Riding in China summer 2009
 

Hi,

I just rode from Kashgar to Beijing. (4th-21st July)
Entered by bus from Pakistan and spent a couple of days looking for a bike in Kashgar.
bought a Hajoue 125cc(?)/Suzuki copy for 5800RMB with only 16km on it with all the necessary papers and a chinese registration plate.
Sold it in Beijing about 2 weeks later for 2500RMB foir a quick sale.
Drove on the wrong 'no foreigners' rode to Aksu and got stopped by police but they just wrote my passport details down ( it helped that i had my paasport details translated into chinese and stuck in my passport alongside my chinese visa) then they let me continue on my way.
Travelled Kashgar, Aksyu, Turpan, Hami, Langzhou, Xi'an, Beijing ( and a few other places along the way.
Had a bad accident 100km north of Xi'an, and they wrecked the front of my bike. It was their fault and this was the only time that the police started asking about a chinese driving license but i kept showing them my INT driving licence. They discharged me from hospital where i had an MRI, CT , X ray etc, then fixed my bike and sent me on my way the next day.
Lucky i guess.

HA

Glad to hear you survived Heavens Angel! :thumbup1:

There are consistent reports of riders who are not fully legal (no Chinese license) being compensated to a greater or lesser extent when not at fault, (in the event of an accident), certainly in northern China.

IMO it shows that having most legal docs such as registration and insurance do go a long way to helping you out in many unfortuante situations.

Even this being said, not having a Chinese motorcycle license can't really be condoned because of the uncertainty of the application of Chinese law in different locations. :wacko:

Hi,

I agree with you ZMC-888.
Although China was amazing, riding for 10 hours per day, over 15 days, along some difficult roads mean that incidents are almost inevitable.
I was just fortunate to have been able to walk away from this one.

Like the person who recently returned from his trip to Afghanistan, I would not recommend riding through China without the correct legal paperwork.

H A

Befor your riding, try to get more information and reaserch more. Sometimes it's not so hard as what you imagine.Hope you enjoy China riding.

Overlandfan,

Any help on this topic would be appreciated. I want to bring a bike into, and then out of China in 2011, as Im doing a ride from the UK, through Russia, Mongolia and then China to Hong Kong. But I want to bring my bike back home with me (to Australia)

Any tips would be greatly appreciated. ?c?

Thanks,
Tricky

Archangel007,

I fully agree that China is worth seeing, but to be honest getting bikes in and out of the country especially through Hong Kong is going to be a real hassle.

Yes there are agencies but mostly they are very expensive, and you'll likely be forced to exit from your entry point.

I know it's not as satisfying, but really for sake of costs and legality it would be better to do China extensively on a locally purchased 250cc machine that you can pick up new for around 1000-2000 pounds, there is one dual sport Chinese made Jialing JH600, which costs about 3000 pounds new locally. All include insurance and registration. Very large cities and wild border areas are not prime locations to find the right bike. Also most all dealerships in China only stock up to 150cc bikes, so bigger bikes need to be ordered. To find out more about riding and possibly purchasing a bike in China go to MyChinaMoto.com - Chinese Community, Forum and News all questions can be solved here.

Getting the bike out of the country is easier than getting a bike in, there are reports of people getting bikes into Laos and Vietnam and on to Thailand to continue their journey.

Many people who want to ride around the world and include China on their route stick stubbornly to the concept that they have to do everything on their chosen bike (often a GS) from point A to point B, the reality is that to save money, be more legal and to travel the country more extensively some mental flexibility about how to do things is the best option.

I find it odd how so many people are satisfied to just ride India on an Indian bike then leave, but when it comes to China which is much bigger people seem determined to pass through, even though it's pretty easy to ride around China on a local bike and a real pain and expense to try to get over borders.

How to obtain a Chinese drivers License

forget where i found this, have never used their services, so i am just passing on information.

hope it helps

I recently met 2 australian guys who rode back from the uk on trans alps and they came through china.cost us$1000each for 9 days and they got licence plates and temp drivers licences and guide.they said they went through some agency cant remember the name was the something "cafe"?not sure but they reckond no probs.

Probably Caravan Cafe, but they have closed it seems:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...van-cafe-32301

cheers chris in tokyo that was the cafe i was interested as i wanted to ride back to the uk next year and wanted to ride through china i think it would be worth the 1000 bucks to say id done it!

I've been reporting and apparently do not need a guide for the stay in China, with the exception of trying to enter Tibet.

Nor is obliged to settle at least 3-star hotels, then the trick is to hire a tour for a day there in a foreign agency, which is expensive, but once he was in China, one must go to a Chinese travel agency, Tour where we want to do we'll be out half the cheap, including hotels and cheaper if you need a guide, a guide cheaper.

On the driver's license, the test may be done in English, is as easy as in the book that you are given, are the answers of the exam.
The expenditure is 3,000 RMB or 4,000 RMB and it takes between 7 and 10 days for the license.

I keep reporting the issue, but as you know what commentators.

It seems that in China everything is not so "controlled" as it seems, and some people even traveling without license.

Conflicting Info on China
 

Well there you go!

In 7 posts we have a couple of different opinions.

Call me a fool, but I am hopeful that there is a solution here. I mean, a way to get your bike into China relatively cheaply, with little hassle. Like ZMC888 said, shipping out might be a different story.

This is an information gathering exercise, so any information that can be forthcoming from fellow Hubbers is greatly appreciated.

There must be a way to do it, there must be a way to enter, ride around etc while not costing you an absolute fortune and not being guided every inch of the way. Luis_HD is onto something here I am sure.

China is suchh a wonderful place, I dont want to miss out on it because of some buearocratic nonsense, lack of conviction or misleading information. I think perserverence and knowledge is the key. C'mon people, out with it!! :helpsmilie:

Cheers,
Tricky

Tricky,

I know Chinese law well, and I have transferred my driving license and have been living here for over 7 years. Listen to my advice or ignore it, admittedly I my knowledge and experience of taking bikes in and out of China is weaker than most.

Here are some facts mixed with opinion for you to think about:

- Restrictions and legality

Luis_HD is right about what he is saying but the administrative hassle for a non Chinese speaker to pay and locate a place to buy a temporary diving license, and remember that they don't recognize carnets, overseas number plates, registration or insurance so serious hassle there. There are super expensive ways to get temporary everything. Also it is highly unlikely that you will even be allowed to ride to the Hong Kong border. China is unlike the west, motorcycles do not have the right to go even where cars do, many cities ban motorcycles altogether, Shenzhen which borders Hong Kong has banned motorcycles, so it is unlikely you will get the bike anywhere near HK unless it is in a shipping container.

- The reality

The reality is that the way you want to ride around the world is not really possible. China can only be travelled in a legally gray area. Buy and sell a local bike. It is possible to do this, and have the bike registered and insured and not to lose too much money. Chinese do not recognize overseas licenses or international licenses, so you'd be riding illegally, but most of the time outside the bigger cities this is unlikely to be a problem if you have you IDP and home license with you, as Luis was hinting at. They will not issue a Chinese license unless you are a resident, and a temporary one can be a nightmare.

Find out more, but you should be able to get a six month visa, buy a local bike, then go wherever you want, yes even Tibet and Xinjiang!

Thanks ZMC888,

I really do appreciate your input, and I will take all your words and knowledge onboard.

I will explore every avenue, and see what is the line of best fit.

I really dont want to miss out on China, as it seems to be a wonderful place to explore on motorcycle, and your advice about buying locally might be the best way to go.

Keep those thoughts coming.......

Cheers and thanks,
Tricky