low pricing.
Enter Zhang Xue and ZXMOTO. Passionate about motorcycles for decades, his background is described as follows on the ZXMOTO website:
- 2004-2006
At the age of 17, Zhang Xue learned motorcycle repair, opened hisown repair shop
- 2007-2008
Motorcross rider, also a stunt rider and mechanic in a team
- 2009-2012
Product manager at Apollino
- 2013-2016
Developed Freedom 300X and 250X at Huang He Moto, freedom 250X is the 1st EFl motorcyclein China withe retail sales price less than CNY10000(USD1400)
- 2017-2024
Founded Kove jointly with investor, introduced 500X ADV,450 rally, 800X ADV,450RR, 321RRetc, achieved great success and became a leading brand in local market. 500X, 450 rally and800X competed with top brands in EuropeLed factory team and attended WSBK and Dakar with own bikes.
- 2024
Founded Zhang Xue Moto(ZXMOTO)
1. Won the third place in the domestic category of the first motorcycle city climbing competition in 2009.
2. Won the second place in the domestic group of the 2011 Motorcycle City Climbing Competition.
3. Won the first China award in 2013 The winner of the motorcycle group competition of Dafeng Coastal mudflat Automobile and Motorcycle Field Rally.
4. Led the Kai Yue Rally Racing Team to participate in the motorcycle category of the 2023 Dakar Rally. This is the first time that a combination of Chinese brands, Chinese drivers, and Chinese racing cars has appeared on the Dakar track, and the pure Chinese elements have rewritten the history of Dakar.
Passionate about motorcycles for more than 20 years now, Zhang Xue says he takes no more than 5 days off from work each year as he strives to develop the best motorcycles possible. There are two videos with interviews of him (with English subtitles) that will give you some idea about his passion and drive: ZXMOTO Founder Reflects on His High-Speed Journey from County Mechanic to Global Podium and Chinese Motorcycle Brand ZXMOTO Secures Historic Double Win at World Superbike Championship.
So what has this amounted to? No less than two race wins (so far) in the World Supersport championship with the 820RR model – a lightweight three-cylinder machine with more than 140 horsepower claimed in stock trim. The debut year for this bike in the championship, the experienced Evan Brothers Racing team has switched from their Yamaha to the ZXMOTO sportbike.
If you are not familiar with World Supersport, know that it is extremely competitive and backed by major manufacturers. The ZXMOTO 820RR beat well-funded, experienced teams piloting Yamaha R9s and Ducati Panigale V2s, among others. Remarkable, to say the least.
ZXMOTO has apparently sold enough 820RRs to homologate the bike for racing (the stock, relatively inexpensive machine impressively features adjustable rake and swingarm pivot location), but it is our understanding that models are just now going on sale in Europe, and are not yet available in the United States. ZXMOTO has a full line-up of models that you can see on their website.
There literally is not a gadget, instrument, tech device or piece of machinery of any sort that when engineered to Chinese specifications is of higher quality than the industry standard. Sure, they make all sorts of things for the world, but left to their own devices, they will cut corners in the design or materials to save a buck…it is simply the Chinese way. These machines are 20 or more years time-trapped in their design and execution with a few concessions of modern accoutrements where cost-effective. If China is the future of two-wheeled transportation, I’m out. I’ll stick with my GSXRs and Ninjas of past and be thankful there are still well-preserved examples around.
Every experience you’ve ever had with Chinese products was procured and approved by an American. China is capable of extremely high quality material and technological execution. That American business has leveraged their industrial economy for higher profit in America is not a reflection of what they’re capable of.
Has any US manufacturer has ever produced a consumer facing motorcycle of this quality and technical sophistication? I can’t think of one.
If China wants a sport bike, the government asks and pays 100 Chinese motorcycle start-ups to make a sport bike. They start designing and manufacturing. And the best Japanese, Italian, UK, and German bike companies hand over their designs and dies to start making Japanese, Italian, UK and German motorcycles. With all those companies and copies circulating among aggressive engineers and businessmen, you can bet on China making the best bikes at the best price in the most efficient factories possible. Meanwhile…back in the states…we get business bankruptcies and basic Harley Davidsons. Until Harley goes bankrupt, too, with a handful of multimillionaires walking away with the earnings.
Why would China need startups to make motorcycles? They have a massive motorcycle industry with extremely capable factories. People have crazy ideas about China. Want to understand a little better? Understand that the US has no cities with a population of 10m. China has 18 cities greater than that size. The city of Shenzen grew from 330k to over 13m in just 20 years. They know what they’re doing.
