50 years after Honda’s first TT, a Chinese team will compete in 125GP

This is big news… China now produces around 11 million motorcycles a year. Its production capacity and sheer volume of manpower position it as the world’s greatest manufacturing centre, and it seems the Chinese aren’t happy to let Japan keep the meat of the world’s motorcycle market.

So, in order to prove themselves on the world stage, China’s biggest bike maker Haojue (remember that name) is entering 125GP in 2009 as the Maxtra team, coincidentally 50 years after Honda first entered the TT. And they’ve assembled quite a team to make it happen, including John Surtees, the only man ever to win world championships in motorcycle GPs (7 times) and Formula One.

This great article by Mike Hanlon over at Gizmag takes an in-depth look at the Chinese team, their plans to be competitive by year two, and the similarities between Haojue’s current ambitions and the position world market leader Honda was in 50 years ago.

Chinese bikes are seen as rubbish by most westerners right now - just like the Japanese were only a few decades ago. This is the beginning of the movement to change that perception, and it brings to mind a great quote: “First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” - Mahatma Gandhi.