Photo/website of ZXMOTO

On a spring afternoon at the headquarters of ZXMOTO, the founder stood surrounded by media. "If you didn't have the right connections, you wouldn't have made it through the door today," Zhang Xue quipped with his signature blend of grit and humor.

The contrast is stark. In 2006, a 19-year-old Zhang chased a television crew on his motorcycle through the rain for three hours just to secure a few seconds of screen time.

Twenty years later, Zhang has changed—the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes are deeper, and his temper has mellowed—yet his core remains untouched. He is still the "obsessive" grassroots mechanic who once faced the "darkest hour" of financial collapse alone.

Today, however, he is no longer a lone wolf; he stands at the helm of a maturing industrial legion backed by a global community of enthusiasts.

A Four-Second Leap into History

On March 28, at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal, the ZXMOTO 820RR-RS crossed the finish line of the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) with a commanding four-second lead.

In the world of elite racing, four seconds is more than a gap; it is a historical milestone. This victory marks the first time a Chinese manufacturer has claimed the top spot in a series long dominated by legendary brands like Ducati, Kawasaki, and Yamaha.

The impact was felt immediately in the capital markets. On March 30:

Hongchang Technology (301008.SZ), an indirect shareholder, hit the 20% "up-limit" immediately at opening.

Hongquan Computing (688288.SH) saw shares rise by over 10%.

Other industry heavyweights like Zhenghua Industrial and Loncin Motor also saw significant gains.

While the company has only been in existence for two years, Zhang Xue emphasizes that this moment was two decades in the making.

The Rule-Breaker: From a Repair Shop to Chongqing

In 2013, with only 20,000 yuan ($2,800) and zero connections, Zhang moved to Chongqing, the "Motorcycle Capital of China." His journey began with a leap of faith after his wife questioned his hesitation to leave home after the Lunar New Year.

His early days were defined by what he calls "top-tier loneliness," dining alone in hot pot restaurants. His passion, however, was forged much earlier. At 17, he opened his own repair shop. At 19, his "shameless" persistence led him to stalk media crews to showcase his riding skills. "I'm probably still that person today," he admits, "just a bit less 'shameless' than back then."

Zhang Xue Photo/provided to NBD

Three Near-Death Experiences

Zhang’s entrepreneurial strategy was never about waiting for resources; it was about using limited assets to leverage the next opportunity.

The Prototype Pivot: With his initial 20,000 yuan, he modified a public-mold bike, sold it via forums for cash upfront, and raised 500,000 yuan to fund production. When competitors began copying the model, he abandoned it immediately to seek a new path.

The Crowdfunding Era: To fund a new design, Zhang worked as a one-man army—copywriter, designer, and customer service rep—on Taobao. When he lacked the funds for mass production, he "borrowed" hundreds of thousands from his followers in exchange for motor oil "interest."

The 2025 Crisis: By February 2025, the company was insolvent. Zhang borrowed 7 million yuan from friends, suppliers, and even his landlord to pay salaries. The launch of the 500RR in March 2025 was a "do or die" moment that ultimately saved the company.

The "Obsessive" Philosophy

Known for a fiery temper and a refusal to even get a car driver's license ("it wastes time"), Zhang is focused solely on R&D. In 2024, he left Kove Moto, a brand he co-founded and built into a top-tier manufacturer, due to "divergent dreams" with investors. He then founded his eponymous brand.

His product philosophy is uncompromising, focusing on three pillars: Sound, Horsepower, and Lightweight Handling. The market has responded:

2025 Output Value: 750 million yuan.

R&D Investment: 69.58 million yuan (9.33% of revenue).

Recent Success: In March 2026, the new 820RR and 500RR models secured over 5,500 orders within 100 hours.

In an unusual move for a CEO, Zhang banned dealers from selling the high-performance 820RR to riders with less than a year of experience. "I want fewer people to die," he said, acknowledging it would cut sales by 10%. "I don't need that 10%; the company won't die without it."

Photo/provided to NBD

The Three-Year Window

Despite the WSBK win, Zhang remains grounded. He believes the window for true global success is small. "From today, we have at most three years. If we don't make it then, we never will."

While the company faces production bottlenecks—currently owing roughly 6,000 units to customers—Zhang is confident in the Chinese supply chain. "Any part from MotoGP or F1, if there’s a blueprint in China, we can make it 100%," he claims.

His ultimate goal is a direct challenge to the establishment: To capture 50% of the global large-displacement market share currently held by international legacy brands within five years. When asked about comparisons to Soichiro Honda, who also started in a repair shop with a notoriously difficult temperament and a technical obsession, Zhang noted, "The paths we've traveled are very similar."

Whether ZXMOTO becomes "China's Honda" remains to be seen. However, the four-second lead in Portugal has already shifted the global perspective of Chinese manufacturing from "scorn" to "equality." Now, the countdown to "surpassing" has begun.