On March 29, at WSBK Portugal, a spectacular debut: a historic double victory. On May 2, in Hungary, a last-lap overtake secured another win. On June 13, in Italy, the team edged out Yamaha to claim its sixth title of the season. On the World Superbike stage, this young Chinese squad—less than two years old—is challenging a half-century of dominance by European, American, and Japanese giants.
Headlines call it a surprise, a dark horse, a coordinated attack. But is this merely a fluke by a lone underdog, or a hard-fought comeback built on decades of grit? Leave the roar of the racetrack behind and turn your gaze thousands of miles away, to the birthplace of this Chinese team: Chongqing.
Why Chongqing? Zhang Xue, founder of ZXMOTO, points to the city's unrivaled supply chain. Only here, he says, can you take a parts list, visit local markets, and buy every component needed to build a motorcycle from scratch. With a blueprint in hand, China can manufacture virtually any part to a standard that rivals those from Europe, the United States, or Japan.
This is the same traditional manufacturing hub that lost the Southeast Asian market twenty years ago. How did it become a powerhouse supplying the engines of world-class racing bikes? And how did Chongqing's motorcycle makers, once struggling to survive brutal price wars, quietly engineer this remarkable comeback? The answer reaches back nearly half a century.
The Industrial Bedrock: Four Decades Building
To understand this city's bond with motorcycles, turn back the clock more than forty years. In 1979, the tide of reform and opening-up swept through the mountain city. Building on the technical expertise of military enterprises such as JIALING and JIANSHE, Chongqing's defense plants began shifting to civilian motorcycle production. The JIALING Factory hand-built China's first civilian motorcycle, the JIALING CJ50. With its bright crimson body, it was affectionately nicknamed the "Red Rooster."
Back then, China's motorcycle industry was starting from scratch. Chen Zisheng, a former director of JIANSHE Factory, recalls that core components—engines, clutches, and many others—had to be imported from Japan. Heavy imports drained precious foreign exchange and cut into profits, making localization imperative. By the 1980s, the two major factories had introduced technology from Honda (the CJ50) and Yamaha (the CY80), accelerating the transition to domestically produced parts. Chen recalls that JIANSHE partnered with Yamaha, bringing the Japanese company's engine production line directly into its factory.
Chongqing capitalized on its vast defense industry network. By the late 1980s, the famous "JIALING-Honda 50" and "JIANSHE-Yamaha 80" had achieved localization rates above 80 percent, with core engine parts, frames, and shock absorbers all manufactured locally. Chen says imported kits had become rare, major components were produced in-house, and as domestic sourcing increased, the factories became profitable. By the early 1990s, Chongqing had built the country's most formidable motorcycle supply chain. Manufacturers from Zhejiang and Jiangsu initially arrived to produce parts, then expanded into complete motorcycles, eventually creating an entire industrial ecosystem.
That growing ecosystem gave rise to the "Big Three" of Chongqing's motorcycle industry in the 1990s—Lifan, Zonsen, and Loncin—ushering in a golden age.
By the late 1990s, Chinese motorcycles were venturing abroad for the first time. Driven by their affordability, they captured more than 80 percent of the Vietnamese market at one point. Chinese motorcycles, led by Lifan, became a sensation. Engine manufacturing was Loncin's specialty—its engines swept across Southeast Asia, generating substantial profits for those who secured them.
Yet rapid growth bred chaos. Chinese motorcycle makers rushed into Southeast Asia, undercutting one another in fierce price wars that ultimately compromised quality. Limited after-sales service abroad further damaged their reputation. Li Xueping, vice president of the Chongqing Automobile and Motorcycle Industry Association, sums up the retreat: they entered quickly and exited just as quickly, arriving with enthusiasm but leaving dejected. Mu Gang, head of NAXEON, recalls Lifan founder Yin Mingshan's observation that motorcycles were being sold by the pound, earning just a dime or two per pound.
This race to the bottom ultimately saddled Chinese motorcycles with a reputation for being "low-end, cheap, and unreliable," leading to a crushing defeat in Southeast Asia. Mu Gang recalls that Chinese motorcycles' share of the ASEAN market collapsed from 80–90 percent to just one percent. Competitive pricing, he argues, may get you in the door quickly, but relying on price alone will not keep you there.
