Rho (Italy) (AFP) - Like electric cars, Chinese motorcycle brands are storming European markets, taking advantage of high-performance models offered at competitive prices and gaining increasing popularity.

Published on: 07/11/2026 - 14:47

At the ECMA exhibition in Milan, Italy, the largest motorcycle exhibition in Europe, visitors gathered on Friday around the pavilion of CF Moto, one of the most prominent Chinese brands in the European market.

The company, which is based in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, attracted attention after it began manufacturing engines and assembling models for the Austrian company KTM, and then won the World Motorcycle Championship title in the Moto 3 category, designated for bikes with engines with a capacity of 250 cubic centimetres, in 2024 and 2026.

Fans of the BMW, Honda and Ducati brands flocked to the exhibition in Milan to see a powerful motorcycle equipped with air wings, and another designed for off-road riding driven by Spanish racer Mario Roman, who recently became an ambassador for the brand.

“It's beautiful,” said Renato Polestini, a 64-year-old Italian craftsman, as he inspected the pavilion. “It may not be made of exactly the same materials as Japanese companies use, but at this price, it's a good option.”

In 2025, China will become the second largest supplier of motorcycles to the European Union after Japan, accounting for 27.1 percent of imports with a sales value of one billion euros, according to a report published Thursday by the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM).

The growth was especially noticeable in the more powerful motorcycle category, which has traditionally been dominated by European and Japanese companies.

Within six years, China has transformed from a limited supplier to a major player in the European market, as it now accounts for about a third of motorcycle imports with engines of more than 250 cubic centimetres, compared to only seven percent in 2019.

After the European press treated these bikes with skepticism at first, today they are now turning to them alongside other models in their comparative reviews.

The British magazine "Motorcycle News" considered that the year 2026 is "the year in which we witness a transformation."

Alicia, a 27-year-old policewoman from the city of Turin who preferred not to reveal her last name, came to see the latest Triumph models that she was thinking of purchasing, but she stopped at the ZX Moto booth.

"I was very impressed with the design," she told AFP, noting that new brands on the market can "arouse curiosity."

"revolution"

In France, Bertrand Mass, head of the motorcycle and two-wheeled vehicles department at the French association "Mobilien" specialized in the automobile sector, considered that the market is witnessing "a real revolution coming from the East," according to what was stated in a statement.

In October, CF Moto ranked fifth among motorcycle brands in the French market, surpassing established companies such as Triumph, Suzuki, KTM and Yamaha.

According to the Mobilian Association, the Zontis brand has doubled its sales in one year, while the QG Motor and Vogue brands are witnessing rapid growth.

"The very competitive prices, coupled with the clear improvement in quality and specifications, are popular with consumers whose purchasing power is under pressure," Maas said.

At the CF Moto pavilion, officials from one of the major Italian brands stopped by on Wednesday to take a look at a high-speed sports bike.

One of them said, requesting anonymity, “We have to see the price, but it may harm us in the long run.”

© 2026 AFP

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