In a paddock dominated by European and Japanese manufacturers, the past four seasons have seen the debut, development, and breakthrough triumphs of Chinese-manufactured motorcycles in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock. The Asian nation has already seen a rider atop their machinery claim a Riders’ title last season with the final campaign of World Supersport 300; and with the unveiling of the 2027 calendar, China will host their first-ever WorldSBK round.
KOVE MAKES CHINA’S DEBUT IN 2023
Founded in 2017, Kove were the first Chinese manufacturer to compete in the WorldSBK paddock in the 2023 World Supersport 300 season with their 321RR machine. Riding the bike in their first two rounds, Zhou Shengjunjie became the first Chinese rider to ever compete in the WorldSBK paddock. A Chinese manufacturer scored its first points a round later, when WorldSSP300’s first-ever Champion, Marc Garcia, took the first of his two P8s over the next two rounds. Kove would score a total of 22 points in the country’s debut season, but the best was yet to come.
MAIDEN WORLD SUPERSPORT 300 SUCCESSES IN 2024
In the WorldSSP300 category, Kove began to find their stride. Spaniard Julio Garcia landed the first podium finish for a Chinese manufacturer in Race 2 of their season’s maiden round at Barcelona. It was the first of their 8 rostrum finishes that season, capped off with a maiden win in the final race of the year at Jerez. 2024 saw a second Chinese manufacturer throw their hat in the ring; QJMOTOR made China’s debut in the World Supersport class with Raffaele De Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) atop the SRK 800 RR machine.
POINTS IN WORLD SUPERSPORT AND A MAIDEN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The 2025 WorldSSP300 campaign featured a sole rider, Benat Fernandez (Kove Racing Team 109), who came out swinging at their season opener, picking up where the manufacturer’s results left off in 2024 and won Race 2 at their first round in Portimao. He went on to top the podium two more times and finish on the rostrum a total of seven times, earning the final WorldSSP300 Riders’ Championship trophy with a dramatic last-corner move.
Expanding their WorldSSP programme in 2025 to add a second bike for Finnish rider Niki Tuuli, QJMOTOR Factory Racing took their first WorldSSP point at Most. De Rosa took the team into the points with growing frequency, and even landed their best WorldSSP result to date, a P9 in Race 1 at Estoril, earning a second-place finish in the WorldSSP challenge that season.
A NEW DAWN WITH 2026
ZXMOTO joined the paddock as the newest Chinese manufacturer as they propelled the Evan Bros racing squad – one of WorldSSP’s most successful teams. They put pen to paper with WorldSSP race winners Valentin Debise and Federico Caricasulo. They caught fire quickly with a front row in the season opener at Phillip Island before a historic double from the #53 at Portimao, showing untouchable speed across both races. There are still details to be polished, as inconsistency has hurt them in the Championship battle, but eight podiums from 20 races, six of those being wins, speak for themselves. QJMOTOR can look to the future as well: the team took its first points this season at Cremona, and, joining De Rosa, Turkish rider Bahattin Sofuoglu replaces Moto2 podium finisher Marcos Ramirez and joins the QJMOTOR Factory Racing project from WorldSBK. Kove continues competing in the paddock in the nascent World Sportbike class, where Fernandez has a season-high P9 for the team so far.
“WE HAVE SEEN CHINESE MANUFACTURERS MAKE A GROWING IMPACT ACROSS OUR PADDOCK, AND A ROUND IN SHANGHAI IS A NATURAL NEXT STEP”
On the growth of the sport and the recent successes of manufacturers from the Asian nation, WorldSBK Executive Director Gregorio Lavilla said: “Bringing WorldSBK to China for the first time is an important milestone for the Championship. We have seen Chinese manufacturers make a growing impact across our paddock, and a round in Shanghai is a natural next step in developing that relationship. It is also an opportunity to bring WorldSBK closer to Chinese fans, giving them the chance to experience the racing and meet the riders and teams. We look forward to working with our local partners to make our first visit a memorable finale to the 2027 season."
“THIS WILL PROVIDE A NEW PLATFORM FOR DOMESTIC MOTORCYCLE BRANDS TO PARTICIPATE IN INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS”
On the addition of the Chinese circuit to the 2027 calendar, Gu Jiqing, Vice President of Shanghai Jiushi (Group) Co., Ltd. said: “JES will integrate resources from its event operations, venue management and other business segments. By introducing WorldSBK, we will further explore an integrated ‘event + industry’ model, using the international event platform to connect motorcycle brands, racing resources and consumption scenarios. This will provide a new platform for domestic motorcycle brands to participate in international competition, conduct brand displays and engage in industry exchanges, and will also create a new platform for showcasing Shanghai’s urban soft power.”
Tune in Live for the final two rounds this season and stream your favourite races from past seasons OnDemand with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now just €9.99!