What of Zhang Xue It has long ceased to seem like a simple business adventure. After leaving kove and found your own project, ZXMotothe Chinese engineer has shown that his intention is not only to manufacture motorcycles that are competitive in price. It wants to demonstrate how far a Chinese brand can go technologically.
During a recent intervention in China, Zhang Xue confirmed its plans to develop an engine of5 cylinders in V» approximately 1 liter displacement. A mechanism intended for a future high-performance sports car that, if the project meets its deadlines, would also have international competition among its objectives for 2028.
Neither inline four nor V4: Zhang Xue wants a V5 for ZXMoto
There is still no official technical data sheet or definitive power figures, so it is advisable to take a good part of the specifications that circulate through Chinese media and social networks with a grain of salt. But the existence of the V5 project does place ZXMoto facing one of the most important technical challenges in its short history.
The decision is especially striking because the segment of superbikes of approximately 1,000 cc has been dominated for years by two configurations. On the one hand, there are the four in-line cylinders used, among others, by bmw in the S 1000 RR either Kawasaki in the Ninja ZX-10R. On the other hand, the V4 engines, an architecture that Ducati has become one of the hallmarks of its Panigale V4.
ZXMoto wants to take another path: «5 cylinders in V». It is not a new solution in the world of motorcycles, although it would practically be the case among modern registered motorcycles. The great precedent is the Honda RC211Vthe MotoGP with which the Japanese brand inaugurated the four-stroke era in the premier class in 2002. Sling It used a spectacular 990 cc, 75.5-degree V5 engine that developed around 250 hp in its latest evolutions.
That machine achieved 14 victories in the 16 races of its first season and its V5 architecture was maintained until MotoGP reduced the maximum displacement to 800 cc in 2007. The problem is that the RC211V It was never a street bike. That is precisely where the project Zhang Xue could be especially interesting. Yeah ZXMoto If it really manages to bring this engine to a production motorcycle, we would be faced with a configuration that is practically unprecedented among registered superbikes.
Why get so complicated with five cylinders?
Building a V5 engine doesn’t make much sense if the only goal is to get a lot of power. A modern inline 4-cylinder can now greatly exceed 200 hp and the current V4s have amply demonstrated their capabilities both on the road and in competition. The interest is elsewhere. Adding a fifth cylinder allows you to play with ignition timing, torque delivery, vibrations and engine packaging in a completely different way.
Slingfor example, chose precisely 6 cylinders for the RC211V after studying different configurations looking for a balance between power, size, weight and vibrations. But all this also multiplies the difficulties. Designing the crankshaft, determining the ignition intervals, achieving uniform cooling between the 2 banks, developing the distribution or finding space for intake and exhaust are considerably more complex problems than resorting to an already known architecture.
To this we would later have to add industrial costs, long-term reliability, maintenance and the manufacture of spare parts. That is why this V5 can be so important for ZXMoto although in the end it does not become their best-selling motorcycle. Rumors speak of more than 200 hp. For now Zhang Xue has not communicated the definitive specifications of the future propellant.
Some information from China points to a displacement that could be around 1,100 cc and a power greater than 210 hp. These are plausible figures for a modern superbike, but for now they should be considered rumors and not official data. If confirmed, they would place the future ZXMoto directly in the field of the great European and Japanese sports.
MV Agusta is also playing with five cylinders
Curiously, ZXMoto It is not the only manufacturer that is exploring this path. As we told you at the time, MV Agusta surprised at EICMA 2025 by showing its new 5-cylinder engine, currently under development. The Italian brand ensures that its platform can vary between 850 and 1,150 cc, exceed 240 hp at more than 16,000 rpm and reach up to 135 Nm.
But technically the Italian proposal is different. MV Agusta talks about an architecture called “quadrate“, with 3 cylinders associated with a crankshaft and another 2 with a second crankshaft, forming a U-shaped configuration. Therefore, we are not facing exactly the same V5 concept that it intends to develop Zhang Xue. own MV Agusta has confirmed that this engine will end up reaching a production motorcycle, although it has not yet presented the final model.
ZXMoto has already shown that it can win in Europe
There is another important difference compared to just a couple of years ago: Zhang Xue You can now present sports results to support your ambitions. ZXMoto debuted this season in the Supersport World Championship with the 820RR and the structure Evan Bros Racing. And the adaptation has been surprisingly quick.
Valentin Debise achieved the company’s first 2 World Cup victories in Portimão, making ZXMoto in the first Chinese brand capable of winning a race within WorldSSP. That was not an isolated result. In mid-June, Should and the 820RR They already accumulated six victories during the 2026 season. That considerably changes the perspective of the “V5 project.”
