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Australian heading North and wanting to buy bike in China.
Gents, I'm an Australian who has done extensive international motorcycle touring over the last 30+ years and am now able to tackle the final frontiers - China and Russia.
I had originally hoped to be able to ship my bike to Vietnam then ride through China, Mongolia, Russia, the Stans etc., then up into Finland before heading south to Italy. However, all my reading suggests that China is a no-goer for importing and I am now considering 2 options. 1. Ship my bike to Vladivostok, fly to Vietnam, cross border to China and buy a smallish bike in Nanning ride up to Mongolia, sell it and then take the trans Siberian to Vladivostok to pick up my own bike (or possbly ride across to Harbin and sell the bike there; or 2. Buy a decent sized bike (400cc+) in China and use it for the whole journey. I'm planning to arrive in China in mid - late April but I am struggling to find out details of what I can buy in China and how much I will pay. For a small bike the Qinqi 200 looks to be the go, but they also have 250 twins (old GSX250s I understand) which might be more suited. On the other hand, Qingqi seems to build a 400cc scooter for Peugeot (Satelis) but I don't know if this can be purchased locally in China. Alternatively, are there any used larger capacity Japanese bikes which may be available? I'm not keen on the ex PLA outfits but may consider a solo unit. I do need to act quickly as I hope to be there in mid-late April. I'm not averse to "taking risks" but I do need an appreciation of what I can and can't buy. One risk I'm not prepared to take is to get to China expecting to buy a bike suitable to ride to Europe on and then find they are not available, just about anything else goes though. Any and all information regarding bike choices, companies/dealers to contact, sample pricing, buying new vs. used, etc. is much appreciated. Garry from Oz. :) |
The China problem...
It is not 'just' a matter of the bike ... rego, insurance There is also your licence. When I wnet there in '88 as part of a motorcycle tour group we had licences issued to us .. part of that was a complete medical .. in china. I belive this is somewhat simpler now, but it still needs some paprework. An IDP .. I don't think that works in China... ------------------ Starting in Vladivostok is doable .. and more realist given your start time. Got your paperwork sorted, bike shippment sorted? |
Hi Frank, I'm in the process of getting sorted for Russia -
Business visa invitation applied for. Once received I will apply for visa. Shipping company arranged - will crate and arrange pickup form my home the week before I ship. China visa received. Vietnam visa currently being processed. Will apply for Mongolian and Kazakhstan visas in Beijing. IDP in hand, is there anything else I need to consider for Russia? As far as China goes I recognise that I wil probably have to go "ïllegal" re licence, insurance etc., but I'm prepared to take that risk. I've had a fair bit of experience bluffing my way across borders in the past, and have previously travelled by motorcycle for over 3 years without any form of vehicle insurance, so that risk is par for the course. Right now I'm seriously considering buying a new (or demo) Jialing JH600. The only question marks are availability of dealerships in Nanning, reliability and spares availability. Garry from Oz. |
G'Day,
you can always buy a Harley-Davidson or BMW from the official importers (shops) in Shanghai + Beijing. I have a modified HD 1200cc Sportster 1991 with a lot of spares for sale in Shanghai. the bike will be sold without rego. Quote:
In Shanghai they detain Foreigners riding motorcycles without proper documents for up to ten days. Shanghai Detention Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Quote:
Best Regards, Ride Safe, BUTCH |
Garry,
Finding parts for a JH600 in Russia, Mongolia or Europe may be a bit difficult. Franki is the man to talk to about that but I expect you've contacted him already. I support your idea of riding with a dual sport or dirt type bike, if you don't you'll be in deep sheit somewhere down the road. If you keep it small, a new bike with regz shouldn't cost you more than 2k USD when all said and done. A JH600 would of course be about double that. There is also a side-car version ("B" variant?) of the JH600 which could be fun. CC |
JH600 is marketed as direct sales from factory. There are only 5-6 dealers in China that sell this bike but mostly on order basis. I would suggest that you go to the factory direct or try with their closest dealer in Mianyang. With the bike registered, taxed and insured, you should be looking at about 36,000 RMB. Bike comes in red, blue and black colour. Factory offers courier service directly deliver parts to owners in need (in China only). Normal transit time is about 2-3 days.
I will be off to ride my JH600 Mar. 21 from Chengdu to Yunnan. So if you need any more help from me, you must do it in a timely manner. Franki |
Hi Carl/Franki/Butch, I've now pretty much decided that the Qingqi 200 is going to be the way to go. I've rejected the JH600 simply on the basis of cost and potential spares availability.
