French rider Valentin Debise of ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing team Photo: VCG

French rider Valentin Debise says ZXMOTO's ability to develop and modify its racing bike at remarkable speed has been a key factor behind the Chinese manufacturer's breakthrough season in the FIM Supersport World Championship (WorldSSP).

"The main difference compared to the other manufacturers I've been working with is the capability of developing and changing things very quickly," Debise told the Global Times in a telephone interview on Thursday during his first visit to China.

"For example, the first time I went on the bike, I hadn't even ridden it before, but I suggested some changes. And straight away one week after, the parts were in the shop and we changed it. It was perfect."

The rapid development has helped ZXMOTO make an immediate impact in its first WorldSSP season. Debise has won six races for ZXMOTO Factory Evan Bros Racing. 

The results have made the Chinese manufacturer one of the surprises of the 2026 championship. 

For Debise, the partnership works because both the rider and manufacturer share a willingness to keep improving.

"It's very appreciable to be able to work with a manufacturer that is able - and also wants - to develop the bike quickly," he said. "I think it's very helpful for us to win races."

He also credited his relationship with ZXMOTO founder Zhang Xue.

"It's great to share the same spirit, and I think that's why we get along so well," Debise said. "If I was not with ZXMOTO, it would be very hard for me to achieve this. It's impossible without the machine."

Debise's success has also helped fuel interest among Chinese motorsports fans.

The Frenchman said he had increasingly encountered Chinese supporters at races overseas, while Bilibili, the Chinese video-sharing platform that broadcasts WorldSSP races, has attracted a peak concurrent audience of more than 130,000 for a single race.

Debise arrived in China on Wednesday and spent Thursday in Shanghai. He is scheduled to visit Hangzhou on Friday and Chengdu on Saturday before returning to France to resume training ahead of the resumption of the season.

Debise is also open to helping develop young Chinese riders in the future, although he said his immediate priority remains competing.

"For now, I'm focused on my racing, because it's not so easy to win races," he said. "But for sure, in the future, if Zhang asks me for some help, I'll be happy to help him."

He said Chinese riders now have an increasingly favorable environment in which to pursue international careers.

"They have a big opportunity. There are many manufacturers in China that want to compete, and they want Chinese riders," Debise said. "I think being Chinese gives you a lot of opportunities in the future to be on a Chinese team and compete on the world stage."

His visit comes as ZXMOTO is expanding beyond racing. In June, more than 200 complete ZXMOTO motorcycles were shipped from Shanghai to Europe. 

Debise, meanwhile, is using his first trip to China to form his own impressions of the country. One thing that has already stood out to Debise is the cleanliness of Chinese cities.

"I'm impressed by the cleanliness of China," he said, adding that his experience had been different from some of the portrayals of China he had seen on French television.

"They say it's dirty and that people cannot do more things and stuff," he said. "But in the end, I feel that people are free and happy to live their lives in a clean city."

"I'm making my own opinion little by little, but my opinion will be clearer after spending this week in China," he said.

The team's success on the international racing circuit has also drawn growing attention from investors. 

On Thursday, Chinese media outlet The China STAR Market Daily reported that ZXMOTO had secured a new round of exclusive investment from Sequoia China, although the specific terms of the transaction remain undisclosed.