Economic Observer reporter Wang Yajie

At the beginning of 2026, Zhuhai International Circuit. Chongqing Zhangxue Jiche Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zhangxue Jiche") core test driver and professional racing driver Sha Juntong put on a helmet and drove the yet to be fully finalized civilian prototype car 820RR, reaching a speed of 200 kilometers per hour on the straight section of the track. In the howling wind, he shouted from his helmet, '820RR, cow!'! ?

The picture shows a real shot of Sha Juntong inside his helmet. On that day, he drove an 820RR and overtook the Yamaha R6 at a speed of over 200 kilometers per hour. The interviewee provided the picture.

On March 28th, the track exclusive racing car 820RR-RS, based on this 820RR, won the championship in the SSP category of the World Super Motorcycle Championship (WSBK) Portugal station. It was driven by the factory driver Valentine Debis and led by nearly 4 seconds, surpassing international giants such as Yamaha and Honda. This was the first time a Chinese motorcycle brand had won a race at the top of the WSBK circuit.

On March 29th, in the second race of the Portugal Grand Prix, Zhang Xueche once again won the championship.

Breaking through the monopoly of veteran motorcycle manufacturers in the WSBK middleweight category in Europe, America, and Japan, Zhang Xueji became a "god of war" in the first battle.

Regarding the significance and boundaries of this championship, a current professional team technical manager believes that even if history has been made, Zhang Xueji's single station victory cannot fully define the ultimate strength. WSBK has multiple races throughout the year, and the comprehensive annual results are the key consideration. Competition competition is not just about one car model, it is supported by the comprehensive strength of the entire technology, team, and supply chain.

In recent days, reporters have interviewed racers, engineers, industry experts, and key figures who witnessed Zhang Xueji's journey from scratch, from a rudimentary factory to a world championship podium, attempting to unravel a proposition: in the motorcycle industry with strict technological barriers, why can a Chinese brand established less than two years ago stand on the international podium? How can a domestically produced motorcycle with high performance and low price achieve technological breakthroughs in a short period of time? What are the secrets behind China's manufacturing industry?

To answer these questions, we must first start with the "paranoia" of one person and a group of people.

A 'billionaire' dream of a 'poor man'

On an unknown racetrack in Guiyang, Zhou Zhao, the director of the publicity department and motorcycle information center of the Motorcycle Branch of the China Automobile Dealers Association, was getting off the car after being "bid farewell" by Zhang Xue. This is not a provocation, but a real scene of a track test.

At that time, Zhang Xue was still working at Kaiyue Locomotive, which she founded with two other partners, Yan Kai and Liao Tao. He brought his own unreleased engineering prototype car, along with Yamaha and Honda's best-selling sports cars at the time, to the racetrack and invited Zhou Zhao, who was familiar with him and had long-term exposure to imported motorcycles such as Kawasaki, Ducati, BMW, etc., as "tasters" to try them out, find gaps, and find faults.

Basically, other brands only test their own cars and never bring cars from first tier brands together because it's easy to expose flaws. But Zhang Xue is not afraid, "Zhou Zhao recalled.

Coming off the track, they were wearing leather jackets and chatting while drinking water. Zhang Xue humbly asked everyone about the shortcomings of his car throughout the entire process. After trying a few laps, Zhou Zhao gave feedback on a problem: the car felt a bit "light" and unstable at a certain high-speed bend. He also specifically pointed out the number of turns, the angle of the bend, and the amount of braking required.

Zhang Xue didn't explain much. He put on his helmet, got into the car, and rushed into the bend at the same speed and braking point. If he also feels that there is a problem, he will immediately make improvements after returning, ride again after making the changes, and repeatedly test until he is satisfied.

That day, Zhang Xue ran nearly twenty laps on the track.

He may not be very good at talking about other things, but when it comes to cars, he gets very excited, "Zhou Zhao said." He is currently the only brand leader in China who is willing to personally participate in track testing with professional car reviewers and test drivers

This kind of 'paranoia' is not only reflected on the track.

Racing driver Ma Junbo, also a DRThe owner of M locomotive observed another dimension of Zhang Xue from the perspective of a professional racing driver.

