Zhang Xue competes during the 2023 Taklimakan Rally in Minfeng County of Hotan Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on May 30, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
Chinese motorcycles are increasingly competitive globally in terms of technology, design and reliability, and established manufacturers can no longer afford to underestimate them, Portuguese motorcycle expert Rui Belmonte has said.
LISBON, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese manufacturer ZXMOTO's double victory at the Superbike World Championship Portuguese round at the end of March has drawn strong attention in Europe, with Portuguese motorcycle expert Rui Belmonte calling it a "turning point" for Chinese brands in high-performance racing.
Speaking to Xinhua in a video interview on Monday, Belmonte said ZXMOTO's back-to-back wins in the WorldSSP class - a category traditionally dominated by European and Japanese manufacturers - marked a major breakthrough.
"We had never seen a Chinese manufacturer so dominant over a full race weekend," he said, adding that the result surprised many in the paddock.
Zhang Xue test-drives a motorcycle at Zhuhai International Circuit in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, on Jan. 16, 2025. (Xinhua)
Belmonte said the achievement demonstrates that Chinese brands can now compete at the highest level of motorsport. "With its own rider and team, these victories show Chinese manufacturers can win in top-tier competition," he added.
ZXMOTO, founded in Chongqing in 2024, unveiled its first model at the Chongqing International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in September that year, with initial deliveries beginning in March 2025. It has only recently entered both the championship and the European market, making its rapid success particularly notable, Belmonte said.
The results also reflect broader changes in China's motorcycle industry, he said, with companies shifting from low-cost production to innovation-driven development, including advances in engine technology, lightweight materials and performance.
"In the past, Chinese brands were seen as low-spec producers," he said. "But that mindset has clearly changed."
An employee checks motorcycles to be exported at ZXMOTO in Liangjiang New Area, southwest China's Chongqing, on April 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
He noted that Chinese motorcycles are increasingly competitive globally in terms of technology, design and reliability, and warned that established manufacturers can no longer afford to underestimate them.
"Chinese brands are improving rapidly. The progress is very clear," he said, adding that China is likely to become a major contender in multiple racing categories.
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