BEIJING, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Fresh from making history at a premier international motorcycle championship, Zhang Xue, founder of motorcycle manufacturer ZXMOTO, is setting his sights on Taiwan, hoping to open the company's first outlet on the island long regarded as a stronghold of motorcycle culture.
"I really want to open a store in Taiwan, and I definitely will. It will happen no later than 2027," Zhang said during a recent meeting with mainland and Taiwan journalists in Chongqing, where the company is headquartered.
Zhang and his motorcycles have earned a growing following in Taiwan, where motorcycles are deeply woven into daily life and motorsports enjoy widespread popularity. The island has one of the world's highest motorcycle ownership rates, with about 62 motorcycles for every 100 residents, while island-wide touring events and circuit races regularly draw large crowds of enthusiasts.
Interest in ZXMOTO surged across Taiwan after the company's 820RR-RS race bike swept two races at the Portuguese round of the Superbike World Championship in March, a historic breakthrough by a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer in one of the world's premier production-based motorcycle racing series.
Many motorcycle enthusiasts in Taiwan celebrated the achievement on social media, calling it a milestone for China's manufacturing industry and expressing pride in seeing a Chinese brand triumph on the global stage.
Although Taiwan restricts the import of complete motorcycles manufactured on the Chinese mainland, local YouTuber and motorcycle enthusiast Mia found an unconventional workaround.
She and fellow riders spent six weeks dismantling an 820RR into hundreds of individual components, transporting the parts across the Taiwan Strait before painstakingly reassembling the motorcycle in Taiwan.
"We did it! Taiwan's very first 820RR. We can't wait to share our excitement with you all," Mia said in a video posted on social media.
While the motorcycle cannot be registered for use on public roads and remains a display piece, it has become a popular attraction among local motorcycle enthusiasts.
During a subsequent livestream with Zhang, Mia praised the motorcycle, saying, "Your technology is very advanced." Zhang smiled and replied, "It's not 'yours.' It's ours."
His remark reflected more than courtesy. ZXMOTO has benefited from long-standing industrial cooperation across the Strait.
Several of the company's motorcycles are fitted with high-performance tires jointly developed with Taiwan-based tire maker Cheng Shin Rubber IND.CO.LTD., Zhang said.
"We worked together on research, testing and optimization, and grew together," he said, adding that both sides plan to further expand cooperation in research and development.
The mainland's Taiwan affairs office also welcomed the interaction. Spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said that, as "one family," people on both sides of the Strait share pride in technological achievements such as those made by ZXMOTO, and that the mainland is willing to share development opportunities with Taiwan compatriots.
An editorial in Taiwan's Want Daily said the motorcycle industries on both sides of the Strait possess complementary strengths and stand to benefit from closer cooperation in core technologies, supply chains and overseas market expansion.
Looking ahead, Zhang said he hopes to visit Taiwan for industry exchanges when conditions allow. His first stop, he said, would be Cheng Shin's headquarters, while he also hopes to exchange ideas with Taiwan's motorcycle industry counterparts.
Preparations for ZXMOTO's first Taiwan store are already underway, with the company in talks with a local distributor, Zhang said. The outlet will adopt the same quality-control and after-sales service standards as those on the mainland.
A delegation of motorcycle enthusiasts from Taiwan is expected to attend the China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in Chongqing in September.
Zhang said he plans to welcome the visitors with Chongqing's signature hotpot and hopes more young people from Taiwan will explore the mainland by motorcycle. A veteran rider himself, he added that he also hopes to one day complete a motorcycle tour around Taiwan.
"Bikers are one family," he said. ■
