Over the weekend, Chinese motorcycle startup ZXMOTO won two races in the Supersport class of the World Superbike Championship, breaking the long-standing dominance of European and Japanese manufacturers like Ducati, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. Prior to the wins, no Chinese manufacturer had finished first in the category.

On Sunday, French rider Valentin Debise clinched victory in the second race of the Portugal round on ZXMOTO's 820RR after winning the opening race one day earlier.

The World Superbike Championship uses production-based motorcycles, making it a showcase for manufacturers.

The ZXMOTO success story began in April 2024 when Zhang Xue, a former mechanic's apprentice from Hunan province, founded the company in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing.

The company debuted its inaugural model, the 500RR, at the 22nd China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in September 2024. The first deliveries rolled out in March 2025, and by the end of that year, sales had surpassed 25,000 units. By 2026, Zhang revealed a total output value of 750 million yuan ($108.54 million) for the previous year, with an R&D investment of 69.58 million yuan.

Zhang said his decision to establish his company in Chongqing was driven by the city's reputation as the "Motorcycle Capital". Despite arriving in 2013 without any local connections, he was drawn by the abundance of motorcycle parts in the city's markets.

Chongqing hosts over 40 vehicle manufacturers and more than 400 parts suppliers, boasting an annual production capacity of 10 million vehicles and 20 million engines. One in every three motorcycles exported from China is made in Chongqing, local authorities said.