ZXMOTO teases the arrival of a Superbike that isn’t currently eligible to race

The Superbike World Championship paddock is speaking increasingly Chinese. Last year KOVE secured the final world title of the now-defunct Supersport 300, while in the more immediate present QJMotor and, above all, ZXMOTO are competing in Supersport. In the case of Zhang Xue’s company, they are achieving outstanding results together with the Evan Bros team, with several victories by Valentin Debise, who is set to finish in the championship Top 3. From the Land of the Great Wall, eyes are turning toward a future prospect in Superbike, albeit with some reservations from a strictly regulatory standpoint.

In Cremona, Zhang Xue was on-site together with 200 guests directly from ZXMOTO, who came to watch Debise and Caricasulo in Supersport live with their respective 820RRs. The occasion saw the Chinese brand hint—almost in response to rival CFMOTO (on track these days for a demonstration also featuring Aspar’s Moto2 and Moto3 riders)—at a World Supersport debut starting in 2028, with a five-cylinder currently in development.

It’s undoubtedly an interesting project and, considering the creativity and ingenuity of Mr. Xue and his brainchild, one to watch closely. However, as of today, a five-cylinder bike cannot race in Superbike under the current rules, which allow only 2-cylinder (from 850cc to 1200cc), 3-cylinder, and 4-cylinder machines (from 750cc to 1200cc). Regardless of production numbers and so on.

The outline of the forthcoming regulations has not, for now, opened the door to five-cylinders, while announcing that from 2030 four-cylinders may run at 1200cc. Moreover, the issue surrounding the current 1100cc four-cylinders (such as the Ducati Panigale V4 S and, above all, the Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory, which have also been allowed in the Superstock class of the FIM EWC Endurance World Championship for the past three years) remains unresolved, pushing any decision four years down the line. No opening to five-cylinders has been signaled, nor has it been publicly debated among the relevant bodies (DWO, MSMA, and FIM).

-> Seguici anche su Instagram: @Corsedimoto