Zhang Xue's Struggle Documentary
Zhang Xue was born in 1987.Hunan ProvinceHuaihua CityMayang CountyA poor mountain village. After his parents divorced, he lived with his sister, grandparents, and other relatives in a simple mud-brick house, barely making ends meet.
Despite his impoverished family background, the boy's imagination for the future remained undiminished. From a young age, Zhang Xue had an extraordinary love for motorcycles. In that era of scarcity, the roar of a motorcycle was enough to make his heart race.
Table of contents
A Mountain Village Boy: The Starting Point of His Dreams
In 2003, 14-year-old Zhang Xue made a life-changing decision—a few months before graduating from junior high school, he asked his father to buy him several books on motorcycle repair and then dropped out of school. This decision seemed almost insane at the time: what could a 14-year-old do if he didn't study?
But Zhang Xue knew what he was doing. He went to work as an apprentice in a motorcycle repair shop, beginning his days surrounded by engine oil and parts. The work at the repair shop was dirty and tiring, but Zhang Xue never complained. He was like a sponge, desperately absorbing all the knowledge he could learn.
A year and a half later, 16-year-old Zhang Xue (Note: According to the interview, he opened his shop at 16) had saved enough money to open his own auto repair shop. At the same time, he used the 1,000 yuan he had saved through frugality to buy a second-hand off-road motorcycle that was older than him. This dilapidated second-hand motorcycle became the first embodiment of his dream.
Chasing dreams in the rain, persisting for 100 kilometers
2006 was a major turning point in Zhang Xue's life.
That year, at the age of 19, he heard that the Hunan TV Evening News program crew was filming in Xiangxi. Zhang Xue realized that this might be his chance to be "seen" by a professional racing team. He called the program crew for several days in a row, "making up a lot of sweet talk" to tell how good he was and asking the program crew to give him a chance to showcase himself.
Touched by his persistence, the production team agreed to find a barren field on the outskirts of Huaihua City for Zhang Xue to perform on his dilapidated motorcycle. However, during the actual filming, Zhang Xue's performance was less than satisfactory—he "crashed."
But Zhang Xue didn't give up. The next day, the production crew was going to Mayang to film other subjects, and Zhang Xue did something that surprised everyone:He rode his secondhand motorcycle, braving the rain, following behind the production crew's vehicle for over a hundred kilometers. (Note: Reporter Yi Jun recalled that Zhang Xue was following the car on a mountain road in the rain, not on a highway, and the distance was about 100 kilometers.)
It was raining that day, and Zhang Xue's face was red from the cold, and she was soaked to the bone. Reporter Yi Jun recalled that he felt both worried and sympathetic at the time. Zhang Xue fell down again and again, but got up again and again, covered in mud and water, but she never stopped.
Ultimately, his persistence moved the production team, earning him a second chance for reshoots. On camera, this 19-year-old uttered the words that would later become widely known:
"If you have a dream, go after it, because courage makes my life more wonderful."
A reporter asked him, "Is appearing on television really that important?"
He said, "It's not important to be on TV; what's important is that a racing team can see me and let me join their team."
The reporter then asked, "What will you do if no one wants you after that?"
With tears in his eyes, he said, "Whether you succeed or fail, if you don't do something when you're young, you'll definitely regret it when you're old. If you do it when you're young, even if you fail, you won't regret it when you're old."
After that episode aired, a miracle happened—A racing team did contact him. Zhang Xue's life took a sharp turn starting from that rainy night. He joined a racing team and became a stunt driver and mechanic.
From driver to car manufacturer: Every step has been worthwhile.
After becoming a driver, Zhang Xue started participating in off-road races. He recalled that at first he was "driving recklessly without thinking, and he was particularly daring to accelerate." But he quickly mastered the skills, and despite being ranked outside the top ten in his group, he almost always managed to take the lead at the start of every race. "I'm a bit quick-witted, and I can think things through logically," Zhang Xue said.
However, Zhang Xue was not content with being a race car driver. He had a bigger dream: to build cars.
In 2009, 22-year-old Zhang Xue came to Wuyi County, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province, and started working at Zhejiang Apollo Sports Technology Co., Ltd. This company, which focuses on mid-to-high-end outdoor recreational vehicles and off-road motorcycles, allowed Zhang Xue to learn the entire process and technology of motorcycle manufacturing.
