Key facts
- ZXMoto, a Chinese motorcycle brand founded by Zhang Xue, secured its first Supersport World Championship win.
- French rider Valentin Debise won the Portuguese round of the championship aboard a ZXMoto 820RR.
- The victory breaks the long-standing dominance of international brands like Ducati and Yamaha in the series.
- Zhang Xue, a former rural repair apprentice, founded ZXMoto after leaving Kove Moto.
- The championship-winning model, the 820RR, is priced at approximately 44,000 yuan and experienced a flood of orders post-victory.
French motorcyclist Valentin Debise secured a historic victory at the Portuguese round of the Supersport World Championship, riding a ZXMoto motorcycle. This marks the first win for a Chinese manufacturer in the series, a significant achievement for Zhang Xue's ZXMoto brand.
Zhang Xue, the founder of ZXMoto, transitioned from a rural repair apprentice to a motorcycle engineer and entrepreneur. His journey, including a viral resurfacing of a 2006 TV appearance where he pursued a production crew to gain exposure, highlights his dedication to motorcycles. ZXMoto, founded in 2017 after Zhang left Kove Moto, has aimed to push Chinese motorcycles into higher-end markets, a goal underscored by this recent racing success.
The Supersport World Championship is a crucial platform for manufacturers to demonstrate their technology, as it uses modified versions of publicly available motorcycles. ZXMoto's win challenges the long-standing dominance of established international brands like Ducati and Yamaha.
Following the victory, ZXMoto's official store livestream attracted over 1.5 million viewers, and the championship-winning 820RR model, priced around 44,000 yuan, saw a significant increase in orders. Despite recording losses in 2025, ZXMoto's valuation exceeded 1 billion yuan in early 2026, reflecting investor confidence in its potential.