"In the whole motorcycle industry, including the automobile industry, you can hardly see any brand founder. Every night, you will personally stay in the Tiktok studio to communicate with your own owners."

For example, a car owner reported that their 500 model had a malfunction and the problem recurred after the first after-sales repair. Zhang Xue made a statement on the spot, asking the car owner to take the car to the 4S store, and the factory will directly send a specialist to handle it. The factory will bear all the round-trip transportation costs, transport the vehicle back to the factory for five consecutive days of professional testing, and compensate for the depreciation of the vehicle.

Ma Junbo, who has more than ten years of experience in the racing industry, said, "No product I have ridden has been able to achieve complete zero failures. The key is the attitude towards solving problems." Zhang Xue's approach is that he personally listens to all user feedback, personally sends orders for follow-up, and personally verifies the effectiveness of rectification. When encountering substantial quality issues, provide a direct solution of returning to the factory for replacement or replacing the entire vehicle.

All of this stems from his seemingly impossible dream in his early years.

Zhou Zhao recalled that when Zhang Xue was still on the Kai Yue motorcycle, she set the goal of surpassing Yamaha and Honda. Zhou Zhao said, "He is such a person. If he wants to challenge, he will challenge the best, and he will not challenge second or third tier brands." At that time, many people thought that for a Chinese brand to defeat a century old motorcycle manufacturing giant in the international arena, it was simply "a poor man aspiring to become a billionaire. But Zhang Xue didn't think so, he set a goal and went ahead with it.

For this goal, he searched for investments everywhere, went to many places, and also got many rejections.

Zhou Zhao remembers that when Zhang Xue found the first factory building, she asked him to come and take a look. That factory is located in Chongqing, not far from the airport. It is a shared factory area with others and the decoration is particularly simple. Zhou Zhao searched for a long time before finally finding Zhang Xue, who had a happy expression on her face. After entering, I felt in my heart that it was too hard, I didn't even have money for decoration. Later, he realized that Zhang Xue didn't have no money, but had spent all her money on research and development.

On the wall of the factory building, there is no plaque, but the four words' Zhang Xueche 'are directly written.

Later, as an industry expert, Zhou Zhao analyzed Zhang Xue's development potential to venture capital firms. In the end, Zhang Xue's locomotive received a total investment of 110 million yuan in two rounds: the Angel round in 2024 received 20 million yuan from Gaoxin Capital, and the A round in 2026 received 90 million yuan from Zhejiang Venture Capital, a subsidiary of Zhejiang State owned Assets.

Zhang Xue withstood the pressure and slowly regained her vitality, until the explosive growth now. No matter how his identity changes, deep down he is first and foremost a "driver" and "engineer", and only then a "boss".

Zhang Xue's dream of making cars was not born suddenly in 2024 and achieved overnight. Zhou Zhao recalled to reporters: "He has been deeply involved in the industry for many years. During his time at Kaiyue Locomotive, he had been researching engine related core technologies, leading the development of multiple mid displacement models such as 300cc, 350cc, and 450cc, and accumulating rich experience from design to supply chain management. The current achievements are a concentrated explosion of years of technical accumulation, rather than accidental success based solely on talent. ?

So, why did Zhejiang State owned Assets ultimately choose to invest in Zhang Xue?

A person with a background in Zhejiang state-owned assets and who participated in the early financing negotiations of Zhang Xue's motorcycle explained the decision-making logic to the Economic Observer: "We evaluated more than one motorcycle related project at that time. Zhang Xue was not the largest or the best storyteller. But he was the only person who showed us the ability of system integration

The above-mentioned Zhejiang state-owned background personnel made an analogy. At that time, they regarded Zhang Xueji's car as a "seed". Compared with peers in the same industry at the same time, some entrepreneurs either only knew about engines, marketing, or only focused on configuration. But Zhang Xue is different. He can explain clearly how he used an 80 point engine, a 70 point frame, and a 60 point shock absorber to integrate a 90 point overall performance through tuning.

The person said, "This ability is very scarce in the manufacturing industry. He himself is willing to repeatedly strive for a 0.1 second lap speed improvement, which is exactly what high-end manufacturing needs. What we are investing in is not his current revenue, but his ability to define products

This kind of "paranoia" is becoming the collective culture of Zhang Xueji's car.

