Abstract:
At the Portuguese round of the 2026 World Superbike Championship(WSBK), the Zhang Xue Motorcycle factory team won the middleweight class championship, achieving a historic breakthrough for a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer in this top-level event. The engine valve, as a core power component, is made of a titanium-aluminum(TiAl) alloy independently developed by Jihua Laboratory in Guangdong, with industrialization realized through its incubated enterprise, Guangdong Jihua Juntai New Materials Co., Ltd. This paper analyzes the technical innovations from three perspectives: material innovation(lightweight, high-strength TiAl alloy), process breakthrough(hot extrusion forming of ultra-thin valve stems), and performance advantages(increased rev limit, improved acceleration, and lightweighting of the motorcycle). It also reveals the supporting role of domestic materials enterprises, represented by Jihua Laboratory and its incubated company. Research shows that, compared with the traditional steel-valves, the TiAl alloy valve can increase the engine's rev limit by over 1 000 r/min, enabling the motorcycle to achieve 0~100 km/h acceleration in 2.81 s, a dry weight of 168 kg, and stable power output at 800 ℃. This marks an internationally advanced level for China in the field of high-end engine core components.