You're welcome,

Zhuhai, my home town is the border town with Macao, if you come there during your trip let me know.

Another pic, my wife's preferred subject: the xiaobaobao (the babies). In background, a large 125cc local custom.



Brice

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Hi Brice,

I am interested in buying a bike in china and riding it out of the country. Could you please advise me on how to do it? I can go over to ZhuHai if it is the easiest way to get it done.

Please get back to me.
Thanks

Hi,
I'm on the road in Yunnan/Sichuan with limited internet access. Will be back at home end of July. Will respond to you then.

Cheers

Brice

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Brice man,

Lorne and I just got back from that area and can give you some pointers. Where you at currently?

CC

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Thanks, will be looking forward to it. Please email me at kw_bike@hotmail.com

Cheers

Hello kw

I'm back from my trip in Yunnan/Sichuan. I assume that you have already read the different threads talking about getting a driving license and buying a bike in China. As you certainly understand this is basically a mess where 2 parameters (time and space) play a big role.

Time: Since few months, Chinese authorities have hardened many existing/new regulations regarding visa and other mandatory documents like driving license. What was easy 2 or 3 years ago can be now impossible or very difficult. Many people bet on the fact these regulations are only temporarily and will be release after the Olympics. But the Olympics can also be the excuse to have a closer control of the foreigners. Time will tell.

Space: China is a big country. Each province and even big cities apply the regulations according its own understanding. So different foreigners living in different provinces/cities will have a different story to tell about how to get a driving license and buying a bike.

In my case, I was able to get a driving license in Shanghai 2 and half years ago with a non resident visa (tourist/business). Since I have already a foreign driving license, It took me only few hours, a computer test and a quick medical exam to get it. I think this is no longer possible to do it this way in Shanghai for now. In zhuhai, a friend with a 20+ years foreign license has to the whole standard process (lessons/questions/driving) to get his license. Some people are able to get temporally driving licenses, I don't know how to do this but I assume they deal with a tourist agency.

2 years ago, I bought a car with a non resident visa, police residency registration and my tenancy agreement as a proof of address. The process implied many steps, taxes to pay and documents but with the help of a local friend took only 2 days. As Today I don't know if this still possible to do it without a resident visa which I have now.

Regarding your specific question to legally buy a bike in Zhuhai, I don't remember having said that I have this experience since this is impossible in this city. I bought a used bike (Yamaha XJR 400) from a small workshop located 100km from my place. I got there, test the bike, paid the guy, got an invoice and took it back, that's it. The bike has no legal plate or registration and no insurance. This situation is very common in China because of the ban of large bikes in many cities/counties. If you feel confortable and understand the risks (Police checks, accidents) to ride this way buying a used or new bike should be possible nearly everywhere. farqhuar just did a fabulous trip across China with a 125cc bike. He has no chinese driving license and was using the loophole of 30 days to get a valid registration when buying a bike.

If you want to buy a bike and get all the legal documents (registration, insurance, driving license), I don't think this is possible right now without some proof of residency. If you don't mind, you are welcome to come to Zhuhai and I'll drive you around to find a new 125/150cc Chinese (easy) or used large Japanese bike (more complicated but doable).

Cheers

Brice

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Hello Carl,

I've seen in mychinamoto.com a photo of Lorne on the road between XiangCheng and ZhongDian. Nice to see him playing with the QingQi. I wonder if he is as fast in the mud than he was on the tarmac in DongGuan.

I took this road last year... but this time the green and blue little men f..ked us badly. We were on the Sichuan-Tibet south road when we were stop half way between KanDing and Litang by a combined blue/green checkpoint. After a passport control, they told us the area (west and north/west Sichuan) further was forbidden to foreigners and we have to go back. We argued for more than one hour, we called a backpackers hotel in Litang to get some confirmation of what they said, then they started to get upset and to threaten us when we ask them the reasons... no way to get through so we have to take the road going south to Yunnan by the Lugu Lake. Once on this road we were once more stop at a checkpoint and the funny guys want us to go back to Kanding, 300km up north. I said no this time and told them we'll call the embassy. They called some authorities and they decided to escort us with a car until we were out of the county limits. Never been so easy to drive in China when you are with a Police car.

So we missed the west Sichuan this time but we enjoyed Lugu lake (lige) and north Yunnan (Zhongdian, Tiger leap gorge, Lijiang, Dali).

Once again, we were with our 4WD and I really missed to do it on a bike. I cross the path of a group of 5/6 Chinese bikers on the Tiget leap gorge, some of them have the QingQi GY200. Nice bike.

Wait for your ride report in MCM.

Brice

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