For a long time afterward, Chongqing motorcycles were exported primarily through white-label OEM manufacturing, with the lion's share of profits going to foreign brands. Huang Qin, now head of export sales at ZXMOTO, had worked in Chongqing's motorcycle export industry long before the company was founded. He recalls the frustration of those years: Chinese manufacturers were limited to OEM production, with little say once a foreign brand's label was attached. Their small-displacement motorcycles lacked brand recognition overseas, leaving Huang and his colleagues wondering why they simply couldn't compete with Indian brands.
After the setbacks came a period of reflection. To understand Chongqing's position in the global market, consider the competitive landscape. The industry has long been dominated by three major blocs. The first is Japan: Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Kawasaki—the Big Four—control roughly half of the large-displacement market, protected by decades of technical expertise, brand prestige, and extensive global dealer networks. The second is Europe and North America: Italy's Ducati and Aprilia, Austria's KTM, Germany's BMW, and America's Harley-Davidson occupy the premium end of the market, competing not on volume but through brand heritage and racing-derived technology. The third consists of emerging powers: India's Hero and Bajaj have leveraged their enormous domestic markets to become global leaders in sales volume.
Compared with Japan's Hamamatsu, Chongqing boasts comparable industrial cluster density; compared with India, it has greater technological depth; and compared with Europe, it enjoys a clear cost advantage. Yet significant weaknesses remain: limited brand prestige, underdeveloped global distribution networks, and gaps in core technologies. Zuo Zongshen, founder of Zonsen, notes that while China's automotive industry has advanced rapidly with large, intelligent factories, the motorcycle sector still lags in manufacturing equipment and digitalization. Few factories have become genuine models of smart manufacturing, leaving considerable room for improvement. This is the gap Chongqing must close.
Over the past decade, Chongqing has strengthened its manufacturing clusters, gradually transforming the motorcycle industry from labor-intensive production to technology-driven manufacturing. The industry's three core components—engines, electronic control systems, and frames—are now largely produced domestically. Luo Tengfei, deputy director of the automotive industry division at the Chongqing Economic and Information Technology Commission, says the priority is to improve both quality and production capacity, steering the industry toward high-end, electric, and intelligent motorcycles while addressing remaining weaknesses in key components.
Four decades on, Chongqing's industrial foundation is attracting global attention. According to Luo, the city is home to 60 large-scale motorcycle manufacturers and more than 410 large-scale parts suppliers, with an annual production capacity exceeding 20 million motorcycles and 20 million engines. In 2025, Chongqing produced 7.857 million motorcycles, up 18.1 percent year on year, ranking first among Chinese cities. Nationwide, one in every four large-displacement recreational motorcycles is manufactured in Chongqing.
In specialized segments, Chongqing is home to numerous "hidden champions": Zonsen for engines, Zhicheng Mechanical for cylinder heads, Jieli for wheel hubs, Yu'an Suspension for shock absorbers, and Yujiang Lanfeng for crankcases—each ranking first nationally in its respective field. Guo Song, general manager of motorcycle testing at the China Merchants Vehicle Research Institute, notes that Chongqing is a natural supply-chain hub, with more than 80 percent of components sourced locally. Rigorous quality-control standards introduced by foreign and joint-venture manufacturers have raised the technical capabilities of local suppliers, improving the quality of both components and finished motorcycles.
Today, Chongqing has established a one-hour motorcycle manufacturing network. Whether a manufacturer needs an engine, frame, shock absorber, dashboard, plastic fairing, or even a specialized screw, a supplier can be found within an hour's drive. This highly responsive supply chain allows Chongqing to adapt to changing market demands more quickly and at lower cost, giving the city a solid industrial foundation for competing on the global stage.
Shifts Gears: Made in Chongqing
On April 14, 2026, at a State Council Information Office press conference, China's General Administration of Customs singled out a motorcycle brand less than two years old while discussing export performance. Wang Jun, deputy commissioner of the Administration, noted that ZXMOTO, a Chinese brand that had recently claimed victory on the international racing circuit, hails from Chongqing in western China. Why would such a young brand earn recognition at a high-level government briefing? The answer lies in its founder's words: Chongqing boasts China's most extensive motorcycle supply chain and one of its most comprehensive industrial manufacturing networks.
