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The founder being passionate explains it then. I don't really draw much inference from racing on the production bikes with no production rule though. The big four had some real turds for production machines, while their works bikes were stellar.
Sure but if they compete for top 10 with the factory bike you might not think that much about what power the production bike makes, at that proves they know how to make competitive engines. When they race the Dakar (in the RallyGP prototype category and especially in the Rally2 production -based category), if the bikes last this would show they know a thing or two about reliability.
And that is a big challenge to overcome, but that's not "the" challenge. Building something that is cost effective, performs well, is easy to assemble and service, reliable, and is something the market wants is the challenge. Racing only proves reliability and performance. Which corners do they cut to get to market?
The labor cost is less to begin with so everything being equal they are ahead. And could sell cheaper right there. Most of the cost in a bike is not material cost. Tooling, R&D, engineering, so much is labor. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but according to google the average salary for an engineer designing engines in China is roughly half what it is in Japan. Similar for motorcycle factory workers.
I see the racing as a help in marketing, maybe not with everybody, but likely w they see it as helping with their target audience. . It shows that they can make a racebike and that will help make it a bike that people are more open to buying. And that's a start to making somebody want one. Lets say you have a choice between the ZX and a Kove, which one are you taking and why? And if your not taking either, its clear you are not who they are targeting with their marketing.
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Not all works bikes were stellar...
Thought of you when I read this.
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/china-spaceplane-orbit-photo-us-intelligence
I always thought those YZM watercoolers were awesome, were they not?
😂😂😂
Good, but not HRC good.
How long did it take for KTM to go from being "the odd man out" to "dominating" all the local tracks? They got the right people, and made the changes required while everyone else was just doing "BNG". 5-10 years goes by very fast people.
Awesome tech, but it needed more development to compete with Honda and Kawasaki.
I raced the Farleigh Castle VMXDN a few years back and Neil Hudson (1981 250 world champ) was in my race riding a YZM500 loaned to him by a collector. It sounded sooo good. I made sure I parked next to him in the holding box like a fanboy just so I could check out the bike 😄
They should have kept Carlqvist .
Back on subject, I viewed all 3 bikes at EICMA today and - based purely on the bikes shown on their stand - I'd say ZX moto and Kove are in the quality and capability ballpark. JHL not quite, yet, but I'd bet on them getting there soon in terms of performance and durability.
Obviously, I havent ridden them, but all 3 look clubman worthy.
Only ZX have a proper GP set up currently in place. If they listen and learn they will make fast progress. Podiums in 2027? No. Be realistic - look how hard that has been for Ducati and Beta and (450)Triumph.
An interesting sub plot nevertheless.
Kove's project might be dead in the water for now, but I just read there's another Chinese manufacturer that is looking like they might join MXGP as soon as next year.
HOTO. They have MX prototypes in the works. They raced Dakar the last two years.
Tom Steensels is involved. Brent Van Doninck and Jens Walvoort were set to join Kove, but now look to be joining HOTO Factory Racing.
If i was in the market, i would buy anything over a Triumph. Bad news travels fast.
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