OK,…My turn. I think the 820RR is a better looking bike than most others lately, including the expensive ones.
Body one color, nose just a little in front of the axle, slight rear fender with stop light and license holder not suspended from suspension, overall shape like a motorcycle with few styling gimmicks, few air vents, obvious fuel tank shape, 3 cylinder engine with correct displacement.
Needs a flat seat and pegs by the feet not the knees.
Maybe gray market someday ?
Happy workers day !
There’s not a shred of originality in these bikes. I’m sure they’re probably at least good, maybe very good, but consider that Soichiro Honda made original, groundbreaking bikes. Not only where they original, but they were absolutly bomb proof.
I’d be hard-pressed to buy a Chinese motorcycle. With that statement I recognize several things; 1) I buy Chinese made products every day both knowingly and unknowingly, and 2) I sound like old guys my age did 50-60 years ago when the Japanese took over the automobile and motorcycle industry. But there is a difference. Japan was a country that we were actively helping to recover from WW2. The US took great effort to prop-up their industrial base. China is a silent adversary – and as long as there are motorcycles being produced in friendly countries – there is no need to purchase from them.
Um, what the heck did someone put in the punch bowl and is there any left?
Prior to retirement, I spent 22 years attempting to keep counterfeit electronic components of Chinese origin out of newly built avionic systems. Would I buy a Chinese built motorcycle? No F’ing way!
Thank you for Your service, sincerely.
If the general public knew how pervasive these covert attacks on our country by the commie chinee government, trade for high end components ( some of which are pre loaded with adversarial software ), cheap skate government buyers would be unemployed, quick quick.
Hopefully I didn’t mislead anyone……I just made a career out of attempting to ensure compliance while being paid by a large aerospace corporation.
The biggest challenge happens when an electronic component manufacturer stops making a particular IC but there’s still a demand for the part. The Chinese, using very cheap labor, will take discarded used PCB’s and salvage the IC’s from them. They have become experts at cleaning, remarking, re-tinning, and re-selling these parts as new. Visually, they are indistinguishable from a legitimate new part. It may be just a used part but they can also be a different part that functions in the circuit well enough to be undetectable during board or unit level testing.
Luckily, there are good regulations (government and industry) that help prevent these parts from entering the supply chain. There are component level tests (like 100% x-ray) that are required when parts are purchased from sources other than the manufacturer or a franchised distributor and traceability to source is not known.
Things to think about when you spend your limited resources on a motorcycle…….or fly with your family on an airplane.
I buy Japanese. Would I buy Chinese? Not until China embraces more democracy. Would I buy US? Not until the US embraces more democracy. Today we are an oligarchy of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires. We American citizens, and our single monopolistic motorcycle manufacturer, are powerless until we get our Democracy back.
Say it again, louder, for the Boomers in the back.
Louder for the boomers in the back: DO NOT BUY AMERICAN MOTORCYCLES UNTIL AMERICA EMBRACES DEMOCRACY!!!! THE US CONSTITUTION DOES NOT CREATE A COUNTRY OF BILLIONAIRES, BY THE BILLIONAIRES, FOR THE BILLIONAIRES!!!
Oh, so you’re one of “them”.
There is more to a boom than noise, there is involvement, and pride in accomplishment. 46.
Did Mr. Honda become the equivalent of a billionare? If so, was HE evil?
Reginald Van Blunt has it right. I care not how good any PRC-made item is. No communist country deserves our money. The PRC abandoned marxist economics, but they still have a chokehold on freedom. Until that changes, many of us will avoid purchasing anything built in the PRC.
My prediction, based on decades of analysis: If Iran is liberated from the current government, Iran will become a major motorcycle producer. Did you know Iran actually has a domestic automobile industry?
Amusing, but still an adversarial commie country that we deal with, using our business money. Not my cash.
Wow! Grass doesn’t grow under Zhang’s feet.
That and the industry has been navel gazing while playing with their rider aids and TV screens that the bikes as mechanical beasts have stagnated, something that I have been complaining about for decades.
It’s a bit like the auto industry staring slack jaw at the Chinese cars. Geez! Maybe they have been too focused on undependabilty, anti-repair and subscription services.
I would really hate being young now. There’s nothing to look forward to.
FINALLY! Something we can agree on–the GenZ and Alpha kids are ‘cooked,’ to use their lexicon.