Hi rsbeemer,
We have talk about the China motor travel each other, I have do the job 5 years, I do not know why all man think it is diffcult to travel in China, If you want ride your own bike, It is OK, just ship it to China, I could help you get what you want get, you could buy a bike in China too, Harly, Honda, BMW... I could help you to get the licence. Yes, You need pay for some money, but It is not so expensive, I have do the motor travel with Edwiss, Lotus, and some USA Europe peoples, All is OK.
Do you trust it?
Adam Yu
http://www.chinamotortravel.com

Hi,
true, there are bikes (HD/Yamaha/BMW) for sale in Mainland China on the black markets and stolen from Australia / Japan / USA with "fake" registration.
hope nobody encourages this kind deals offered since myself hopes everyday that my motorbike is still there..., in the morning when i wake up...
there was a "tour operator" in the Northern Region of PRC who successfully scammed ($$$$) several groups of bike riders from Australia / Europe and they had articles in various bike magazines and www discussion groups.
best regards, H.Zucker

HI,
@Adam (China Motorcycle Travel)

which kind of China tours did you arrange for Edelweiss Travel, references / contact person available? do you have any other references with overseas tour operators?

don't get me wrong, are you somehow interlinked or associated with the "self claimed" Harley Adventure Tours China and were advertising under -stagnet- free webserver approx. 2 years ago?

myself and some friends tried approx. 2 years ago to arrange a tour through China and had contact with a person asking for huge amounts of money up front and asked us to ship our bikes two month in advance (yeah, right!) and they would not guarantee custom clearance? right, 12 bikes confiscated and afterwards sold somewhere in the Mainland.

The truth is out there- trust nobody!
Best Regards,
H.Zucker

Last night I met a fellow in Beijing who is riding in a group from Shanghai to Munchen. They are 13 people who transported their bikes to Shanghai and registered the bikes and got local driver's licence. So it is possible to ride your own bike in China. Admittedly they have a car in front and back and are not allowed to drive on their own. You can check more from www.globeriders.com

Thhis has been possible for a long time, but as noted you must have a guide all the way and it is expensive. It also takes a lot of work and red tape cutting to put it all together.

"on your own with a bike" is still impossible. sigh. maybe someday.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

A note on entering China, motoring in China and exiting China: It appears that a new rule change has just gone into effect this month (May 2002). I was working on making arrangements for a couple to enter Xinjiang via Torugart Pass, motor about 30 days through China (Xinjiang-Gansu-Sichuan-Yunnan) and with them exiting to Vietnam. Just last week I received notice that Public Security in Beijing denied their itinerary (which included the required accompanying liaison officer with his own vehicle and driver). I was told that the there has been a rule change and that "inter-province" travel with foreign-licensed motorcycles is now prohibited. Strange thing, as this was fine up through last year. Now, I have been told that it is okay to enter China and travel in the province (Xinjiang as an example), but that the motorcylist is required to exit China from the same province.

The above prohibition does not apply to motorcycles registered in China. I know this because an Italian (whose motoring account is elsewhere on this board) just arrived in Kashgar a few days ago after an eventful trip motoring across China from Shanghai.

Does this mean it is going to be easier to enter China via the KKH & leave again the same way or is there just as much bureaucracy
to deal with & still the requirement to pay lotsa money & have an escourt?

__________________
Rich
www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/richardandlisa
www.youtube.com/richparkie

G'Day,
"inter-province" travel with PRC registered motorcycles was banned more than 2 years ago but as foreigner you can get away with it under certain circumstances and even the italian yor referring to (actually it's Stefano who is a member of RDMC Shanghai as well) had his share of problems and encounters with police and other authorities to cross China on a Zhejiang registration.

once again, in may 2001 we drove 6000k's through china (Shanghai > Nanjing > Qingdao > Jinan > Tinajin > Beijing > Nanjing > Shanghai) and were stopped several times by police / PSB (public security bureau) but myself had the bright idea to attach small Beijing 2008 Olympic flags to the bikes and after telling the authorities we are the "official" olympic bid support team, we got waved on and had to give several interviews to media (newspaper/TV stations) along the way.

yes, you can arrange travelling by "foreign" registerd motorcycle in PRC but your under official security / guard of guides / police all the time and your not allowed to travel freely or as individual. Harley Owners Group Hong-Kong is arranging another Hong-Kong > Shanghai > Nanjing trip (13 days) in oct.02 and that whole thing is $$$$ due to police escorts, travel permits, temporary drivers license, etc.

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

A couple of Malaysian outfits, namely Petronas Adventure Team and Douglas Chong of Ipoh, organize 4WD trips into China and other farflung places every now and then in the last couple of years or so.

Often, there are bikers in their trips.

In fact PAT is somewhere in China right now heading towards Siberia in their latest run.

You can check out the details at www.petronasadventure.com.

I'm curious myself as to whether they are allowed into China on the same terms as for others, i.e. bureacratic and expensive, or on easier terms.

Come to think of it why don't I do it myself!

G'Day,
no problem to come to Mainland China as long you go through the extensive paperwork ("red tape"), accept a guard/guide 24hours and pay the top $$$$.

Porsche Owners Club Hong-Kong as well Ferrari Owners Club Hong-Kong coming regular to southern china (Zhuhai) to use the race track there for practice and club outings.

There are signs that things are changing in PRC, since a couple of 2002 BMW R1150R motorbikes (originally crated/brandnew) have been imported and sold for 280000RMB (approx.35000$US), but no registration/license have been issued to my knowledge.

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

G'Day!
A small update on China motorcycling, once again, here goes all the fun.... and the price of a registered Chang-Jiang sidecar increased again....great city, great people, but no motorbikes please!!!
See Shanghai Daily story below, the authorities announced the ban the night before! Many pissed off Chinese bike owners.