During her time in Zhejiang, Zhang Xue was interviewed by a television station, where she demonstrated a remarkable skill—assembling engine parts into a finished product while blindfolded. This video later became one of the key pieces of evidence that impressed investors. "Assembling an engine with your eyes closed—that shows someone who is truly passionate about technology," commented Cheng Junhua, General Manager of Zhejiang Venture Capital.
In 2012, Zhang Xue left the place that had nurtured him, taking with him the skills and experience he had gained in Zhejiang. His next stop was Chongqing—China's "Motorcycle Capital".
Grassroots Entrepreneurship: Starting a Business in Chongqing with 20,000 Yuan
In 2013, Zhang Xue arrived in Chongqing with 20,000 yuan in her pocket and began her journey of building cars.
Why Chongqing? Zhang Xue's answer was straightforward: "Industrial clusters." Chongqing boasts 51 large-scale motorcycle manufacturers and over 410 parts suppliers, with a local sourcing rate exceeding 80% for everything from engines and frames to electronic control systems. "Although I didn't know a single person in Chongqing at the time, I could basically buy all the parts for a motorcycle just by walking into the motorcycle parts market," Zhang Xue said.
When Zhang Xue first arrived in Chongqing, he was penniless. He initially earned money through his skills: posting on forums and selling through an online store, helping motorcycle enthusiasts modify their motorcycles. He single-handedly handled graphic design, customer service, and after-sales support. Lacking funds, he resorted to crowdfunding—having enthusiasts pay upfront, then buying parts for the modifications.
The hardships of the early stages of entrepreneurship did not dampen his enthusiasm in the slightest. He said, "My own life goals and ideals are set in the distance, perhaps far from me. I keep them there and never waver, always moving in that direction. Every step I take, even if it's somewhat winding, is definitely heading in that direction."
Hard work pays off. Within a year, his Taobao store achieved the top ranking in its category.
Kaiyue Motorcycles: The First Formal Entrepreneurial Venture
In 2017, Zhang Xue and his partners co-founded Kaiyue Motorcycle. This was his first formal attempt at manufacturing motorcycles.
Kaiyue Motorcycles launched a series of heavyweight models, including the 450RR, 500X, 800X, and 321RR, making a name for itself in the domestic motorcycle industry. Zhang Xue also led a team to compete in the Dakar Rally, allowing the Kaiyue brand to make its mark on the international racing stage.
However, problems also arise. Kaiyue Motorcycle's shareholding structure has inherent risks: Zhang Xue personally holds 371 TP3T, while investors hold 511 TP3T. The core founder lacks a clear voice, and if disagreements arise with investors, the company is highly susceptible to internal strife.
Later, disagreements gradually emerged. Zhang Xue wanted to develop a high-performance three-cylinder engine in-house, but this conflicted with the investors' positions. Ultimately, Zhang Xue chose to leave with nothing. In August 2024, Zhang Xue officially withdrew his shares, and the investors bought them back for 10.76 million yuan.
Zhang Xue left the brand he founded without complaint. He posted the news of his resignation on his WeChat Moments, writing that he was leaving because his dreams clashed with the interests of his investors.
Zhang Xue Motorcycle: Leaving with nothing, starting a second business.
By early 2024, Kaiyue Motorcycles had reached a considerable scale, but Zhang Xue and her partners had a conflict of ideas. The board of directors wanted to lock in the R&D budget and pursue stable returns; Zhang Xue, however, was determined to increase investment and overcome core technologies, especially the independent four-cylinder engine and electronic control system (ECU).
He believed that "running a business cannot only focus on the present; it must master core technologies to truly go global." With the conflict irreconcilable, Zhang Xue made a surprising decision—to leave with nothing, relinquish her substantial equity stake, and start a new business at Kaiyue.
He named his new brand "Zhang Xue Motorcycle" (Chongqing Zhang Xue Motorcycle Industry Co., Ltd.), holding 73.391% of TP3T shares, symbolizing his deep connection with motorcycles. This time, he started from scratch, facing tighter funding and greater pressure. But Zhang Xue did not back down.
This was a startup from scratch. The company, established for only one year and four months, consistently operated at a loss. At one point, Zhang Xue even had to scrape together 7 million yuan to cover employee salaries. Excessive R&D investment, severe losses, a difficult-to-manage founder, and an unclear exit strategy… such a project is considered a high-risk target by most venture capital firms.
