Zhang Xue stood on the podium, shaking the flag with white-knuckled intensity. “I’ve waited 20 years for this… WE WON.”
On March 28, ZXMOTO 820 RR-RS (View zxmoto 820rr price) dominated the WSBK (World Superbike Championship) in Portugal, winning by a staggering 4-second lead. It was the first time a manufacturer from this region reached the top of the international large-displacement racing world. Thousands of miles away in the factory, Zhang Xue wept.
“Sometimes you don’t do something for the result,” he posted. “You do it for the love of the machine. And when you do that, the result changes.”
Born in a small mountain village in 1987, Zhang Xue’s life has been a singular pursuit. Obsessed with motorcycles since childhood, he took the only path available to a kid with no money: he became a mechanic’s apprentice at 16. By 17, he opened his own repair shop.
For the next 20 years, his life was a cycle of racing, wrenching, and developing. He doesn’t have a car license. He doesn’t drive. He rides a scooter to work every day. His brain has room for exactly one thing: the motorcycle.
In the office, he is known for a legendary “Redline” temper. He is blunt, relentless, and demands perfection. “I don’t care about feelings when it comes to the machine,” Zhang says. “If the engineering is wrong, I’ll say it loud enough for the whole floor to hear. I’ve hurt people’s egos, but the bike doesn’t have an ego—it only has performance.”
Before ZXMOTO, Zhang co-founded another successful brand, Kove Moto, in 2017. But by 2024, the rift was too wide. Investors wanted “stable growth,” “iterations,” and “profits.” Zhang wanted “extreme performance,” “triple-cylinder engines,” and “the track.”
He walked away from the company he built. “I was selfish,” he wrote. “I prioritized my dream over the investors’ dividends.” Within a month, he founded ZXMOTO. This time, he was the sole master of the vision.
“The window for success is three years. If you can’t make it by then, you never will.”
ZXMOTO’s growth has been violent. In 2025, the company produced over 25,000 units, generating $104 million in revenue. Despite a $3.3 million loss due to aggressive R&D and expansion, Zhang is unfazed.
“If I don’t hit 20,000 units in the first year, I’m dead,” Zhang says. “Last year we did it. Now, we aim to overtake the giants. Within 3 to 5 years, we either surpass the industry leaders or we fail. There is no middle ground.”
Zhang Xue made global headlines for a controversial rule: He refuses to sell the 135HP 820RR to anyone with less than one year of riding experience.
“People complain. They say it hurts sales. It does—it cuts our revenue by at least 10%,” Zhang admits. “But I’d rather lose the money than see a novice lose their life. This bike has a 1:1.3 power-to-weight ratio. It’s a weapon. If you aren’t ready for the redline, you don’t get the keys.”
The journey wasn’t always smooth. Before the first bike launched in 2025, the company ran out of cash. “In February, I couldn’t pay the salaries,” Zhang recalls. “I borrowed $1 million from friends, suppliers, and even the landlord just to keep the lights on.”
The bet paid off. After the WSBK victory and the successful launch of the 500RR, investors came knocking. In January 2026, ZXMOTO closed a $13 million Series A funding round, valuing the company at $157 million.
“Now I have bullets,” Zhang smiles. “With bullets, you can be bolder. I sleep a little better now.”
Zhang Xue is often compared to tech moguls like Elon Musk or Lei Jun. Like them, he lives on the front lines, often sleeping in the workshop. But he rejects the “entrepreneur” label.
“I don’t like ‘starting a business.’ I like building bikes. I like the R&D process. That is the only time I’m truly happy.”
He dismantled the world’s best motorcycles not to copy them, but to “read the thoughts” of the engineers who built them. His confidence comes from knowing the supply chain, the quality control, and the mechanical limits better than anyone else in the room.
“I have no other hobbies. No gambling, no fishing, no games. Only motorcycles. If I didn’t do this, my life would be a failure. So I’m going all in. Pursue your dreams, because courage is the only thing that makes this life extraordinary.”