Shanghai Daily (Tuesday 30th.July 2002)
Biker ban in effect downtown
Police yesterday declared downtown Shanghai's main roads off-limits to
two-wheeled motor vehicles. The ban, effective today, is intended to make travel safer and more efficient. More than 789,000 motor-cycles, motor scooters and mopeds in the city are covered by the new edict.
However, Shanghai's 7 million-plus bicycles are not, but they too have come under increasing restrictions. At a hastily called news conference yesterday, the city's Public Security Bureau announced that motorcycles and their ilk will no longer be permitted
on 32 main roads inside the Inner Ring Road in west Shanghai and on Century Avenue and in three areas in Pudong. At the same time, 10 highways and two areas in the western district of Qingpu became no-roll zones for such vehicles from out of town. Traffic safety and efficiency were cited as the main reasons for cracking down on motorized two-wheelers, whose numbers have soared in recent years. "Although they account for 55 percent of overall motor vehicle numbers, they carry only 2.1 percent of the city's transportation load," said Zhu Yinglei, vice director of city's public security bureau.
Zhu said two-wheeled "troublemakers" caused 2,265 traffic accidents last year, killing 237 people and injuring 2,389. The casualty figures represent about a 60 percent rise over 1998, he said. In the first five months of this year, 482 such accidents killed 53 people. The number of accidents was up 17.6 percent and the death toll up 7.5 percent over the same period of 2001. Two-wheelers' ability to change lanes quickly creates disorder and causes accidents, the police said. From now until October 25, public education will be emphasized. But in theory, riders in the prohibited areas will immediately be liable to fines of between 50 and 200 yuan and the impoundment of their vehicles. In its first traffic white paper, released a month ago, the city government
said it would act to lower the numbers of two-wheeled motor vehicles and expand areas where they are not welcome. Police said yesterday they were considering letting bikers swap their license plates for car plates without charge. Details of the proposed exchange are under discussion with the Shanghai Development Planning Commission.

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Hi all!

could enyone give ditails on travel from Pakistan(KKH) to Kazahstan(or Kyrgistan Tajikistan) trough Xinjiang
Is it posibile?
What about rideing a moped(49.9cc)aka bicycle with a engine or 125cc?Would that make eny diference?

Costs,expenses,licence,guides,jeeps..etc???

BeWell

jondoe

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cheers

jondoe

I believe any motorcyclist is some kind “out of law”. So some times you have to ignore rules and do it on your own risk.

I travelled in China in July-August 2001. Started in Moscow (I am Russian and live there), than Irkutsk, Ulan-Baator, Beijing, Shanghai, Luoyang, Xian, Shenyang. 7000 km in Russia from Moscow to mongolian border, 1000 km crossing Mongolian Gobi and 9000 km inside China. I liked it very much.

Yes, crossing Chinese border by motorbike is illegal. So I used a Mongolian truck (actually it was russian ZIL truck Driver was so kind that i loaded my bike on Mongolian side of border using a rampant and we unloaded it on Chinese side of border using 20 local people. No money, just one ride together with driver.

Yes, my driver license, even international, is illegal in China. But not many policemen know about it because they had NEVER seen a foreigner.

On the border I wrote a kind of declaration with VIN and plates, to avoid custom charges when I will return. A customs officer sad that he knows about two German bikers who crossed the border in train.

Yes, using highways in China is prohibited for a motorbiker. Nevertheless, I used it. Barriers in the tall-gates are short enough to let me in )) Of course i was stopped by police many times and it took me a lot of time to communicate with them. Two times they were going to put me in jail for using highways and more likely for not stopping in tall-gates. However, i never paid any fines.

Yes, centers of Beijing and Shanghai are officially forbidden for motorcyclists. But I drove there, and was stopped only once. It was enough just to take off helmet and show my nice European face ))
In Beijing neighborhoods you can see even japan motorbikes. There is
even a small motorbike market near the airport with different types of
bikes. No Harleys
Usual local roads are opened for bikes and bikers. No problemo.
The people there always crowding around me all the times i stops.

Here is the link to my photos. They can say more than any story
written http://www.fireworks.ru/moto/albums/china/index.htm

Sorry for my English.

Wish you good luck and welcome to Russia.

Im going to work in China for the next 2 years and im shipping my bike to Dalian. I'll be living in Shenyang. Now up until this point I have never heard of these restrictions and im glad you guys have posted your expieriences here. Esp the Aussie from Shanghi.
I took my Bike to South Africa No problem the goverment diddnt care I diddnt even need plates! I drove around there on a Yamaha Bstar 1100 like that for a year.
Do you guys know. If I am getting a residence Visa (greencard) Can I get the licenses mentioned by Adam at china motor travel dot com? ANy feedback would be greatly appreciated.

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RIch Wright

Hello fellow riders, I've just stumbled upon this page and am delighted. I have somewhat of a similar but opposite problem to what is being discussed here. I am presently living and working in Cheng du Sichuan. I bought a 92 cbr250rr last year, and yes it's illegal, I have been stopped 3 times in a year with nothing resulting from it. I am planning to ride to Bangkok in june of this year but require some sort of paperwork to get the bike into Laos and Thailand. Can any of you recommend how I can go about this? I am not particularily concerned about legalities, only that it works. I am willing to take my chances with the interprovincial travell alone. Any and all comments are welcome.
Thanks in advance.

Oh yeah just to let you know, the bike has Guang dong plates but I never recieved any paper work other than a hand written paper saying that I bought and how much I paid.

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riding underground...what a view!!

[This message has been edited by smiley (edited 09 May 2003).]

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riding underground...what a view!!