He assembled a research and development team of over 100 people, with 80% holding bachelor's degrees or higher. In 2025, the company's R&D investment reached 69.58 million yuan, accounting for 9.331 million yuan of total output value. The annual output value was 750 million yuan, but the company suffered a loss of 22.78 million yuan.
Capital's Favor: From Angel Round to Series A
Zhang Xue's persistence and technical skills were eventually recognized by investors.
In July 2024, Gaoxin Capital became its sole angel investor. (Note: The publicly reported amount is approximately 20 million yuan, not 6 million yuan.) Cao Bin, founding partner of Gaoxin Capital, recalled that when he first met Zhang Xue, he recognized her as a typical "genius entrepreneur"—Zhang Xue's "eyes lit up" when she talked about motorcycles.
In 2025,Zhejiang Venture Capital Group Co., Ltd. (Zhejiang Venture Capital) The due diligence on Zhang Xue's locomotive was completed, and finally...The company raised 90 million yuan in Series A funding, bringing its post-investment valuation to 1.09 billion yuan. "A good investment is one that has an irreplaceable competitive advantage," said Cheng Junhua, general manager of Zhejiang Venture Capital.
He also values team culture, seeing his employees not just as bosses, but as "partners." When funds were tight, he was willing to borrow 7 million yuan to ensure his employees received their salaries on time. He personally handled after-sales issues for his customers, even leading his legal team to seek justice for wronged riders. This protective and chivalrous spirit has garnered the brand a loyal following. In April 2024, Zhang Xue founded Chongqing Zhang Xue Motorcycle Industry Co., Ltd., bearing his own name.
In September 2024, Zhang Xue Motorcycles launched its first model, the ZX-500RR, at the Chongqing Motorcycle Expo. That same year, Zhang Xue Motorcycles also appeared on stage at the Chongqing branch venue of the 2025 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, crossing the Qianmen Bridge.
In the summer of 2025, Shen Qianyang, a post-90s investment manager at Zhejiang Venture Capital Group Co., Ltd. (Zhejiang Venture Capital), finally contacted Cao Bin. Shen Qianyang, who called himself a "motorcycle enthusiast," had ten years of motorcycle riding experience and knew Zhang Xue's story inside and out. He sent Cao Bin three lengthy letters expressing his desire to invest in Zhang Xue's motorcycles and requesting Cao Bin's help in making the connection. Cao Bin was moved by his sincerity and enthusiasm and introduced him to Zhang Xue.
Zhejiang Venture Capital conducted a four-month due diligence investigation on Zhang Xue Motorcycles, without engaging a third party, but instead stationing its team directly in Chongqing. They found that Zhang Xue's team was highly complementary—it included core technical personnel brought from Kaiyue Motorcycles, as well as senior industry executives who filled management gaps. More importantly, the company's self-developed engine technology had reached an industry-leading level, solving the "bottleneck" problem of large-displacement motorcycle engines.
In January 2026, Zhejiang Venture Capital led a 90 million RMB Series A funding round for Zhang Xue Motorcycle, valuing the company at 1.09 billion RMB post-investment. Zhejiang Venture Capital did not include performance-based earn-out clauses, demanded control, or require Zhang Xue Motorcycle to relocate its headquarters to Zhejiang. General Manager Cheng Junhua stated, "A good investment is one that creates an inimitable barrier to entry."
Shocking the world: WSBK wins the championship
March 28, 2026, Algarve International Circuit, Portugal.
In the World Superbike Championship (WSBK) Portugal round, French rider Valentin Debis, riding Zhang Xue's 820RR-RS motorcycle, won the championship with a lead of nearly 4 seconds over the second-place finisher. The following day, in the second race, Zhang Xue's motorcycle won again, with a last-minute inside maneuver that "outmaneuvered" two Yamaha R9s.
This marks the first time a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer has won a title in this level of international competition, breaking the decades-long dominance of European, American, and Japanese motorcycle manufacturers in the WSBK middleweight category.
Zhang Xue cried. On the night of the race, he and nearly a thousand fellow cyclists gathered in an open space in Chongqing to watch the live broadcast. The atmosphere was electric as he crossed the finish line, and tears streamed down Zhang Xue's face. He said, "I've waited 20 years for this moment."
Perhaps only those who have experienced failure can understand the tears shed at that moment.
Zhang Xue later recalled that a friend texted him saying, "Finally, the clouds have parted and the moon is shining." He thought for a long time and replied seriously, "Actually, I was prepared not to see the moon."
