(Yicai) June 22 -- High in the Himalayas, at more than 5,000 meters above sea level, Alun Davies -- founder of UK motorcyling magazine Adventure Bike Rider -- was short of breath but visibly exhilarated as he pulled out his phone and started filming.

The 67-year-old Brit had just completed nearly 10 days crossing China’s Xizang Autonomous Region on a Chinese motorcycle, and he wanted his followers to see the vast mountain landscape. His conclusion on Chinese bike brands was that they are now good enough, are priced reasonably compared with their European rivals, and have only one real battle left to win: the brand.

Davies was one of the eight bikers invited by CFMOTO, the first Chinese motorcycle manufacturer to win the Moto3 constructors’ title, to take part in a 6-day road trip across Xizang on Chinese-made bikes.

Chinese bikes are good enough, and they have reasonable price compared with their European and Japanese rivals, which is a "very powerful package right now," Davies told Yicai during an interview on June 2, after his Xizang adventure. “CFMOTO has got the product,” he said. “Now is the time for some serious marketing to get these machines out there.”

Hangzhou-based CFMOTO organized the 1,500-kilometer journey across Xizang, from its capital Lhasa through Shannan, Lake Yamdrok, and Xigaze to the Himalayas and the foot of Mount Everest. The seven other bikers were content creators from China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Spain, and Brazil. They rode on CFMOTO 1000MT-X bikes.

“Right now I have a feeling of déjà vu," Davies said, as this moment in time reminds him of the 1970s. Back then, Japanese brands Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha were entering the UK market, which was dominated by local manufacturers Triumph and Norton. Initially, the Japanese bikes were considered to be not good enough, but they proved themselves worthy in a few years and reshaped the industry.

“There must be a lot of very nervous Japanese and European manufacturers out there right now,” Davies said.

The CFMOTO 1000MT-X

CFMOTO brought its 1000MT-X flagship adventure model to the German market earlier this year. Built around a 946cc parallel-twin engine derived from KTM, with which CFMOTO has a long-standing manufacturing and platform partnership, the 1000MT-X carries name-brand components, such as Brembo brakes, Bosch electronics, and KYB suspension.

The motorcycle is priced around USD11,000 in Germany and in the United Kingdom, far below the listed prices of competitors such as the BMW R 1300 GS, Triumph Tiger 1200, KTM 1290 Super Adventure, and Honda CRF1100 Africa Twin.

A couple of issues need fixing in the second iteration of the CFMOTO 1000MT-X, Davies said, though he declined to give a final full assessment as they rode for the whole time at an altitude of over 3,500 meters, with thin air cutting engine power by about 30 percent.

First, the dashboard crammed in too much data, he noted. "It seems to me as if the screen was designed by a computer graphics guy rather than a motorcycle engineer." Second, two handlebar controls were so close that in heavy winter weather, with gloves, he kept hitting the wrong button. "Knocking off the traction control could be dangerous."

CFMOT said all riders on the trip, not just Davis, provided feedback on their experiences and minor issues encountered in highland terrain, and the company expects these practical issues to be resolved soon.

Davies said that heavy motorcycles in Europe are rarely bought for transportation purposes. They are leisure purchases, chosen emotionally, he said, so Chinese brands must learn to sell an experience rather than a spec sheet. The harder challenge, he pointed out, is breaking the loyalty that keeps riders returning to the badge they have always bought.

That loyalty can only be broken by getting people to try Chinese motorcycles, Davies said. The Xizang tour was itself a test in that direction: experiential marketing aimed at opinion leaders rather than mass advertising. But Davies said the model works only if the creators can turn the experience into authentic content, and he urged brands to put more mainstream, unexpected names on the bikes.

A More Open China

Davies was not only impressed by the motorcycle but also by the Chinese experience. He entered China without a visa, as the country has had a unilateral visa-free entry policy for holders of standard UK passports since Feb. 17. "It's harder to get into the UK than China now," he noted.

Moreover, he was surprised by Xizang's infrastructure. "The airport in Lhasa is wonderful," he noted. "It's new, it's clean, it's efficient, it works!” He claimed that it is even bigger than the one in Birmingham, the UK's second city.

"European roads are really bad, while Chinese roads are fantastic," Davies said, recalling the drive from the airport into Lhasa on a new highway with a high-speed rail link running alongside it.

With the infrastructure and entry barriers both eased, China has the conditions in place to grow as a riding destination, Davies believes. He told Yicai he would like to bring the Adventure Bike Rider Festival to China if he can find the right partner, pointing to the active domestic touring culture he saw on the trip, during which he handed ABR stickers to Chinese riders he met.

China's motorcycle industry is expanding rapidly. It bike exports jumped 21 percent to a record 13.37 million units last year, according to the China Chamber of Commerce for Motorcycle Industry. By value, exports climbed 27 percent to USD8.9 billion. Demand is tilting toward higher-displacement machines, with sales of leisure motorcycles above 250cc up nearly 26 percent.

CFMOTO is exporting to more than 100 countries. It is gaining popularity abroad thanks to its success in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing's Moto3, Moto2, and MotoE classes. In 2024, CFMOTO teamed up with Spain's Aspar Team to form the CFMOTO Aspar Racing Team, which won all three categories of the 2024 FIM Moto3 World Championship.

Still, Davies cautioned that the Grand Prix audience and adventure bike buyer are two very different groups.

CFMOTO's listed parent company had a 14 percent increase in net profit to CNY1.7 billion (USD247.7 million) last year on a 31 percent rise in revenue to CNY19.8 billion (USD2.9 billion). Overseas business accounted for 70 percent of revenue, as the value of its exports jumped 22 percent.

Editor: Futura Costaglione