Zhang Xuejiu Motorcycle wins two championships in two days, with over 6,000 people flooding into the live stream, and the company's valuation exceeds 1 billion yuan.

Ask AI · How can Zhang Xue’s motorcycle quickly rise from grassroots entrepreneurship to the world’s top-tier races?

At the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) Portuguese round, which concluded on the 29th in the WorldSSP class, China’s motorcycle manufacturer “Zhang Xue Motorcycle” won the two-race main event at that round in succession.

The team was established not long ago. This time, it was only its second round of competition, yet it achieved a double championship, also creating a historic breakthrough for Chinese motorcycle manufacturers in WSBK events.

A French rider won, driving the 820RR-RS. According to Zhang Xue Motorcycle

WSBK is the top production motorcycle racing event hosted by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). It was founded in 1988 and is, alongside MotoGP, one of the two major top-tier world racing events.

Reportedly, this is the first time a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer has won consecutive titles in the WSBK top category, breaking the decades-long monopoly by European and Japanese brands such as Ducati and Yamaha.

A French rider drove Zhang Xue Motorcycle’s 820RR-RS to win the WSBK Portuguese round championship. After the race, he held up a five-star red flag high. According to Zhang Xue Motorcycle

Public information shows that in 2013, Zhang Xue, who was born in Huaihua, Hunan, went to Chongqing alone with just 20,000 yuan, using a motorcycle forum to post modification-related tips and sell bikes to accumulate his first pot of money. In 2017, he co-founded Kaixue Motorcycle with a partner; from annual sales of 800 units to annual sales of 30,000 units.

After leaving Kaixue, Zhang Xue in April 2024 established Zhang Xue Motorcycle in Chongqing, named after himself. That same year in September, at the Chongqing Moto Expo, he released his first motorcycle, the 500RR, and starting in March 2025 began delivering the first batch of bikes.

At the 2026 brand partner conference, Zhang Xue disclosed the company’s development data: in 2025, Zhang Xue Motorcycle’s total output value reached 750 million yuan, research and development investment was as high as 69.58 million yuan, research and development sales accounted for 9.33%, and it recorded a loss of 22.78 million yuan in the same period.

Regarding sales targets, at the above conference Zhang Xue said that starting in 2026, terminal sales would double: 50,000 units expected in 2026, surpassing 100,000 units in 2027, and rushing for 200,000 units in 2028.

In addition, according to Zhang Xue at the above conference, Zhang Xue Motorcycle had already completed Series A financing in January 2026, and is expected to obtain 90 million yuan in investment, with a post-investment valuation of 1.09 billion yuan.

As Chinese-brand motorcycles create history on the international race stage, interest in Zhang Xue Motorcycle has surged. Thousands of people flooded into the official livestream rooms, and many peripheral limited-edition products sold out. A reporter from Jimu News also learned that the 820RR currently has not opened test rides.

At around 30 a.m. on the 30th, on short video platforms, livestream rooms of Zhang Xue Motorcycle shops across various regions were filled with large numbers of netizens. The “Zhang Xue Motorcycle Official Flagship Store” livestream room attracted over 6,000 people. Viewers were all watching information such as price, graphics, horsepower, test rides, and peripheral products. Regarding whether the bikes sold in the stores are the same as the ones on the competition track in this event, the host said the differences were not significant. According to what Zhang Xue previously explained in his own videos, the 820RR on the race track is the same as the production version in major components such as the engine, brake discs, shock absorbers, calipers, and wheels; the only difference is that, according to race requirements, it has been modified in exhaust, liquid cooling, instruments, and the like.

Another host in Zhang Xue Motorcycle’s official livestream room said that the 820RR standard version is already a “double-champion model.” At present, 820RR orders have already begun shipping, with a vehicle delivery cycle of about 4 weeks.

