Hi (from www.TokyotoLondon.com)

Buying bikes in Japan is a bit tricky ... they dont really let you register the bikes in your name if you arent a resident ... so you have to beg and plead to get the dealer to let you keep the Japanese registration plates.... The Japanese residents here may be able to shed more light on this.

Technically our bikes were not registered as we rode through Tokyo to the ferry terminal in Yokohama.

As for China, I just got back from Shanghai where I had a good old chat with Butch. Dont believe all you read about China. The reality is its not simple, and it will be extremely unlikely to be able to do it legally. We had a load of support on our side, including big name sponsors and several Chinese cultural organisations. Further, as Butch points out often, any inter provincial motorcycle travel in China is banned at present. Even those with the legal paperwork are restricted to the province in which the bike is registered. So while there is a small chance you will be able to ride there, it will almost surely be illegal and with authorities on your back. I understand that even if you go with a guide, you have to change guides now at provincial borders and a new guide and guide organisation, from the new province have to escort you on. Its not a pretty picture. My advice is unless you are VERY well connected or prepared to pay a lot of money, or prepared to risk the wrath of the Chinese security services, forget it.

The paperwork when we went was pretty straight forward ... Chinese drivers licences and Chinese bike registrations ... occasionally when we rode through restricted areas we needed Alien Restricted Area Permits.

I have just updated the site extensively with about 3 times as much detail (after listening to our original daily dictaphone diaries for the first time in over 12 years), if that helps.

On a positive note, Chinese driving practices, though still abysmal, have improved out of sight in the past 13 years. The road surfacing too has improved out of sight. Food quality, fuel quality et al are also a world apart from what they were. Traffic in the towns however is now an utter bitch. It was already bad in 1994, now its horrible.

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