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Six of the best? ZXMOTO aims to be China’s flagship motorcycle manufacturer

ZXMOTO 500F

It seems like barely a day goes by without news of a new model from a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer you’ve hardly heard of before, and now there’s a new manufacturer on the block with a pretty exciting range of six road bikes that’s due to go on sale in 2026.

ZXMOTO is named after Zhang Xue, one of the main players in the Chinese motorbike industry and a founder of Kove, whose models are already established, and which even won the 2025 World Supersport 300 championship, with Spanish youngster Bernat Fernandez riding a racing modified version of their 321-RR.

Xue is no longer involved with Kove and set up ZXMOTO in 2024, with the aim of being China’s leading manufacturer of performance motorcycles. Their new range was unveiled at the recent EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, and the range topping 820RR will even spearhead a high-profile world championship race effort, with the title winning Evan Bros. team from Italy switching from Yamaha to run a pair of machines for proven winners Federico Caricasulo and Valentin Debise in the Supersport World Championship.

The 820RR will be one of three models being built around a new 819cc three-cylinder engine. Designed to run under the ‘Next Generation’ WorldSSP rules, it will actually come in three different spec levels. The faired sports machine is claimed to deliver 135bhp in base trim, with a lighter and more powerful 820RR-R boosting power by 10bhp and adding improved cycle parts, while a range topping 820RR-RS promises near superbike levels of performance from its 150bhp motor.

 

ZXMOTO 820RR

 

All three feature high level electronics, like you’d expect from a product from a legacy manufacturer, and if you don’t fancy a full-on supersport machine, there are more softly tuned derivatives in the form of a sporty naked (820R) and a highly-specified adventure bike (820ADV) to consider.

As well as the triples, ZXMOTO are also making two models around a 500cc four-cylinder motor. The 500F is a cool retro in the style of a 1970s UJM (Universal Japanese Machine) like the Honda CB400/4, while the same engine (albeit in a more highly tuned 83bhp spec) is at the heart of the racy 500RR. It’s promises to be a revvy little machine (making peak power at 13,500rpm) and will take on Kawasaki’s ZX-4RR for the privilege of being top dog in the mini superbike market.

 

ZXMOTO 500RR

 

Away from its stable of high performance machines, ZXMOTO has also unveiled a V-twin cruiser – the 600V – and a line up of competition off-road bikes, with a 450cc rally bike, 250 and 450cc four-stroke motocrossers and a pair of enduro bikes powered by 300 and 350cc two-stroke engines.

There’s no news yet on when (or indeed if) ZXMOTOs will come to the UK, let alone prices, but it’s hard to imagine that this upstart with global ambitions won’t be looking for a distributor to bring at least some of its models over here at some time in 2026.

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