The breakthrough of a single young brand is just one example of Chongqing's broader industrial transformation. Loncin's evolution is a prime example. Its premium sub-brand, VOGE, has brought twin-cylinder engines, precision electronic controls, and high-performance braking systems—once largely reserved for expensive, large-displacement motorcycles—into the mainstream consumer market. Zonsen, meanwhile, specializes in engine technology. Its Cyclone brand focuses on large-displacement adventure touring motorcycles, making it one of the few Chinese brands willing to compete head-to-head with established global manufacturers on rally tracks.
On April 14, 2026, at a State Council Information Office press conference, China's General Administration of Customs highlighted a motorcycle brand less than two years old while discussing export performance. Wang Jun, deputy commissioner of the Administration, noted that ZXMOTO, a Chinese brand that had recently claimed victory on the international racing circuit, hails from Chongqing in western China. Why would such a young brand earn recognition at a high-level government briefing? The answer lies in its founder's words: Chongqing boasts China's most extensive motorcycle supply chain and one of its most comprehensive industrial manufacturing networks.
The breakthrough of a single young brand is just one example of Chongqing's broader industrial transformation. Loncin's evolution illustrates this shift. Its premium sub-brand, VOGE, has brought twin-cylinder engines, precision electronic controls, and high-performance braking systems—once largely reserved for expensive, large-displacement motorcycles—into the mainstream consumer market. Zonsen, meanwhile, specializes in engine technology. Its Cyclone brand focuses on large-displacement adventure touring motorcycles, making it one of the few Chinese brands competing head-to-head with established global manufacturers on rally tracks.
If SURRON represents a fearless young innovator, then NAXEON, based in Liangjiang New Area, represents the reinvention of an industry veteran. Mu Gang, NAXEON's founder, once spearheaded Lifan's expansion into overseas markets. In 2021, recognizing a fundamental shift in global consumer demand, he decided to reinvent himself and pursue the industry's "second value curve." Today's consumers, he explains, value the technological experience. They're willing to pay a premium for products that are fun, innovative, intuitive, and tailored to their needs, as well as for the overall brand experience. This, he believes, defines the second value curve.
Mu chose to launch NAXEON in two of the world's most mature and fiercely competitive motorcycle markets: Europe and the United States. NBA star Paul George became the brand's first American customer. Mu recalls that George was walking through Beverly Hills when he came across a pop-up store. Intrigued by the motorcycle's futuristic design and advanced technology, he exclaimed, "Isn't this basically a Tesla on two wheels?" Within twenty minutes, he had decided to buy one.
The IM, a smart electric motorcycle with a striking futuristic design, has attracted more than just superstar attention, quickly gaining popularity among young overseas consumers. Behind its $8,000 price tag are two key strengths: innovative industrial design and advanced intelligent technology. Mu explains that while the motorcycle's design emphasizes futuristic aesthetics, its intelligent systems were developed entirely from the ground up—from the source code and electrical architecture to vehicle-cloud platforms and data structures. "We did not pull an $8,000 price out of thin air; consumers vote for it with their wallets." Wang Jianlin, an AI algorithm engineer at NAXEON, demonstrates the motorcycle's human-machine interaction system: move your palm forward, and the bike moves forward; turn your palm, and it turns. Future upgrades will allow the motorcycle to follow pedestrians, including its rider.
From SURRON to NAXEON, these emerging companies born in the mountain city are using electrification and intelligent technology to shake off the reputation for cheap motorcycles, carving out a new path for Chongqing's motorcycle industry.
Today, Chongqing's competitors are global icons with decades, even centuries, of history, their competitive advantages resting on three pillars. First, patent protection: Honda holds more than 40,000 motorcycle-related patents, covering everything from engine technology to electronic controls, creating formidable barriers for newcomers. Second, brand heritage: Harley-Davidson represents a lifestyle, Ducati is often called the "Ferrari of two wheels," and KTM is known as the "King of Off-Road"—identities built over decades and difficult to replicate overnight. Third, global sales and service networks: Honda operates in more than 150 countries and regions through tens of thousands of authorized dealers, offering a scale and reach that Chinese motorcycle brands have yet to match.
