Taiwan Seizes ZXMOTO 820RR; Founder Vows to Send Bikes “Until Unification”

Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs seized a Chinese-made ZXMOTO 820RR in New Taipei City on August 11 while investigating whether its owner dismantled a restricted motorcycle, imported the parts in separate shipments and reassembled it locally. ZXMOTO founder Zhang Xue later offered to pay the owner’s legal fees and said he would send another bike if the first was not returned—continuing “until unification.”

The ministry’s International Trade Administration said an interagency task force visited the business involved on August 7 and 11. Customs detained the motorcycle under the Customs Anti-Smuggling Act after reviewing import declarations provided by the operator. Once its inquiry is complete, Customs will refer the evidence to the ministry. Officials describe the case as “suspected smuggling”; no final administrative penalty has been issued.

The motorcycle had appeared publicly at the Taipei Heavy Motorcycle Show in July. Its owner, an engineer surnamed Wang, said he bought the bike in Guangzhou, disassembled it and shipped the components to Taiwan in batches. He said the final build included parts from other brands and locally fabricated components and took about six weeks. Wang maintains that all shipments were declared and that the paperwork is available for inspection. Customs has yet to determine whether the imports were deliberately structured to evade restrictions.

Zhang posted a video supporting the owner on August 20. He said he did not yet know the precise grounds for the seizure but would help find lawyers and cover their fees. If the bike was not returned, he said, the company would give the owner another one. His closing promise to keep sending motorcycles “until unification” pulled a dispute over customs classifications and import procedures into the politics of cross-strait relations.

The ministry responded the following day that Zhang appeared to be defending and financing illegal smuggling, which it found “difficult to understand.” Economy Minister Kung Ming-hsin said the products permitted in cross-strait trade must be decided through negotiation. The ministry maintains that the case does not involve a normal import from China but a suspected attempt to bring in a prohibited vehicle in pieces and rebuild it in Taiwan.

Taiwan’s commodity system classifies goods from mainland China as permitted, conditionally permitted or prohibited; it does not ban every Chinese-made industrial component. Items coded MW0 may not be imported, while MP1 goods must meet additional conditions. In an August 11 statement, the ministry said complete heavy motorcycles and engines made in mainland China are prohibited without permission. The 820RR’s 819 cc engine falls within a restricted displacement category. Investigators must decide whether the separately declared parts amounted to an attempt to evade the motorcycle and engine restrictions, regardless of whether the finished bike was registered for road use.

French rider Valentin Debise put ZXMOTO on the international racing map in March, winning both WorldSSP races at Portimão, Portugal. He became the first rider to win in the category for a Chinese manufacturer. WorldSSP is the middleweight class within the World Superbike Championship structure, not the premier WorldSBK class. The championship website recorded six ZXMOTO victories by June in the manufacturer’s debut season, helping bring the 820RR to the attention of Taiwanese enthusiasts.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency portrayed the seizure as a politically motivated restriction on cross-strait exchanges and quoted enthusiasts who accused Taiwan of applying a double standard to mainland brands. Taiwan’s economic authorities say they are enforcing existing trade controls. Some Taiwanese motorcycle businesses have supported lawful inspections while asking officials to explain more clearly where permitted parts imports cross the line into prohibited vehicle assembly.

Customs has not published the list of components, tariff codes or its final findings, and no court has found the owner guilty of smuggling. Zhang has not announced a concrete plan to follow through on his promise to send more motorcycles. Whether the bike is returned and whether the owner faces penalties will depend on the Customs investigation and the ministry’s subsequent decision.

Reporting note: This article is based on the Taiwan International Trade Administration’s August 11 statement, the ministry’s August 21 response, public remarks by the owner and Zhang Xue, and cross-checks against reporting by Taiwan Public Television, the official WorldSBK website and Xinhua. The investigation remains open; “suspected smuggling” is not presented as an established violation. Sources were checked through August 22, 2026.