Hey there,

In 2013 I will be driving all the way from Malaysia back to Germany:
Malaysia - Thailand - Cambodia - Laos - China - Pakistan - Iran - Turkey - Greece - ... - Germany

Everything seems to work out except China which turns out to be a massive pain in the ... I can deal with seemingly pointless regulations but China really is too much :P You can check out my route here: Route nach Shangri-La, Dêqên, Yunnan, China - Google Maps
Here are my main problems:

1) Carnet de Passage does not work in China so I will have a problem bringing my bike (either a new Yamaha XT660Z or an old BMW) there. I read tons of stories online about import fees several times the value of the bike or even that it's not possible to import motorbikes with more than 125cc. Others seem to have no problem at all importing their vehicle.
I would highly appreciate evidence-based information about import regulations. I could not find any reliable source so far. Even the embassy didn't know what to do.

2) Driving license. My German/International driving license is not valid in China so I will have to obtain a Chinese one. This involves paperwork and a written exam which seems to be challenging. Is there any way around this exam? Are the questions for Yunnan province available online? There's one great website that used to offer the question for free but doesn't work anymore (howchinaworks.com).

3) Let's assume I manage to import my bike + obtain the Chinese license; what other problems might arise? Do I need a guide? I really enjoy riding alone and (even apart from the money aspect) wouldn't want a guide to accompany me on my travels.

4) Yes, I know the possible consequences of Plan B(ribe) (losing the bike, fines, possibly jail): Just ignoring all regulations and bribing my way through China (6.000km). I'd drive on small roads in rural areas anyway and would avoid all major cities. If policemen stop me I'd just act stupid (which comes naturally to me) and pay them a small fee. I read several stories of people who tried that and got away with it. Obviously the reports are heavily biased towards success because nobody would post his "I lost my bike and spent two weeks in prison" story to get the inevitable "I told you so".


I'd really appreciate your help... To be honest I'm pretty much lost here and don't know what to do. Once China is out, driving all the way from Malaysia seems to be impossible (Myanmar doesn't work either).