A person close to Zhang Xue's core technical team told the Economic Observer that Zhang Xue's demanding technology goes deep into every component. "He will argue with engineers for a long time about the torque value of a screw until he finds the 'perfect' data in his mind

Zhang Xue, a founder in the style of a 'product manager', uses the most primitive and direct methods to polish the products he believes are 'right'. This is the first cornerstone refined by Zhang Xueji's car.

The birth of engines

Time goes back to five years ago. During her time at Kaiyue Locomotive, Zhang Xue has led the research and development of multiple mid displacement models such as 300cc, 350cc, and 450cc, accumulating rich experience from design to supply chain management. But he encountered a ceiling: the engine.

In the motorcycle industry, the engine is the heart. The strength and rhythm of this heartbeat directly determine the performance limit of the entire vehicle.

At that time, the engine he used was from Longxin, and he did not have his own independently developed engine, "Zhou Zhao recalled. Zhang Xue is very clear that he has already done almost everything about the frame, shock absorbers, and brakes, except for the engine. To surpass Yamaha and Honda in the whole car, one must master the engine themselves.

'Self developed engine' is Zhang Xue's trump card as a 'tech maniac'.

Zhang Xue intends to invest heavily in self-developed three cylinder engines and compete in the WSBK arena, but has a disagreement with the partners of Kaiyue Motorcycle. In early 2024, he left Kaiyue and started his own business.

This experience has been widely discussed within the industry. The reporter contacted the official of Kaiyue Motorcycle, but the other party politely declined the interview. But a person from Kaiyue Motorcycle told reporters, "Zhang Xue's persistence and sensitivity to technology did leave a deep impression on us. His engine and frame tuning work during Kaiyue Motorcycle laid a certain foundation for the development of both sides later. Kaiyue also won the championship in the early years, and every breakthrough in this industry was accomplished on the shoulders of predecessors. We respect everyone who works hard for the Chinese motorcycle industry. Zhang Xue's success also proves to some extent that the technical direction we explored together was correct

In 2024, Zhang Xue officially established her own brand. His ambition was hidden in the later launched 820 model: the inline three cylinder engine that he had invested funds and effort into.

How difficult is it to develop an engine? Former Yamaha signed professional driver Sha Juntong, who has won multiple domestic track racing championships, can see it clearly.

As one of the first race test drivers for the civilian prototype of the Zhang Xue 820 series, Sha Juntong has visited the research and development center of Zhang Xue's motorcycle and personally witnessed the core components in the engine disassembly room. These high-end materials and precision structures not only serve as the hardware foundation for the subsequent WSBK race car 820RR-RS, but are also simultaneously installed in the production version of the 820RR model. His first reaction was, "All the ingredients used here are good

We have also seen some engine parts of domestic cars in our daily lives, but most of those cars are only suitable for daily commuting and have not been developed for high-intensity working conditions on the track, so there is no need to use such top-notch materials and extreme structural design, "said Sha Juntong." But for the engine of the Zhangxue 820 series, we can see from the stage of developing prototype cars that this whole set of foundation was born for high performance and extreme working conditions on the track from the beginning

Titanium alloy valves, magnesium alloy pistons, electroplated ceramic cylinders... These high-end configurations that have long monopolized high-end imported flagship performance cars have been fully applied to the 820 series self-developed engines. The large-scale use of carbon fiber coverings further achieves vehicle lightweighting, significantly increasing the horsepower to weight ratio of the vehicle.

Sha Juntong added, "Engine research and development, even if you theoretically know how to optimize to improve speed and increase power, if the domestic manufacturing industry cannot meet the requirements of micrometer level machining accuracy and high-end material adaptation, it will ultimately only be a drawing scheme and cannot produce a real car. However, the Zhang Xue 820RR engine, in layman's terms, represents our domestic industrial chain. It can independently complete forward design and also achieve high-precision mass production manufacturing

The technical leader of the current professional fleet explained to the reporter in detail the core advantage of Zhang Xueji's engine's "solid materials": firstly, in terms of core materials, titanium alloy valves reduce the weight of traditional steel valves by more than 40%, which directly supports the motorcycle to adopt more aggressive valve lift and timing settings in the ultra-high speed range, without the problem of floating valves (valve rebound lag, loose closure at high speeds, causing power attenuation and engine failure).

