The production line of Chongqing Qiutian Gear. (Photo/Jie Xiaoxi)
Chongqing - Gears rarely draw much attention from motorcycle buyers, but they are critical components inside engines and transmissions. In Chongqing, a company that has spent more than three decades making gears is using this small component to connect local manufacturing with the global motorcycle supply chain.
Founded in 1993, Chongqing Qiutian Gear supplies motorcycle brands including BMW, Honda and Yamaha.
Qiutian Gear’s development reflects one path taken by Chongqing motorcycle parts makers to enter global supply chains: starting with the domestic market, upgrading production to meet international automakers’ standards, and using stronger technical capabilities to move into the global high-end motorcycle supply chain.
That shift did not begin with overseas orders. In 2001, as China’s motorcycle market was expanding rapidly, Qiutian Gear turned down a large and profitable order because the customer wanted it to relax quality standards. The company kept its existing standards and later tightened quality controls over raw materials, heat treatment and production.
Two years later, quality problems with some Chinese motorcycles led to complaints in Southeast Asian markets, affecting a number of exporters. For Qiutian Gear, its earlier focus on quality control helped lay the groundwork for entering global supply chains.
Cooperation with international motorcycle manufacturers then pushed the company to further upgrade its production system.
In 2004, with an introduction from Chongqing motorcycle maker Loncin Group, Qiutian Gear began trial production of engine gears for BMW’s 650cc motorcycles. The project also reflected the industrial links between Chongqing’s motorcycle manufacturers and parts suppliers.
At the time, many Chinese parts makers still largely produced according to drawings. International manufacturers, however, set requirements covering the entire production process. Materials, heat-treatment data, factory conditions and cleaning procedures all had to be traceable.
To meet those standards, Qiutian Gear continued to adjust production processes, upgrade its production lines and improve its quality-management system. After more than a decade of upgrades, it had transformed from a traditional machining company into a precision manufacturer.
In 2016, when BMW was developing an 850cc motorcycle, it selected Qiutian Gear to supply key gears.
A similar technical upgrade came through the company’s work with Honda. Around 2008, Qiutian Gear began developing transmission gears for large-displacement motorcycles. After hundreds of tests over two years, its engineers developed a three-layer guide die structure that kept the relative runout of key forged components within 0.12 millimeters. The technology received a national invention patent.
Qiutian Gear also began expanding directly into overseas markets. Around 2010, price competition intensified in China’s motorcycle market, squeezing margins on standard gears. Qiutian Gear turned to India as a key overseas market. Rather than compete with established local suppliers on standard products, it focused on more complex, technically demanding gears for large-displacement motorcycles.
By 2012, Qiutian Gear’s annual sales in India had exceeded 200 million yuan (29.86 million U.S. dollars), accounting for more than 30% of its total revenue that year.
The company later expanded into Japan and Southeast Asia through Honda’s global channels. Its cooperation with BMW also helped it enter the supply chains of European motorcycle manufacturers, including Italy’s Piaggio.
In 2023, Qiutian Gear attended a motorcycle show in Milan, Italy, where it connected with high-performance motorcycle manufacturers including Ducati and KTM.
Today, the company’s products are sold in more than 30 countries and regions. Its output value has grown by an average of more than 20% a year over the past five years.