Kove wasn’t on many radars a few years ago, but when it burst onto the scene, it made it clear as day that China wasn’t just interested in building cheap motorcycles anymore. Founded by Zhang Xue, Kove took the fast lane to relevance by going all-in on motorsport. The company shocked many when it entered bikes into the 2023 Dakar Rally and World Supersport Championship.
For a Chinese brand, that was unprecedented. And even more surprising was that the bikes weren’t just finishing races; they were actually competitive.
Kove's rise gave the industry a glimpse of what a homegrown Chinese performance brand could look like. But then, just as the brand started gaining momentum, Zhang Xue quietly left the company he built. No dramatic press releases or official explanations, just a founder stepping away to start again from scratch. The move raised eyebrows, especially among those watching the Chinese motorcycle industry closely.
Now, we’re starting to see what that next chapter looks like. It’s called ZXJC, short for Zhang Xue Jia Cheng, though the company is also going by the name ZXMoto. And its first real headline-grabber is the upcoming 820RR.
First reported by the folks at Cycle World, ZXJC’s 820RR prototype was recently showcased, with production scheduled for the last quarter of 2025. It’s a fully faired sportbike with an 819cc inline-triple that makes a claimed 150 horsepower at 13,000 rpm and 62.7 pound-feet of torque at 10,500 rpm. The engine redlines at a screaming 15,250 rpm and is backed by a six-axis IMU, cornering traction control, and Bosch cornering ABS. Top speed? A claimed 299 kilometers per hour (186 mph), putting it right at the unofficial ceiling that big Japanese and European brands have respected since the early 2000s.
Visually, the 820RR is a close cousin of the ZXJC 500RR, a middleweight sportbike with a four-cylinder engine. That bike also made waves for its high-revving nature—83 horsepower at 13,500 rpm—and a top speed of 235 kilometers per hour (146 mph). Both models are built on aluminum frames and carry curb weights under 170 kg (about 375 pounds), showing a clear focus on agility and performance.
So is ZXJC just a continuation of Kove in another name? It doesn’t look like a carbon copy, but there are definite echoes of Zhang’s earlier work. The design DNA is familiar, and the engineering focus on rev-happy, lightweight platforms remains. The triple engine in the 820RR isn’t a clone, but interestingly, it shares some unusual characteristics with the MV Agusta F3, including a cam chain on the left side. That might be a coincidence, or it might hint at where ZXJC is drawing inspiration.
As for Kove, it’s still around—for now. The brand still fields race bikes and appears to be continuing on its own path, though its future without Zhang remains a question mark. If ZXJC keeps this momentum, we could see a shift in how performance motorcycles from China are viewed globally.
Why should any of this matter to the average rider? Because it means the gap between Chinese and Western bikes is shrinking fast. It also means more choices and possibly more accessible performance bikes down the road. If ZXJC can stick to its development timeline and deliver what’s been promised, it might be the start of something very different—and very real—in the sportbike market.
Source: Cycle World