After Going Viral: Popularity and Challenges
After winning the championship, Zhang Xue and his motorcycle brand became an overnight sensation.
Within 7 days, Zhang Xue's Douyin account gained 2.63 million followers. Motorcycle orders exceeded 10,000 units. When the new model was launched, over a million people flooded the backend, causing the official mini-program to crash. The 820RR standard version is priced at 43,800 yuan, boasts a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 2.81 seconds, a top speed of 280 km/h, and performance parameters that surpass those of comparable imported motorcycles.
Official support followed. Just two days after winning the championship, Chongqing Liangjiang New Area announced that it would provide Zhang Xue Motorcycle with nearly 200 acres of land to build a new production base.
Various types of capital are flocking in. "These past few days, all sorts of capital have been coming to us through various channels, overwhelming us and I can't keep up with them all," Zhang Xue said.
Faced with the sudden surge in traffic, Zhang Xue remained calm. He made a decision that seemed counterintuitive from a business perspective: consumers with less than one year of riding experience were prohibited from purchasing the 820RR. This decision cost the model at least 10% in sales. Zhang Xue's reasoning was simple: "I hope to save lives." The Traffic Management Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security issued a statement supporting this move, stating that the "new rider ban" was Zhang Xue's safety baseline for motorcyclists.
The Road Ahead: Goals and Perseverance
Zhang Xue has a clear plan for the future.
In 2026, Zhang Xue Motorcycles will launch seven models. The company's goals are: annual sales of 60,000 units, annual output value of approximately 1.8 billion yuan, at least 450 stores, and sales revenue of 2 billion yuan. Zhang Xue said, "We'll be profitable when we reach 2 billion yuan in sales revenue, we'll break even when we reach 1.5 billion yuan, and anything below 1.5 billion yuan will result in a loss."
Regarding our industry standing, Zhang Xue stated frankly, "We are currently the eighth largest recreational motorcycle manufacturer in China, and it should be very easy for us to become fifth next year. It is also very possible for us to rank third." He believes that if a company can succeed, "it can succeed in just a few years, but if it can't succeed, you can give it 20 years and it still won't succeed."
Zhang Xue works more than ten hours a day, devoting most of his energy to research and development. When encountering problems, he can immediately rush to the production line. What worries him is the research and development bottleneck—the company currently has more than 200 engineers, who can only advance three or four projects at the same time. "If we had 500 engineers, we could launch more models faster."
Zhang Xue is full of confidence in the future of China's motorcycle industry. He said, "Within the next five years, Chinese motorcycles will take away the market share of so-called international brands' large-displacement motorcycles of 50% and above." He believes that China's motorcycle industry chain is already very complete. "Any part on the motorcycle, even any part on MotoGP and F1 racing cars, as long as there are blueprints, can be made in China 100%, and it is absolutely no worse than that of Europe, Japan and the United States."
Echo of the Ideal
Someone asked Zhang Xue, "Does hard work always guarantee success?"
He replied, "As long as you like it and want to, and you work hard enough, you can do it. How could you not?"
Someone else asked him, "If you could go back 20 years, what would you say to your past self?"
He thought for a moment and said, "Just do what you want to do, and keep doing it, that's all."
From a 14-year-old dropout car repair apprentice to leading a Chinese motorcycle brand to the top of the world; from a 19-year-old boy chasing after an interview vehicle in the rain to the founder of a motorcycle brand now valued at 1.09 billion yuan—Zhang Xue has accomplished a breathtaking comeback in 22 years.
This is not only an individual's success, but also a microcosm of an era. As the Wuxi Daily commented: "Forty years ago, in 1985, ten Young Pioneers from Qianqiao Central Primary School in Wuxi County wrote to Ba Jin, posing the question of 'finding ideals.' Forty years later, Zhang Xue's story provides a new answer to the question of ideals."
Zhang Xue's motorcycle is still speeding along. Ahead lies a wider world, greater challenges, and a more promising future. But no matter how rugged the road, this man who came from a mountain village in western Hunan will continue to press the accelerator and move forward towards the direction in his heart.
He once said, "Whether you succeed or fail, if you don't do something when you're young, you'll definitely regret it when you're old. If you do it when you're young, even if you fail, you won't regret it when you're old."
He said those words when he was 19. More than 20 years have passed, and he has proven with his actions that this was not youthful arrogance, but the faith of an idealist.
Further reading:
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