In the livestream room, image source: livestream screenshot

Offline, Zhang Xue Motorcycle’s stores are spread across multiple provinces and cities. A person in charge at a store in Henan told a reporter from Jimu News that, a few days ago, after being notified and approved by the manufacturer, they organized a one-day centralized test ride event: test rides in a closed area, with around dozens of people participating. “Because of the special nature of this bike’s high horsepower, the manufacturer has very strict requirements for the test-ride event,” the shop owner said. “Currently, at the store you can’t test ride by yourself; you can only experience it statically.”

This person in charge said that from late night on the 29th until 3:00 a.m. the next day, people kept calling and sending messages asking to order a bike. At 8:00 a.m., they were also woken up by phone calls—everything was inquiries about the 820RR.

Staff from a Zhang Xue Motorcycle store in Hubei also said that because what has arrived at the store are engineering sample bikes, test rides are not open yet. After replacing a few parts, they plan to start test ride activities on April 1. At that time, how the test rides will be conducted can be consulted.

A person in charge at a store in Hebei said that the 820RR currently can only be displayed statically, and when test rides will begin still needs to wait for the manufacturer’s notice. In addition, another Zhang Xue Motorcycle model in the store, the 500RR, can be test ridden at any time.

A reporter from Jimu News entered Zhang Xue Motorcycle’s mini program. At present, three models can be reserved: ZX820RR, ZX500RR, and ZX500F. Among them, the nationwide uniform price for the ZX820RR version is 43,800 yuan, and the RR-R version is priced at 61,980 yuan.

Zhang Xue Motorcycle reservation page, image source: online

For this pricing, a senior motorcycle enthusiast told a reporter from Jimu News that for a motorcycle with the same high-horsepower configuration as the 820RR, the price is at least over 100,000 yuan; the 820RR’s price is very reasonable. Another piece of publicly available information shows that within 12 hours after the 820RR opened for reservations, the cumulative locked orders reached 1,986 units.

It is worth noting that in 2006, at age 19, he became a topic of widespread attention for riding more than 100 kilometers in the rain to chase after a TV station’s program team. This early documentary has gone viral across the internet after Zhang Xue Motorcycle won the championship.

Zhang Xue showcasing his bike skills

The video was filmed by the Hunan Satellite TV program team “Evening News” in 2006. At that time, Zhang Xue was only 19 years old. He had already opened a motorcycle repair shop in Huaihua and was supporting himself. He said that his parents divorced very early, and he “raised himself,” together with his younger sister, starting at age 10.

The reason for this film began with Zhang Xue’s determination to join a motorcycle team. He “would not let go,” repeatedly calling the program team, hoping to show off his riding skills. However, when he finally got the chance to be filmed, it turned out that he “crashed.” But he did not get discouraged; instead, he chose to follow the program team all the way and “lead the way” for them. Eventually, he moved the staff of Hunan Satellite TV and won a second opportunity for additional filming.

The ending of the documentary

In 2025, when he said this in an interview with Cheng Qian’s朋友圈 (WeChat Moments), he stated: “Maybe my other aspects are completely worse than yours—my talent is not as good as yours, and my resources aren’t as good as yours. But when my effort is ten times more, why isn’t it mine? It’s mine! I really love motorcycles; I’ve loved them since I was little. No matter whether you fail or succeed, if you don’t do it when you’re young, you’ll definitely regret it when you’re older. If you do it when you’re young, even if you fail, you won’t regret it—and you definitely won’t.”

The moment he won the championship—Zhang Xue cried. Video screenshot

Local time on March 28, a French rider drove Zhang Xue Motorcycle to win the WSBK Portuguese round championship. Zhang Xue watched the livestream from Chongqing and cried with excitement. Later, on his personal social media, he said: “Doing something isn’t about chasing the outcome, but because of your love. Maybe the result really can be different.”

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Editor | Chen Keming Du Hengfeng

Proofread by | Cheng Peng

Everyday Economic News iNews, compiled from Jimu News, Xinhua News Agency, Guangzhou Daily, and others

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