Workers step up production on the assembly line at Loncin to meet rising orders. (Photo/Qi Lansen)
Chongqing - Chongqing-based Loncin’s shift from learning international manufacturing standards to developing its own high-performance engines is bringing Chinese motorcycle technology onto the global racing stage, with its independently developed YK250 engine powering Chongqing Junchi Motorcycle’s debut at the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship’s Shanghai round.
Loncin manufactures motorcycles, motorcycle engines and general-purpose engines, alongside generators, agricultural machinery and all-terrain vehicles. Junchi specializes in developing and producing off-road motorcycles and operating a factory racing team.
The story began in 2005. At the time, Chongqing’s motorcycle industry had already built strong manufacturing capabilities, but still lagged behind global leaders in large-displacement and high-performance engines.
That year, Loncin began cooperation with BMW on a 650cc large-displacement engine project. For Loncin, the partnership was not only a manufacturing project, but also an opportunity to learn from an international manufacturing system.
One detail in the cooperation gave Loncin engineers their first direct experience with the strict requirements of global standards.
Before engine assembly, components must be cleaned. In the past, manufacturers often relied on visual inspection to determine whether parts were clean enough. BMW, however, required microscopic impurities in cleaning fluids to be collected, filtered and analyzed, creating a traceable data system.
“It was a real shock at the time,” said Qin Yuanwei, Deputy General Manager of Loncin’s engine division. He recalled that while “clean” had previously been judged mainly through experience, international standards had turned it into a measurable and traceable data system.
After that, Loncin upgraded its supplier network, introduced international quality management standards, and improved everything from materials and equipment to production processes. After two years of development, the 650cc engine entered mass production in 2007.
The project helped Loncin realize that high-performance engine manufacturing requires not only advanced equipment, but also a complete system combining research and development, manufacturing and supply chain management.
But learning standards was only the first step. In 2013, Loncin and BMW launched another project to develop an 850cc twin-cylinder engine. This time, Loncin was no longer only producing according to design requirements, but became deeply involved in the entire process, including engine design, manufacturing, testing and mass production.
During this process, Loncin engineers began to explore the principles behind the technology and gradually learned how to transform design requirements into stable manufacturing capabilities.
With further technological accumulation, Loncin developed its independently designed KE series engines and gained the ability to define its own power products. From engine displacement and power characteristics to component precision control, the company gradually took greater control over product development.
After developing its own capabilities, Loncin turned its focus to the most competitive international racing arena. The YK250 motocross engine became a challenge to push performance limits.
The 250cc class is one of the most competitive categories in international motocross racing. For the YK250, the development team set two targets: achieving more than 30 kilowatts of power while keeping the engine weight below 27 kilograms.
“This was a constant process of testing the limits,” said Cheng Shijie, Director of Loncin’s Engine Power Product Design Institute. From laboratory testing to professional track validation, the YK250 underwent more than 100 rounds of extreme testing.
During development, Loncin also explored the use of titanium alloy valves in high-performance motorcycle engines. Facing technical challenges in material processing and heat treatment, the R&D team worked with suppliers through repeated testing and adjustments before achieving a breakthrough.