Yet these global giants have their weaknesses. Their high prices in emerging markets create opportunities for more affordable Chinese alternatives. They have also been relatively slow to embrace electrification—Honda did not launch its first mass-produced electric motorcycle until 2024—and their lengthy decision-making processes can struggle to match the agility of Chinese manufacturers. Guo Song notes that seven of China's top ten electric motorcycle companies have established factories in Chongqing, placing the city among the country's leaders in electric motorcycle manufacturing.
This presents a major opportunity for Chongqing. As traditional gasoline-powered motorcycle markets slow and electrification and intelligent technology become new drivers of growth, Japanese and European manufacturers no longer hold an overwhelming advantage. Li Xueping believes that China's rapid progress in electrification has put it ahead of Europe, Japan, and India in electric motorcycles. While China still has years of catching up to do in gasoline-powered models, he argues that it has already overtaken its competitors in the electric segment.
Corporate breakthroughs also require government support. In January 2024, the Chongqing municipal government released the Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the High-End Motorcycle Industry Cluster (2023–2027), emphasizing quality over volume. Luo Tengfei says the city will continue guiding the industry toward high-end, electric, and intelligent motorcycle manufacturing.
As part of this "second expedition," the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce has actively promoted the "Chongqing Vehicles Go Global" initiative. Zhao Yuxin, deputy chief of foreign trade promotion, says the city supports companies attending international motorcycle exhibitions to expand their markets and secure orders. In 2025 alone, it supported more than 100 companies participating in exhibitions across 17 countries. The city also helps manufacturers apply for overseas patents and register trademarks to protect intellectual property and strengthen their brands. Zuo Zongshen observes that Chongqing stands out among China's major cities for the priority it places on motorcycle manufacturing. With the industry identified as a key pillar in government development plans for 2023–2027, he believes local companies must seize the opportunity. From individual corporate efforts to a coordinated, policy-backed industrial ecosystem, Chongqing's motorcycle industry is gathering unprecedented momentum.
The Brand Odyssey: Chongqing Motorcycle
In June 2026, a cargo ship set sail from Shanghai for Poland, carrying more than 200 motorcycles bearing the ZXMOTO logo. Since the team's championship run began in March, international interest has surged. Huang Qin recalls that while overseas dealers had previously maintained contact, few were eager to commit. But as soon as the team began winning, they rushed to secure exclusive distribution rights and place orders, fearing competitors would beat them to it.
This is just a glimpse of Chongqing's global reach. Loncin, Yinxiang, Zonsen, Lifan, and Bashan all rank among China's top ten motorcycle exporters. But the real story is not the rankings themselves—it is the transformation behind them: Chongqing's motorcycle manufacturers are moving beyond OEM exports to building and exporting their own brands.
Unlike twenty years ago, today's Chongqing manufacturers are no longer competing solely on low prices. Extensive customization has become the key to one Jiangjin-based three-wheeler manufacturer's success in emerging markets. Tian Xiangfei, deputy general manager of production at Shangfeng Tech, explains that a vehicle on display was custom-built for a customer in Chad, Africa. Designed to transport water, it has a 1.5-ton carrying capacity and is ready to be loaded into containers for shipment. From agricultural vehicles and ambulances to mobile food trucks and refrigerated transport, Shangfeng tailors its products to customers' needs. In recent years, the company has transitioned from white-label manufacturing to developing its own brand, Kainiu.
Li Wenshan, a foreign trade specialist at Shangfeng, explains the financial benefits of this transformation. Under OEM manufacturing, profit margins were below five percent per vehicle. By developing its own brand, opening direct-sales outlets, and providing a comprehensive supply of after-sales parts, the company has significantly improved its profitability. As brand recognition grew, sales doubled, with six to seven containers now shipped daily. Dai Xingyan, executive deputy general manager, says sales have doubled month after month since January. Where the factory once produced only about 10,000 vehicles annually, a single customer can now place an order for 10,000 units, while three to five international clients visit the factory each week. Mustapha, a trade buyer from Chad, describes Africa as a vast market where Chinese two- and three-wheelers are widely used and trusted. For many buyers, purchasing a three-wheeler means gaining a reliable source of income, making practicality and earning potential powerful selling points.