Secondly, in terms of cylinder technology, the person in charge stated that replacing traditional cast iron cylinder bodies with electroplated ceramic composite coatings not only reduces the friction coefficient of the inner wall by 30%, but also significantly improves the overall heat dissipation efficiency. This is a key reliability guarantee for engines that need to withstand continuous high load operation on the track for a long time. Benchmarking against classic overseas models of the same level: Yamaha R6 engine has a profound foundation, but the overall architecture is still based on technology from the early 21st century, and has already fallen behind the current research and development level in lightweight materials and precision coating processes; The engine of Honda CBR600RR is known for its smoothness, durability, and stability when fully loaded, but in terms of extreme explosive power and instantaneous acceleration explosive power, it is difficult to break through the ceiling due to traditional architecture.

The technical leader of the current professional fleet mentioned above further added that Zhang Xueji's car relies on magnesium alloy lightweight pistons and optimized forged connecting rods for ultimate structural design, and has achieved a leading level of power increase for the entire machine. Objectively speaking, there is still a gap in the fine tuning of the electronic control system of the brand, especially in the algorithm delicacy of traction control and the intervention logic under complex road conditions. Compared with Honda's top-level original electronic kits that have been deeply cultivated for many years, there is still room for catching up, which is also the core direction of subsequent research and development iterations.

Regarding Zhang Xue's choice of the three cylinder technology route, a research and development personnel in charge of engine technology at Chongqing Zongshen Locomotive Industry Manufacturing Co., Ltd. commented to the Economic Observer: "The three cylinder is a very smart and clever technology choice. It has both the low torque explosive force of the dual cylinder and the high rotational extension of the four cylinder, which is theoretically the best balance point. However, the balance shaft design and ignition interval control of the three cylinder are recognized as world-class problems, and many veteran motorcycle manufacturers have overturned them. Zhang Xue's ability to achieve such smoothness and power linearity of the 820RR engine shows that they have put in real effort in engine NVH and ECU calibration. This is no longer the level that can be achieved by reverse engineering, but the result of forward research and development. From a technical perspective, the architecture level of this engine is also among the top tier in the global mid displacement field. ?

An engineer from Zhang Xueji's car believes that some people think the engine is just a pile of materials, but it is not. What Zhang Xueji's car needs is not just horsepower data, but a controllable power curve that can continuously output on the track and give drivers confidence. This requires a lot of bench testing and track validation, gradually grinding it out.

Zhou Zhao revealed that Zhang Xue spent a lot of money on this engine. In our opinion, this is all unbelievable, we all think this guy is crazy

But Zhang Xue's logic is simple. To put it in Zhou Zhao's analogy, "In order to make a good dish and find suitable ingredients, he would rather open his own pig farm

The engineer of the aforementioned Zhang Xueji car told Economic Observer that the core concept of this engine is "originality". Zhang Xue did not follow the old path of "reverse research and development", but chose a more difficult but sustainable path. He bypassed the patent barriers of European, American, and Japanese brands, using a three cylinder technology route that simultaneously balances the low torque explosive power of dual cylinders and the high turning smoothness of four cylinders. The localization rate of core engine components exceeds 90%, and they are produced by domestic enterprises to achieve independent and controllable core technology.

From an example perspective, when Sha Juntong first tested the prototype test model of Zhang Xue 820 (later mass-produced and finalized 820RR) at the Zhuhai International Circuit, it was still a test version that had many imperfections. Nevertheless, it still ran a lap time of 1 minute and 38 seconds, on par with imported cars of the same level as Yamaha and Kawasaki.

At that time, I thought that this car could achieve the same lap speed as foreign brands without many improvements, and its potential would be even greater, "said Sha Juntong.

