Zhang Xue, founder of ZXMOTO, has credited the brand's historic breakthrough at the Superbike World Championship (WSBK) to the robust motorcycle industrial ecosystem of Chongqing, the southwestern municipality where his company is located and widely regarded as the cradle of China's motorcycle industry.
In a landmark achievement for Chinese high-end manufacturing, French rider Valentin Debise secured a double victory at the WSBK round in Portimao, Portugal in late March, racing on a ZXMOTO machine.
The triumph shatters decades of dominance by established European and Japanese marques such as Ducati and Yamaha, igniting widespread celebration and spirited discussion across China.
In a recent interview with China Media Group, Zhang reflected on his entrepreneurial journey, which began in Chongqing, a city boasting over 40 vehicle manufacturers and more than 400 parts suppliers, with an annual production capacity of 10 million vehicles and 20 million engines.
Statistics show that five of the country's top 10 motorcycle exporters are based in the municipality.
"Chongqing offers an exceptionally rich supply chain. You can source virtually any component you need. Then, there's the talent. Our company now has about 230 engineers, and over 90 percent of them are from Chongqing. Engineers are always the most precious asset of ZXMOTO, truly, truly invaluable," said Zhang.
Zhang's path to international acclaim began humbly. In 2013, he resigned from a motorcycle factory in east China's Zhejiang Province and moved to Chongqing with just 20,000 yuan (about 2,928 U.S. dollars) and a dream: to build China's most competitive motorcycle brand.
His first venture, however, ended in failure. Spending just over one million yuan, Zhang realized the project suffered from insufficient investment in manpower, capital, and resources, coupled with a low-end supply chain.
It wasn't a scientifically sound approach, he admitted.
Undeterred, Zhang resolved to pursue a more ambitious plan: investing five million yuan to develop a truly competitive motorcycle. The challenge? He had no capital at the time.
"When I was preparing to launch the 5-million-yuan project, guess how much money I had? Not a single cent. I went to persuade a design company and asked, 'Could you help me with the design first, and I'll hold off on payment for now?' They agreed. I told them, 'I'll pay you once I start earning.' I believed I would definitely find a way to secure the funds. Time and again, I've left myself with no backup plan, but I've always trusted that when the critical moment arrives, I'll figure it out, I'll make it happen. And every single time, I did," said Zhang.
From 2015 and 2017, as development costs mounted, Zhang's total debt exceeded 1.6 million yuan. But persistence paid off.
In 2017, he co-founded Kove Moto, finally putting his 5-million-yuan vision into action. Just six months later, Kove Moto's debut model rolled off the production line.
"Our launch event was quite unconventional. I actually rode a motorcycle and flew onto the stage. After that presentation, word spread quickly throughout the industry. People had never seen anything like it. The motorcycle sector has traditionally been very conservative, with launch events typically consisting of reading from scripts, lacking passion and energy. But after our event, people realized that a motorcycle launch could be like this -- you could literally fly onto the stage. We started receiving orders immediately, and that year, we sold 800 units," said Zhang.
Under Zhang's leadership, the brand rapidly expanded its product lineup, sales volume, and market presence, emerging as a leading name in China's recreational motorcycle segment.
Zhang attributes his success to deep market insight and strategic discipline.
"I have a clear understanding of my own capabilities. For instance, when I conceptualize a new product, I already know which competitors it will face upon launch, what their positioning and strategies are, and most importantly, why customers would choose our motorcycle. I understand precisely what will drive their purchase decision. I know that," said Zhang.
After leaving Kove Moto due to different visions with his partners, Zhang founded ZXMOTO in April 2024, bringing the brand to the center of the world stage in less than two years.
Looking ahead, Zhang said he aims to propel ZXMOTO into the world's top 10 motorcycle brands within 10 years, making Chinese high-performance motorcycles recognized anywhere in the world.
ZXMOTO founder hails Chongqing's motorcycle industrial ecosystem after historic win at WSBK
