Rho (Italy) (AFP) – As with electric cars, Chinese motorcycle brands are increasingly aggressive in European markets, with high-performance and competitively priced models starting to make a name for themselves.

Published on: 07/11/2026 - 12:32

At Eicma in Milan, the largest European motorcycle show, visitors crowded the stand of CFMoto, one of the main Chinese brands sold in Europe, on Friday.

The Hangzhou (eastern) firm gained notoriety by producing engines and assembling models for the Austrian KTM, then winning two Moto 3 (250 cc) championships in 2024 and 2026.

Fans of BMW, Honda and an army of "Ducatisti" came to Milan to admire a powerful model equipped with fins as well as the off-road machine of the brand's new ambassador, the Spanish driver Mario Román.

"They are beautiful. They may not have exactly the same parts as the Japanese (manufacturers) but with this price, it does it," commented Renato Polistene, a 64-year-old Italian craftsman, on the stand.

He who rides a KTM says he could consider buying Chinese, particularly because the prices of other brands "have increased a lot", and they impose "too many options" on the base price. “The big question remains reliability,” stressed the biker.

Large displacements

China has become the second largest supplier of motorcycles to the EU, behind Japan, with 27.1% of imports worth one billion euros in 2025, according to a report published Thursday by the Association of European Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM).

The progression is spectacular in large displacements, where China has gone from marginal supplier to key player in the European market.

It now accounts for almost a third of imports of motorcycles over 250 cc, compared to only 7% in 2019, with models generally sold 10 to 25% cheaper than their comparable Japanese or European competitors.

The European press, which looked at these motorcycles with curiosity, now tests them like the others in its comparisons. For the British magazine Motorcycle News, 2026 is “the year of change”.

Especially since large cars imported from China are only taxed at 6% upon entry into Europe, compared to 45% for their export to China.

Via ACEM, the European two-wheeler industry is demanding not customs barriers as for cars but "fair and reciprocal access to markets" to defend its sales, as well as its nearly 210,000 jobs.

On the Cyclone stand, in this show which is also a major motorcycle fair, a group sang at the top of their lungs "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" while hostesses threw t-shirts in the colors of the Chongqing brand (south) to teenagers.

Another Chinese giant, Qianjiang Motorcycle (QJ Motor), has partially Italianized itself by purchasing one of the national prides, Benelli, in 2005.

Young companies are joining these already well-established groups, such as ZXMoto, founded by Zhang Xue, a former mechanic and driver banking in particular on the Dakar rally to make himself known internationally.

Alessia, 27, a police officer from Turin (north) who did not wish to give her last name, had come to admire her next Triumph model but stopped at the ZXMoto stand.

“I was very impressed by the aesthetics and comfort,” she says. "The brand matters, but it also depends on the people. A new brand can also arouse curiosity."

A “revolution”

In France, it is "a real revolution coming from the East", analyzes Bertrand Macé, president of the 2-Wheel commission of the Mobilians employers' union, in a press release.

In October, CFMoto established itself as the fifth brand on the French market, overtaking historic players such as Triumph, Suzuki, KTM and Yamaha. Zontes, QJ Motor and Voge also recorded strong growth.

“The aggressive pricing, coupled with an undeniable move upmarket, hits the mark with a clientele with purchasing power under pressure,” underlines Bertrand Macé.

“They have been training engineers for twenty years,” emphasizes the French importer of Voge, Stéphane Hruszowski. “They work, they listen to us, they learn.”

For this former importer of Italian motorcycles, "today's young people were born into the Japanese generation. But that is changing: there will be a generation from China."

On the CFMoto stand, officials from a major Italian brand came to examine the manufacturer's new hyper sports car on Wednesday. “We will have to see its price, but in the long term, it could hurt us,” admitted one of them, on condition of anonymity.

© 2026 AFP

The content you are trying to access does not exist or is no longer available.