Regarding the differences between Sha Juntong's 820RR and WSBK racing cars, the technical director of the current professional racing team explained to the Economic Observer that "high-performance civilian vehicles and racing vehicles have different technical rules and usage scenarios. WSBK racing cars allow for significant lightweight modifications, internal engine strengthening, suspension and brake system replacement for racing, and can even rewrite ECU to lift speed limits. The 820RR tested by Sha Juntong is in a quasi mass production state and must meet regulatory requirements such as emissions, noise, and durability. It is not fair to directly compare the lap speed of a pre production car with a professional racing car, but the infrastructure of the 820RR can withstand the extreme testing of professional drivers, which in itself demonstrates its design redundancy and potential. ?

On the WSBK racetrack on March 28th and 29th, this "Chinese Heart" self-developed engine proved its value. The 820RR racing car, equipped with Zhang Xue's self-developed three cylinder engine, surpassed the long dominant Yamaha on the straight and responded to all doubts with practical performance.

An integrated 'magic' of a 'chef'

Having a good 'heart' is just the first step. The greater challenge is how to integrate hundreds of components such as the engine, frame, shock absorbers, tires, and electronic controls into a "cheap and powerful" vehicle.

At this stage, Zhang Xue's role changed from a "farmer who runs a pig farm" to a "chef who cooks spoons".

The most lacking thing in our Chinese motorcycle industry is a chef, and Zhang Xue is a chef who is very good at 'cooking' in the motorcycle industry. Zhou Zhao's definition expresses the core competitiveness of Zhang Xue's motorcycle.

What is a 'chef'? It's someone who can control the entire process from ingredient selection, cutting, cooking to seasoning. He is not simply buying, washing, cutting, cooking, or plating vegetables, but has his own unique understanding and methods for each step.

One example is tires.

Ordinary chefs go to the market to buy "standard dishes" and directly purchase universal tires from supporting factories. But Zhang Xue, the chef, went to find a "special supply farm": Xiamen Zhengxin Tire.

He made strict demands: my car will have a larger tilt angle, requiring higher speed and better handling in corners. Zhengxin Tire ultimately customized multi-layer composite tires for his 500 model and later 820 model. The middle part of the tire is made of semi hot melt formula, while the edges are made of fully hot melt formula. The outermost part is made of vulcanized formula with stronger grip, which makes the grip better when driving on corners.

It's like a person, no matter how fast they run, without a suitable pair of shoes, they can't achieve the best results, "Zhou Zhao said.

Mass production of customized tires for automobiles is rare in the motorcycle industry. Due to the high cost of customization, most companies are unwilling and unnecessary to do so. But Zhang Xue is willing to pay this price in pursuit of ultimate performance.

Tires are just one example. He spares no cost in every detail that can improve performance. But strangely enough, the final selling price of the entire vehicle was not high. The Zhang Xue 500 was priced at around 30000 yuan, and the starting price of the 820 series was only 43800 yuan, almost half or even one-third of the price of imported cars in the same class.

Zhou Zhao said that the secret of "cheap and able to fight" lies in this: Zhang Xue does not use cheap goods, but through extreme customization and system optimization, to maximize the efficiency of every cost. His car may not have the top components in the industry, but with his "seasoning" and "cooking", when combined together, it can achieve or even surpass the performance level of international big brands.

From materials and processes such as customized tires, to components such as frame shock absorbers, and then to integrating and tuning like a chef, Zhang Xueji's car has relied on track testing and optimization to step by step reach international competition venues. "Zhou Zhao summarized that this process is smooth.

Sha Juntong's experience is even more intuitive: "Cost is the biggest advantage for our country's manufacturing industry. Motorcycles from Yamaha, Ducati, and Honda sell for over 100000 yuan, or even 200000 yuan, in China, but Zhang Xue's car only costs over 40000 yuan

The engineer behind Zhang Xue's motorcycle also explained to reporters the engineering logic behind it: "The matching and calibration of Zhang Xue's chassis and engine have their own characteristics. The same shock absorber and brake pump have different effects when adjusted by different people. Zhang Xue personally participates in the review of each version of calibration data, and his requirement is that the vehicle's dynamics in bends must be 'obedient', and the driver can clearly perceive the vehicle's feedback, rather than being 'led' by the vehicle. This feeling of 'human vehicle integration' is what we have developed through countless calibration schemes

The testing loop of "human vehicle integration"

The ultimate validation ground for the performance of Zhang Xueji's car is the racetrack.

