For long the Chinese motorcycle makers have been aping designs from the west and the far east and churning out millions of knock offs every year. Haojue, a leading motorcycle manufacturer in China is all set to invade motorcycle racing in no less an event than MotoGP. For this, Haojue has hired an eclectic group of former racers and designers. John Surtees, Garry Taylor, Jan Witteveen and Steve Harris to form the Maxtra racing team. They will enter the MotoGP calender in 2009 in the 125cc class with the Maxtra 125, which will use the combined expertise of Surtees & Co and the production facilities of Haojue.
In the past, we’ve seen motorcycle makers like KTM and Cagiva enter MotoGP though the 125 class and Haojie too has done the right thing by taking one step at a time. This is a huge step forward for the Chinese manufacturers as technology developed on the racetrack will slowly trickle down to road bikes. If all goes well, we could see the Chinese manufacturers even challenge the Japanese big four in the next decade. The Chinese motorcycle companies have never looked so exciting ever before, keep an eye out for them!
Via: TheKneeslider
