Grace Butler
Image Sourced from Jiayi Lyu
In a sport often dominated by tradition and familiar names, Jiayi Lyu has emerged as something entirely different: a new voice, a new face, and most importantly, a new bridge.
Born and raised in China, Jiayi never imagined that one day he’d be redefining what it means to be a motorcycle racer in America. But over the course of just a few years, he has become a cultural ambassador for a sport that has long lackedAsian representation in the West — and he’s doing it not just with results on the track, but with his voice, his presence, and his story.
Jiayi isn’t just a racer. He’s a communicator. A content creator. A symbol of possibility for a new generation of Chinese riders who grew up seeing motorcycle racing as something distant, something reserved for others. And now, thanks to his dual identity — both as a top AFM racer in the U.S. and a highly influential media figure in China — Jiayi is shiftinggears in more ways than one.
He began his digital journey in 2020, creating motorcycle-related content for Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. His early videos were modest, documenting his training and humble beginnings on the track. But audiences quicklyrecognized something rare: authenticity. Here was someone who wasn’t born into racing, who wasn’t backed by a dynasty of motorsport, and yet he was pushing forward, one lap at a time.
Within three years, his following had exploded. Jiayi amassed over 160,000 followers and more than 100 million total video views on Douyin. His hashtag alone has been viewed over 78 million times. He built an engaged audience by sharing not just racing highlights, but his challenges, his learning process, and his genuine love for the sport. In doing so, he brought American motorsport culture to Chinese fans in a way that felt real — and reachable.
Image Sourced from Jiayi Lyu
But Jiayi’s influence hasn’t remained online. It has spilled into the garages of top-tier brands.
His sponsorship resume now reads like a dream: BMW Motorrad, AMSOIL, REV’IT!, Insta360, Pirelli Tires, and more. In 2024, BMW China invited Jiayi to help promote the launch of their M1000XR. His videos on the campaign reached nearly a million views — making it the brand’s most-watched launch content that year.
As the first Chinese racer ever sponsored by some of these industry giants, Jiayi has become a critical partner in connecting East and West. REV’IT!, a premium gear brand from the
Netherlands, invited him to their U.S. headquarters for a fully customized race suit — a symbolic moment not just for the brand, but for Jiayi, who now appeared in their Chinese campaign imagery wearing silver and white leathers, embodying both elegance and edge.
In an industry that often operates behind closed paddocks and elite teams, Jiayi has opened doors. His voice doesn’t just echo on the track; it travels through livestreams, race analysis videos, product reviews, and thoughtful reflections aboutthe lack of Asian representation in American racing.
He has not hesitated to speak about the difficulty of breaking into the sport as a Chinese racer in the U.S. — how opportunities are scarce, how recognition must be earned twice over, and how support doesn’t come easy unless youalready belong. But instead of retreating, Jiayi has turned those obstacles into the very fuel that drives him.
Image Sourced from Jiayi Lyu
He created “Flying Asian Racing,” the first competitive Chinese motorcycle team in the U.S., consisting of 15 ridersand growing. He mentors newcomers, helps them access sponsors, and uses his own platform to give visibility to those walking the same difficult path.
His rise was recently recognized in the U.S. by Roadracing World, one of the most respected motorcycle racing publications in the country. They named Jiayi the first Chinese racer to receive national coverage for AFM racing results— a breakthrough that rippled beyond racing into a broader dialogue about diversity and inclusion.
Image Sourced from Jiayi Lyu
But perhaps Jiayi’s most profound impact isn’t something that can be quantified in views, trophies, or sponsorships. It’s the emotional shift he represents — a change in the collective imagination. For too long, motorcycle racing was seen assomething foreign to Chinese youth. Now, because of Jiayi, a new image is taking root: a racer in full throttle, visor down, helmet painted in red and gold.
Not Western. Not Eastern. Just fast, fierce, and fearless.
Jiayi Lyu doesn’t just race bikes. He races perceptions. And in doing so, he’s changing the map of modern motorsports — one track, one story, and one bridge at a time.