The bridge connecting the track and the factory is a group of professional racing drivers like Sha Juntong and Ma Junbo. They are not brand ambassadors, but rather the touchstone of the product.

The logic of Zhang Xueji's car team is that in order to ensure good design and integration, continuous verification and optimization, the most professional people must identify problems in the most extreme environment and solve them immediately.

This forms an efficient testing loop of "racer engineer founder".

In May 2025, the Zhang Xue 500 model was just launched.

Racing driver Yang Zi'an spent 32980 yuan to buy a commercially available car model and found professional racing driver Ma Junbo who was "better at racing than himself". He drove it into the race track and competed with the Kawasaki 4R model of the same level to see if this controversial domestic car was indeed "reduced in size for test cars and production cars" as claimed online.

At the racetrack in Heze, Shandong, the lights went out and the race started.

Ma Junbo, driving the Zhang Xue 500 model, overtook Kawasaki on the straight road in one fell swoop. At that moment, all doubts seemed to be left behind.

This is also the first time that the Zhang Xue 500 model has appeared on professional racing tracks in China since its launch.

Through that competition, Ma Junbo realized: "You can tell Zhang Xue's design orientation from the weight of the car. The Yamaha R3 is a twin cylinder 321cc with a curb weight of 176kg; the Zhang Xue 500 is a four cylinder with a larger displacement and wider tires (120 in the front and 180 in the back, close to the standard of imported sports cars above 600cc), but the curb weight is only 168kg. This car is indeed designed to be extremely lightweight in the direction of racing cars. Its shock absorption tuning, although the reserved adjustment position is not very convenient for manual operation, its performance reserve can fully support professional competitions. Among vehicles in the same class, its power performance belongs to the upstream level. ?

More importantly, the feedback after the game. During a day of high-intensity track testing, Ma Junbo and Yang Zi'an encountered all the typical problems reported by the first batch of car owners, such as loose screws and decreased braking force caused by brake air intake. For every issue they provide feedback on, the Zhang Xueji car team does not simply say "I know" and end it, but keeps following up, constantly asking how the problem has been resolved and at what stage, with tracking and feedback throughout the entire process.

After discovering the problem, Zhang Xue's team will arrange technical personnel from the factory to analyze the problem and explore solutions through video communication. Based on their track experience, users work together from an engineering perspective to study how to solve the problem. Afterwards, when car owners reported problems with the pump, Zhang Xue directly initiated a nationwide recall.

This attitude towards problem-solving is indeed very 'conscientious' among domestic manufacturers, "said Ma Junbo.

If Ma Junbo represents the perspective of "advanced users", then Sha Juntong is a more in-depth "professional testing partner" in the research and development field.

Five years ago, Zhang Xue invited Sha Juntong to participate in WSBK, but he was unable to do so due to Sha Juntong's racing contract at the time.

Five years later, Sha Juntong, whose contract had expired, proactively contacted Zhang Xue. Zhang Xue invited him to the factory, introduced his car, and asked if it was possible for him to help with testing.

Sha Jun agreed at the same time that starting from the end of 2025, he will become one of the first domestic track test drivers for the Zhang Xue 820 model, and has tested it three times so far. Since Zhang Xuejia won the championship twice at WSBK in March 2026, Sha Juntong is currently preparing for her fourth test.

As early as January 10, 2026, Sha Juntong publicly said on his Tiktok personal social platform, which has more than 300000 fans, "I believe that this car will be on the WSBK award platform in the near future."

Sha Juntong, who came to this conclusion, had his own professional judgment: "My first reaction after riding this car was that its power was stronger than all the imported cars of the same level that I have ridden. The most important thing about a motorcycle is the engine. There are not many technical barriers to the frame, and you can make it through reference and learning. However, the engine tests the most important manufacturing precision." Zhang Xuejiche has achieved this.

During the testing process, Sha Juntong's feelings will be promptly reported to Zhang Xue's engineering team. Once Sha Juntong reports any relevant issues that need improvement, the engineer will immediately provide feedback to the factory, and even communicate face-to-face with Zhang Xue to approach as quickly as possible.