If Asia, Africa, and Latin America form the foundation of Chongqing's export sales, Europe and the United States represent the next frontier for building global brand recognition. Mu Gang explains that his company chose Western markets not for their sales volume but for their influence on global brand perception. If Western riders embrace an unfamiliar Chinese motorcycle despite its lack of Japanese heritage, he believes the brand has achieved a significant breakthrough. Establishing that initial trust is difficult, but future expansion becomes easier. In 2025, SURRON sold nearly 50,000 electric off-road motorcycles, with premium Western markets accounting for more than 80 percent of sales. Yu Yajie highlights the United Kingdom, where she says SURRON has ranked first in the broader motorcycle market for five consecutive years, not merely in its specialized segment. The company's international presence is concentrated in premium markets, including the UK, the US, Canada, and Australia. Loncin's premium large-displacement gasoline motorcycle brand, VOGE, is also making inroads into Western markets. In the first three quarters of 2025, its export revenue reached 1.718 billion yuan, an increase of 86.92 percent year on year. The brand also broke into Spain's top four and doubled its sales in Italy.
To venture far, you must first know your place on the map. The global motorcycle market can be divided into three tiers. The first consists of global giants: Honda and Yamaha each sell more than 5 million motorcycles annually, with product lines ranging from 50cc scooters to 1,800cc luxury touring bikes and a combined global market share exceeding 40 percent. The second tier comprises regional powerhouses: India's Hero and Bajaj each sell more than 3 million units in their domestic markets, while Italy's Ducati and Austria's KTM cannot match Japanese sales volumes but command strong loyalty in the premium segment. The third tier consists of emerging challengers, including Chinese brands. Although China exports more than 10 million motorcycles annually, sales are spread across numerous manufacturers, and a truly global flagship brand has yet to emerge.
Despite this progress, China still has considerable ground to cover. Li Xueping acknowledges that Chongqing, and indeed China's entire motorcycle industry, continues to lag behind global leaders such as Honda. He points out that Honda alone produces and sells around 20 million motorcycles annually, compared with approximately 22 million across all of China last year. Marcio Santos, a certification engineer with more than thirty years of experience in the Brazilian market, offers another perspective. While Honda and Yamaha still lead in Brazil, he says the next five brands are Chinese. Once associated with outdated technology, Chinese motorcycles now rival their competitors in build quality, helping drive sales growth in the Brazilian market.
Catching up will take time, but the transformation is already underway. From January to July 2026, Chongqing exported 3.987 million motorcycles worth 17.89 billion yuan, with particularly strong growth in premium and electric models. Zhao Yuxin highlights two figures: electric motorcycle exports increased nearly 80 percent year on year during those seven months, while exports of premium 500–800cc large-displacement motorcycles surged more than 150 percent. Guo Song adds that electric motorcycle exports are substantial, the product range has expanded to include more three- and four-wheeled vehicles, and large-displacement models from Zonsen and Loncin are also seeing strong demand.
Today, motorcycle culture is deeply woven into Chongqing's identity, attracting growing numbers of riders eager to explore and film their journeys through the mountain city. The TAIMU S300R, manufactured in Chongqing's Dazu District, became the first Chinese mass-produced motorcycle to compete in the Red Bull Romaniacs Hard Enduro, often called the "Dakar Rally of the mountains." Its participation sought to answer a simple question: how far can a Chinese production motorcycle go? Amid this momentum, a new generation of Chongqing manufacturers shares a common vision: remain focused, develop products for global markets with a ten-year outlook, pursue ever-higher performance, and apply lessons learned on the racetrack to research, development, and production. A ZXMOTO engineer explains that the company's core technology and team were developed in Chongqing, with more than 90 percent of components sourced domestically. He adds that founder Zhang Xue maintains exceptionally strict standards and meticulous attention to detail, driving continuous improvements in product quality.
Looking at the global landscape, it took Japan thirty years to rise from imitator to industry leader, and South Korea twenty years to evolve from follower to competitor. How long will Chongqing take? The answer lies in the dedication of generations of motorcycle makers. From the first crow of JIALING Factory's "Red Rooster" in 1979 to a Chongqing-built racing bike standing atop the world podium in 2026, the journey has spanned nearly half a century. This time, Chongqing's motorcycle manufacturers are prioritizing quality over low prices, independent brands over OEM contracts, and innovation over destructive price wars. Today, amid the roar of engines, this mountain city is redefining what it means to be "Made in China"—and claiming its rightful place on the global stage.