My plan is to buy the bike in Nnananing and do one of the following 3 options. 1. Ride up through China and in to Mongolia and sell in Mongolia. 2. Ride up through China and in to Mongolia and into Russi and sell in Russia. 3.Ride up through China and in to Mongolia and then back into China and sell in China (Harbin). If I want to sell in China am I likely to have any problems. e.g. will people not want to buy the bike off me because I am a foreigner and may not have the right papers. If I sell the bike will the purchaser only be able to pay in yuan and will I be able to convert the yuan back into roubles or another currency when I leave China? Any and all advice appreciated. Thanks, Garry from Oz. |
Garry,
Ummm... not sure how to mention this but 2008 might not be the best year for you to ride in China. Some of us already living IN China and might not be able to get too far this summer. But to answer your other questions anyway: 1) You could try to sell it in Mongolia but to who? Not exactly the richest country in the world and not a huge population either. Maybe you already know someone... 2) Selling in Russia might not be a bad idea, but I'm not sure what they would do with Chinese plates. Maybe someone else who's done this before can comment about this. 3) Yeah you could try to come back in but don't be surprised to find it's a one-way door. Also: - Do NOT buy or sell the bike unless you can get the proper papers. Especially this year. -Yuan can be converted at the airport upon exit. G'luck CC |
Go in any bike shop in Nanning, buy the most standard Chinese bike (125/150cc) for 4000/5000 RMB, deal with the seller to get the paper done quickly while you are preparing it and the papers should come with one year insurance.
Once in Mongolia, give up the bike to a nomad, you will make a man happy and a new friend. You will have hard time anyway to sell it and it will be in poor shape after a such trip. For your driver license there are some website that can help you to get one even if you are not resident (Chinese Driving License Service for Expats/Foreigner). Enjoy China Brice |
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the Chinese Driving License is still interlinked to a Foreigners Resident Permit (>not a visa<) and they stopped the temporary ones in most cities. Best Regards, Ride Safe! BUTCH "Chinese Driving License Service"....done on a Xerox copy machine.... remember this is the fakers country.... Scam catches foreign drivers Shanghai Daily Newspaper 2007-6-31 SOME foreign motorists in the city may be driving illegally and be unaware of it thanks to a bogus application ruse. Overseas drivers living in Shanghai should only apply for a Chinese driving license with local police. Shanghai traffic police made the clarification yesterday following reports that some agencies are charging expatriates thousands of yuan to have licenses issued out of town. These licenses are not legitimate. Shanghai Morning Post broke the story on Thursday after an undercover investigation of the agencies. With photocopies of the driver's passport, driving license from his or her own country and head-shot photos, clients are told to expect a Chinese driving license, issued by out of town authorities, after a week to 40 days, the newspaper said. The foreign clients don't need to show up in person but only pass on the material to agents and wait for the licenses to arrive. Agents charge between about 2,000 yuan (US$263) and 5,000 yuan for the service. Shanghai Daily interviewed officers from the vehicle administration office under the General Team of Traffic Police who said licenses required by the agents are illegal. Foreign drivers should swap them for a driving license issued by traffic authorities in their exact area of residence. Shanghai traffic police are investigating the matter. "Expatriates with a Shanghai-issued residents' permit, should only apply for a driving license issued by Shanghai traffic police," said a police officer with vehicle administration. It costs 40 yuan to sit for a test on computer in Chinese road traffic rules. You can obtain a Chinese driving license the same day you pass the exam after paying 15 yuan for certification. To apply for the test, the expatriate need to come to the police office on 1179 Qingchun Road, with head-shot photos and a hospital- issued physical exam report. Applicants also need to take the driving license issued in their own country. Police said that international driving license holders are not allowed to drive in China before gaining a Chinese license. Questions about applying for a Chinese driving license should be directed to a hotline, 24023456. Foreigners warned on out-of-town driving license Shanghai Daily Newspaper 2007-6-30 SHANGHAI police have warned local foreigners not to buy driver's licenses from out-of-town driving schools. For those who want a driver's license, the application procedure for a local-registered one takes only one day and a small sum of money, police said. Passing a written test is a must. For those who hold no license, police suggest them to learn to drive and sit for tests in the city. Foreigners in Shanghai have been targets of out-of-town driving schools since last August when the schools' business with city residents was ruined by local police. They were offering a driver's license service that required no written or road test to lure foreigners, said an insider surnamed Zhang. "The schools offer 'apartment service,' which suited many foreign people," Zhang said. They usually find it too troublesome to go to a city to do registration. A salesperson would knock at the door, collect some basic information, get the fingerprints and photos and take copies of the passport. Then, all in need to do is to wait patiently for at least 40 days when the applicant will receive a driver's license that has been registered outside Shanghai. "Though foreigners have to pay 1,000 yuan (US$131) more and wait longer, they find it convenient and efficient," Zhang said. Local students usually pay between 2,600 yuan to 4,200 yuan to get such a license from out-of-town driving schools. It takes at least 5,000 yuan from local schools. Training outside of the city allows students to get a license quickly. Local regulations require drivers to do 86 hours of in-car training, and they can't spend more than six hours a day on training. Drivers must also wait at least 40 days between taking a written test and sitting the actual driving test. The whole procedure may take three months. Other provinces don't have similar regulations, so students can get a license much quicker. |
Many thanks Brice. What you're suggesting is what I've now come round to realising is the best way to do things. Much as I'd like something bigger, I think you are right to suggest the reverse. At 4-5,000 yuan it also means the bike is pretty much disposable and I like your idea of donating to it to someone in greater need than myself.
