Chongqing - In March 2026, ZXMOTO, a Chongqing startup less than two years old, beat century-old brands such as Kawasaki to win the Portuguese round of the World Superbike Championship. The victory was more than a racing success. It marked a turning point in the 30-year rise of Chongqing’s motorcycle industry on the global stage.
Rewind to the 1990s, when Chongqing manufacturers flooded Vietnam with rock-bottom prices, only to be beaten by Japanese rivals in a bruising price war. From that sobering setback in Southeast Asia to today’s podium finishes on Europe’s most demanding racetracks, the industry’s journey from “selling cheap” to “competing on quality” has taken decades.
Yet the transformation remains incomplete. The city now stands at a moment of both opportunity and challenge—with immense potential waiting to be unlocked. A track victory signals manufacturing prowess, but the real test lies in translating that performance into lasting brand equity and closing the value gap with established Japanese marques. While Chongqing now accounts for over one-third of China's motorcycle exports, the industry's next chapter will be defined not by how many units it ships, but by how much value it commands.
(Lu Wangqing, as an intern, also contributed to the report)