The FIM Motocross World Championship is set to welcome two new manufacturers to the MXGP paddock in 2027, with Chinese brands KOVE and ZXMOTO both confirming plans to launch factory programmes in the premier class. The announcements represent a significant development for the championship and for the rapidly expanding Chinese motorcycle industry, with both manufacturers planning to field two-bike efforts when they make their full-season debuts next year. The news was particularly timely given last weekend’s Oriental Beauty Valley MXGP of China in Shanghai, where another piece of motocross history was made. JHL Factory Racing appeared as a wildcard at its home Grand Prix, becoming the first Chinese motorcycle manufacturer to line up on an MXGP starting gate. While JHL’s participation was a one-off rather than the beginning of a full World Championship campaign, its appearance provided an early glimpse of China’s growing ambitions at the highest level of international motocross.
KOVE looks set to be one of the most interesting additions to the 2027 paddock. The manufacturer confirmed at the end of August that KOVE Factory Racing will contest the MXGP category with two motorcycles next season. Tom Steensels, previously involved with the TBS Conversions KTM operation, has been appointed team manager and is currently overseeing development and testing as well as putting the structure required for a full factory World Championship programme in place. Rider announcements and final technical specifications for KOVE’s MXGP machinery will follow, but the company has already made it clear that this isn’t intended to be a short-term experiment. KOVE describes the project as the beginning of a long-term factory racing programme with the objective of establishing the manufacturer at the highest level of motocross. Taking on the established Japanese and European manufacturers in MXGP represents a sizeable challenge, but KOVE already has valuable experience of using competition to develop both its motorcycles and international reputation.
Founded in 2017 and based in Chongqing, KOVE has grown rapidly and concentrates primarily on mid and larger-capacity leisure and performance motorcycles. Internationally, many riders will already recognise the name from the Dakar Rally, where its 450 Rally machinery has helped introduce the Chinese manufacturer to a much wider audience. The company also has research and development operations in Chongqing and Chengdu and has become an increasingly significant player in the Chinese motorcycle market. KOVE won’t be arriving alone. ZXMOTO is also working towards a full MXGP campaign in 2027 and intends to compete with a 450cc motorcycle being developed between China and Europe. The ambition is again to run two riders, with Racing Director Jesús Rincón confirming that the new machine is already up and running while work continues on completing the team structure ahead of its World Championship debut.
Interestingly, ZXMOTO had considered making an initial appearance at the Chinese Grand Prix this year before deciding to concentrate its resources on preparing properly for the 2027 season. Rather than rushing a motorcycle onto the grid for the sake of making an early debut, the company has chosen to give itself additional development time before taking on an entire MXGP campaign. ZXMOTO already has international racing experience to draw upon, including competition success in the FIM Supersport World Championship. Last weekend in Shanghai it was therefore left to JHL Factory Racing to make the first move for a Chinese manufacturer in MXGP. German rider Brian Hsu lined up aboard the JHL LX350R for the historic wildcard appearance. The 28-year-old was an interesting choice for the project, having been born in Germany, raised in Taiwan and now based in Cremona, Italy. He is also fluent in Mandarin, making him a natural link between the Chinese manufacturer and the predominantly European MXGP paddock.
Rather than being centred entirely on results, JHL’s Shanghai outing was an opportunity to benchmark its machinery against established factory teams under genuine World Championship conditions. That meant competing on the same purpose-built circuit, in front of a home audience and against motorcycles representing manufacturers with decades of Grand Prix development behind them. Whatever comes next for JHL, its appearance will now hold the distinction of being the first time a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer competed at an MXGP event. There are obvious parallels with some of the newer manufacturers to have entered Grand Prix motocross in recent years. Triumph has used MXGP as an important part of establishing its modern off-road range, while Ducati has also turned to top-level motocross competition as it develops a completely new chapter in its motorcycle business. For emerging Chinese manufacturers with increasingly ambitious international plans, racing provides both an unforgiving development environment and an opportunity to establish credibility with riders around the world.
Infront Moto Racing President and CEO David Luongo believes the developments also demonstrate the value of bringing MXGP into markets such as China. “Going to Asia has always been part of our strategy. We came to China to be ahead of this market, not to follow it, and today we are seeing the result: two Chinese manufacturers preparing full factory programmes for 2027, and a third making its debut at our Grand Prix in Shanghai. That is exactly what a world championship should be doing.”
With KOVE and ZXMOTO now preparing full factory efforts for 2027 and JHL having already broken new ground in Shanghai, Chinese involvement in Grand Prix motocross is about to become considerably more significant. The real test will come when the gates drop next season and the newcomers find themselves racing week after week against the established might of the MXGP paddock. If their progress elsewhere in the motorcycle industry is any indication, they certainly won’t be coming simply to make up the numbers.