Sha Juntong also frequently communicates with Zhang Xue and receives timely feedback from her every time. In the eyes of Sha Juntong, Zhang Xue is the kind of motorcycle expert that racing drivers like. Because Zhang Xue rides his own bike and also repairs cars, he understands the principles, structures, and structures of everything on a motorcycle, making it easy to chat and efficient to communicate.

An efficient "test feedback optimization" loop is formed: frontline drivers discover problems on the track ? the engineering team responds quickly ? Zhang Xue personally checks ? improvement plans are quickly implemented ? entering the next round of testing.

This "race testing" model is rare in the domestic motorcycle industry. It requires enterprise leaders to have extremely high professional competence and decision-making authority, and requires engineering teams to have strong execution and enthusiasm. These two rare characteristics in the Chinese motorcycle industry are all gathered in Zhang Xueji's motorcycle team.

Supply Chain Dance and Industry Positioning

The refinement of Zhang Xue's motorcycle is not a battle fought by Zhang Xue alone. Behind him stands an efficient and collaborative supply chain, along with a group of young people who also love motorcycles.

The vast majority of employees in Zhang Xue's factory are young people, such as the engineers who often work with me, who are very passionate and motivated, "said Sha Juntong.

After coming into contact with the engineering team of Zhang Xueji's car, he discovered an interesting phenomenon: these engineers are very young, mostly born in the 1990s or 2000s, and have only graduated a few years ago, but their reaction rate and work efficiency are very fast.

Older engineers may go home after work hours to have meals with their wives and children, but these young people in Zhang Xueji's team are willing to work overtime, "said Sha Juntong. One of the engineers he works with often stays up late doing tests. If any problems are found with the motorcycle, he can solve them immediately with high efficiency. A car developed by others may only take one-third of their time to achieve a higher level than others.

During the 2026 Spring Festival, when most of the company's employees were competing for tickets to go home for the holiday, Zhang Xue made a novel proposal: take the employees on a motorcycle tour. As long as you register, you can ride Zhang Xue's motorcycle at public expense and go on a long-distance motorcycle trip with her. This is not pure play. During the journey, engineers can experience the performance of the vehicle in real time, discuss and solve problems on the spot.

A group of young people rode their own motorcycles from Chongqing, heading south to Sanya and then to Guangdong. The journey of thousands of kilometers is both a team building and a mobile testing ground.

The engineer of Zhang Xue's motorcycle mentioned above sighed to the reporter, "Working here, the biggest feeling is being trusted. Zhang Xue won't stare at you drawing every day, but he will periodically call you over and ask for your opinion on a technical issue. If you can speak the truth, he will let you try. This kind of trust is difficult to find in traditional units

At the supply chain level, the localization rate of the core components of Zhang Xueji's car exceeds 90%. The engine is self-developed and self-produced, the tires are customized by Xiamen Zhengxin, and although the shock absorbers, brakes, and other components are purchased from external suppliers, Zhang Xue will be deeply involved in tuning and calibration.

However, the technical director of the current professional racing team mentioned above pointed out that the competition rules of WSBK allow for significant racing modifications to mass-produced cars. The car that won the championship at the WSBK race, although based on the 820RR engine and frame infrastructure, has replaced its internal pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft, valve springs, etc. with race grade reinforcement components. The electronic control system uses professional race grade ECUs such as MOTEC (the world's top supplier of racing grade ECUs, data acquisition and electronic control systems) or Magneti Marelli (the world's top automotive/motorcycle electronics and race electronics giant), and the suspension and brakes are directly replaced with top race grade brands such as ? hlins and Brembo. Most of these racing parts come from international suppliers, which is not exactly the same as the concept of mass-produced cars with a localization rate of over 90%. But looking at it the other way around, being able to defeat opponents on the track precisely proves that the infrastructure of the 820RR, such as frame rigidity, geometric settings, engine cylinder layout, etc., has extremely high competitive potential.