I've spoken to Carl (thanks Carl :)) off the web and his thoughts are pretty similar too. Brice, what are your thoughts on buying new vs. used? Am I likely to be able to get plates issued in my name? Do I need to get plates issued in my name?, and what about an annual licence (registration) for the bike? Re the issue of a licence, I''ve sent off a request to the site you identifed but I'm not hopeful as it seems that you can't apply for a licence until such time as you actually arrive in China, and then it takes 2 weeks to obtain. Garry from Oz. |
Thanks Butch, I just saw your post. It sounds like a nice little scam those guys have going. :(
Garry from Oz. |
I agree with Butchman about the scam around the driver license...
So perhaps it is the same with this company. I'm not involved with them but they are based in my home town (Zhuhai) and around here some people have used their services. Check the forum at Information and Services for Zhuhai Expats. This is a couple, the guy is German and the girl Chinese. On my side I passed my driver exam while in Shanghai 2 years ago, I was still on a 'tourist' visa at this time, took me half a day. Here a post to another thread: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...3-2#post167147 Quote:
If you buy a new one, you should ask the shop to do the paperwork for you. Since you have no address in China, perhaps they will put the bike to their name or whoever not a big deal because you will have an invoice that shows you are the owner. If you have some acquaintance in China, ask them to buy the bike for you in advance and do the paperwork. When I was in search of a bike, Carl advised me to get a Chinese one. I'm obtuse so I bought a Yamaha XJR 400, a fairly available bike here most of them being smuggled from Taiwan or HK. I can tell you that it is not easy to find even the most common part. My bike has no registration, no license and I'm always worried when I go out. Not really about being caught by the Police but if I'm caught in an accident I will be in trouble. So I think I will resell it and stick with a registered bike. Last point is your available time to cross China, highways are forbidden for bikes as well as many cities center. So you will ride on national or secondary roads, most of them are in good shape but you can expect traffic and sometimes landslides or whatever hazard. Unless you ride 10 hours a day do not expect more than 250/300km a day. Last year Mrs and I did a big loop from Zhuhai to South Qinghai, 8000km, one month with our Chinese 4WD, half of the roads were bad or dirt, we avoided highways. Very good trip specially Guizhou, west Sichuan and north Yunnan but we were tired at the end. Mostly because of the tension due to the other cars/trucks behaviors. In fact we like it so much that we'll do a new trip in the North this summer... As Carl said, this year due to the Olympics is special. For the best or the worst I don't know but take it in account... Cheers Brice |
this thread miss some pics so here my brave and tough BJ2024, ZhanQi. We broke 4 times the rear suspensions. Local mechanics were able to welder them easily. Cost less than 50RMB...
http://photos.bmfbm.com/galleries/2007_07/IMG_1122.jpg |
Thanks muchly Brice, all good info you have provided.
My mechanical skills are pretty good, so no problems in that regard. My concern is really what sort of shape a used bike will be in, the last thing I want is to inadvertently buy something due for the scrap heap, especiaaly when a Chinses bike can have all sorts of problems even when new. :( Anyways, good to see your piccie - enjoy the ZhanQi (and the XJR :)). Garry from Oz. |
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. http://photos.bmfbm.com/galleries/2008_02/IMG_1059.jpg Brice |
Interested in buying a bike in china
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 |
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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 |
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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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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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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