Bold new Chinese Racing bid unveiled

The rise and rise of Haojue

China already has some 400 motorcycle manufacturers, 40 of significant size, and five or six leading players. Haojue is the largest, employing 9,000 people and offering a full range of motorcycles and scooters manufactured primarily for the Chinese domestic market and sold through a network of over 12,000 Chinese motorcycle sales outlets.

Haojue has been China’s fastest growing motorcycle factory for the past five years, with production climbing from 1-million motorcycles in 2003 to 2.7-million in 2007, with projections of 3.5 million motorcycles this year. The company has an on-going partnership with Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corporation for the production of a number of key world market models for the famous Japanese company. A new joint venture with Suzuki will see a further 2.8-million machines produced each year by 2010 – the combined total of 5.5 million units should see it reach more than 10% of global motorcycle sales in 2010 – quite some feat for a company founded in 1991. It’s still a long way from world leader Honda’s 2007 production of 13.658 million motorcycles, but it is giving away a head start of almost half a century.

The company’s production plants are ultra-modern, spacious and Haojue was awarded the international ISO9000 certification for quality by the internationally recognized German TUV standards organization in 1997.

Having consolidated its Chinese market position, the company began developing plans to extend its product range for the world market and its Maxtra press conference in Shanghai at was the first sign that at least one Chinese manufacturer is pursuing a legitimate route to world competitiveness.

There was an eerie “déjà vu” to the press conference, where the wraps were pulled off a new Maxtra 125 GP racer. Unlike Honda’s initial international racing venture, Maxtra is a well-supported and high-level challenge to the European factories (Aprilia and KTM) currently in control of the smallest class of motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Though it may have far tougher competition to tackle, it has the financial support of one of the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturers.

Hajoue is already massive and has enrolled some very big names and unquestionable expertise to deliver a prototype ready for an intensive test programme before making a full GP debut in 2009 – half a century after Honda made its international debut, and we suspect, equally as significantly.

The official unveiling saw motor racing legend John Surtees take to the stage, along with engine and chassis designers Jan Witteveen and Steve Harris, new Haojue Racing Team managing director Simon Wei and team consultant Garry Taylor.

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