He said, "You can understand it this way, it's like a modified car winning a championship, which shows that its foundation is very good

Zhou Zhao also stated that Zhang Xue encountered the problem of domestic suppliers' processing accuracy not meeting the requirements during the development of the engine. He will make suppliers make up for what they lack in order to achieve his goals, and if they lack technology, he will help them solve it, "Zhou Zhao said.

This "dancing with the supply chain" model allows Zhang Xueche to create high-performance products in a short period of time with relatively controllable costs.

Zhou Zhao believes that Zhang Xue is familiar with the entire supply chain system in Chongqing, which enables him to create his own products with higher cost-effectiveness in procurement.

The industrial agglomeration effect of Chongqing, as the "motorcycle capital" of China, has indeed provided natural soil for Zhang Xue. More than 90% of the supply chain is located in Chongqing and surrounding areas, with low logistics costs and high collaboration efficiency. Transforming a universal supply chain into unique performance advantages tests a company's integration capabilities.

How to objectively position the true position of Zhang Xueji's car in the entire domestic and even global industrial landscape?

Ryan Chen, an independent technical consultant who has been dismantling and researching Japanese and American international luxury motorcycles for a long time, told reporters that Zhang Xueji's 820RR has indeed achieved a breakthrough in the integration capability of the entire vehicle architecture. Its frame geometry, center of gravity distribution, suspension geometry, and engine power characteristics have reached the level of international second tier performance car manufacturers, approaching the upper middle level of Japan's four major manufacturers. But we must also face up to its existing shortcomings: firstly, the electronic control system, which currently relies on standard solutions from suppliers such as Bosch, and has not developed its own track traction control algorithm that is deeply integrated with IMU (six axis inertial measurement unit, which can capture real-time dynamic posture such as body inclination, pitch, and sideslip, and is the core hardware for precision control and track level traction control of high-end motorcycles) like Ducati and BMW; Secondly, there is consistency in quality control. Based on feedback from the first batch of car owners, the assembly tolerances of some batches are still unstable; The third is brand premium and global after-sales network, which is a long-term accumulation process. But its core logic is valid: achieving performance close to top tier brands at lower costs through excellent system integration. This is actually the path taken by Japanese car companies to challenge European car companies back then. Now, Chinese car companies are repeating this story.

In response to Zhang Xue's technological breakthrough and industrial background, a person in charge of strategic research at Zhejiang Chunfeng Power Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Chunfeng Power") told reporters that Zhang Xue's achievements on the track deserve respect from all independent brands. He proved that Chinese engineers have the ability to design world-class performance motorcycle architectures. Of course, there is still a long way to go from a champion racing car to a sustainable, global motorcycle brand, such as a global sales and service network, the accumulation of brand culture, and the reliability verification of multiple product lines. But in this step, he took the lead for the entire industry. Chunfeng Power ranks among the top in the export of large displacement models above 240cc in Europe, and is well aware of the difficulty of going global. Zhang Xue's success is a reflection of the overall level improvement of China's motorcycle industry chain.

From a more macro perspective, another core question mentioned by the interviewee is: Can China be called a strong motorcycle manufacturing country at present?

Ryan Chen believes that in terms of corporate market value, China has not yet produced global giants such as Honda and Yamaha; From the perspective of global market layout, the channels and brand awareness of domestic brands in mainstream markets in Europe and America are still in their infancy; From the perspective of core technology localization, the electronic control fields such as engine fuel injection systems and high-end ABS/TCS are still dominated by international suppliers such as Bosch and mainland China. But compared to the lessons learned from the failure of domestic motorcycles in the Southeast Asian market with low prices and low quality in the early years, the new generation of independent brands represented by Zhang Xueji and Chunfeng Power are redefining Chinese manufacturing with high performance and cost-effectiveness.

From one person, to a group of people, and then to a chain, the refinement of Zhang Xueji's car, from "cost competition", "technology competition", "integration competition", ultimately forms a "dance" about love. The person who wrote his name on the walls of the rudimentary factory building back then, now with a group of young people, has made this name appear on the podium of the world champion.

As of the time of writing, relevant personnel from Zhang's snowmobile team are on their way to ride motorcycles. For this team, the office is never the end. Highways and racetracks are the places where this team wants to go.