Well now, at times this is totally impossible: there's no insurance available at a border, or the law says you can't ride/drive without a local license. If you haven't run into situations like this, maybe you haven't traveled very widely--to Peru, say (the former), or Vietnam (the latter).

More often there are choices involved. Others choose differently from me, and differently from you. Personally, I tend to make every effort to follow the rules because why give the folks in uniform any excuses to squeeze me for money? But sometimes I make the choice to ignore what's strictly legal because it's either inconvenient, expensive, or flat out obnoxious. YMMV.

Mark

Or apply for full proper Chinese driving / bike licence.

vette

Hi Grahame:

Welcome to our forum community.

It's difficult to give a concise answer to your question, because so much depends on where you are and what exposure to loss you have or are willing to tolerate.

In fully developed countries (Europe, North America, Japan, Singapore & similar): Yes, absolutely, if you are going to ride a motorcycle, you have to have a licence for it, simply because you may be held criminally & civilly responsible if you have an accident and are found to not be properly licenced to operate the moto. Your vehicle insurance company will decline responsibility.

In lesser developed countries (Caribbean tourist destinations, many sub-Saharan African countries): It kind of depends on what you are riding and where you are riding it. If you rent a 50cc scooter in a popular warm tourist destination, you might not encounter problems... but then again, if you get into an accident, you could face the same problems as mentioned above, or if you get stopped by the police, you could be squeezed for a bribe.

The risks get higher if you own the moto you are riding - it may be confiscated or impounded, in other words, you might be looking at a financial loss.

Off-Road (anywhere): If you are only operating the motorcycle off-road - meaning, not on public highways - then you might not be legally obliged to have a licence for the motorcycle. Check the laws of the country you plan to operate in.

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A better way of looking at it might be "What do you have to lose?" If you are 21, have no assets, and have not established a career yet, perhaps you could tolerate getting stuck in a jail for a month. If you are in your 50s, have substantial assets (including an expensive motorcycle between your legs) and a career where regulators would not look kindly on a criminal conviction, the risks are unacceptable.

Michael

Yes it is important to have a licence. Whilst having one doesn't guarantee competence there's a greater chance of competence occurring than if someone doesn't have one. As has been said before, insurance will be void without it.
To answer your question in another way .... imagine if a close relative was killed by a vehicle (any kind, take your pick) and it transpired that the driver/rider didn't possess a licence to be on the road in the first place ... how do you think you'd feel and what punishment do you think that person should receive??
Anyone who drives without a valid licence deserves everything that will surely come their way.