I’ve been following the China treads quite closely for the last several months. Apart from a few exceptions most of the posts deal with riders wanting to get in with their bikes from other countries, i.e. Mongolia, the Stans. Is there anyone who has had experience purchasing a bike in China, getting a Chinese drivers license and license plates that would allow for inter-provincial travel – all legal? I would be interested in your story.

Thanks

You need to speak to Roel Hendrickx I will pm you his email.

He has a web page at http://www.cjroel.nl/

John

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Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

Check out www.gt-rider.com
There is quite abit of info about riders who have been in china, and riders who have tried to get into china.
Cheers

G'Day,

all he does can simply be described as illegal motorcycling in China..... good luck to him!

regards, seeya on the road or in the pub....
Butchman

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Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

G'Day,

after 17+ years living + biking in China and to be honest and very straight forward, all we need in China is more foreigners coming to China as tourists or living / working over here... buying motorcycles and ride around illegally.

once again, there are currently huge crackdowns on all the motorcyclist in larger cities like Beijing / Shanghai / Guangzhou due to the "I am a foreigner and have different "special" rights and know everything better anyway attitude" and drive around without proper documents and unlicesend illegal motorbikes. 12-16 years old kids riding around on tuned scooters... every other month its in the news... foreign teen killed while riding a motorbike / scooter in Shanghai.... parents, get real the legal age for motorbiking here is 18 years!!!!

for the last 8+ weeks many Chang-Jiang sidecar bikes, offroad mini motor cross bikes, offroad quads, scooters have been confiscated of foreigners in Shanghai as they do not have the proper licenseplate or documents, making the media like TV / newspapers for weeks.

bear in mind, CHINA is not motorcycle friendly at all and some idiots ruin all the fun we have for years, talking about motorcycle owners who live here. would you do the same in your home country? ask yourself....

we try to keep track on developments regarding China motorcycling and lots of info available here:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/shanghaimotorcycle

sidenote: as of 1st.January 2007 Guangzhou bans ALL motorcycles within city area... more to follow....see below!

regards, seeya on the road or in the pub...
Butchman

Career changes loom as motorbike ban nears
By Zhan Lisheng (China Daily)
2006-11-14

Motorbike taxi driver Huang Weiguo's job prospects for 2007 are
looking increasingly grim.
Starting on January 1, Guangzhou will completely ban all motorbikes
from its downtown area to curb pollution and crack down on the
motorbike-borne robbers that have long plagued the city. Still,
whatever the potential benefits, the move will also leave people like
Huang out of work.

Huang, 43, has made a living ferrying passengers around on his 7-year-
old motorbike since he was laid off from a battery factory in 2000.

"I can earn about 1,800 yuan (US$221) a month with my motorbike. I'm
afraid I won't be able to earn as much even if I can find a new job,"
he told China Daily as he waited for passengers at a downtown metro
station recently.

"I won't know how to earn bread for my family when that day (January
1) comes," he added. "Because of my poor education, I don't think I
will be able to find a job that will pay enough to support my
family."

He said he would perhaps move his taxi business out to the suburbs,
where motorbike drivers will remain free to share the roads with
automobile drivers.

The difficulties facing people like Huang have not gone unnoticed.
Guangzhou's municipal government last Wednesday organized a job fair
to help people who make their livings on the backs of motorcycles.

__________________
Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Hi Butch,
I do not know where you have your information from about me.:confused1:
My trip in China was as legal as your driving in China. I had the following papers:
Legal chinese driving license obtained in Shanghai.
Legal license plates including all the papers.
Chinese motorcycle insurance.

I have been stopped several times by police in Shanghai and the rest of china. Sometimes they checked my papers, they were ok.
Once my bike was even confiscated in Shanghai because I had forgotten to bring my papers. The next day I could pick it up again because I had all the papers.

'The other people' who drive motorcycle in China are not all 'bad' Butch. And they have as much right to drive as you.

Greetings,
Roel
www.cjroel.nl

Gotten lots of great info so far from a lot of folks connected to this site. Two bits of missing info maybe someone can help me with.

1. Can someone on a TOURIST visa write the drivers exam or do you need a residence permit.

2. When you buy a bike from a dealer in China it come with the registration and insurance or do you have to get it after the fact elsewhere.

Thanks
Merry Xmas

G'Day,

my 1991 Harley-Davidson customized Sportster with l.ots of spare parts is up for sale!

contact me directly via shanghai_bikers @ yahoo.com if your interessted.

__________________
Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

In case anyone is interested I'm forwarding this clip someone sent to me. Unfortunately I don't think it applies to a bike license which is another classification. But maybe someday soon??? I'm still interested in anyone's how to story regarding China so please chime in at anytime.

Thanks

Foreigners can apply for temporary driving license
(chinanews.cn)
Updated: 2006-12-30 13:43


Foreigners who have driving license issued by their home countries can apply for a temporary driving license and drive in China without having to take related tests, according to a clause in a regulation issued by the Ministry of Public Security. The regulation will start to take effect from January 1, 2007, the Beijing Youth Daily reported.
The regulation, which deals with the management of automobiles and foreigners that come to China for a short stay, stipulates that the valid period for the temporary driving license should not exceed the period marked in the entry and exit certificates, and the temporary license can be valid for three months at most. The valid period can not be extended. In addition, the temporary driving license should be used together with foreigners¡¯ driving license issued at his or her home country and foreigners should always take these two licenses with them, in case traffic police ask them to show these licenses at any time.

Although foreigners who have obtained their driving license at home can get their temporary driving license in China without having to take related tests, they need to attend lessons to study Chinese road safety regulations, before they can drive in China. And they can only drive small cars or automatic-gear cars.

If foreigners will stay for a relatively long time in China, they can consider obtaining an official driving license in China. To do so, they should take their foreign driving licenses and valid ID cards to the automobile management bureau, fill up the automobile driving license application form, take related physical examination, and attend a traffic regulation test. Once they have fulfilled all these procedures and passed related tests and exams, they can get the official driving license issued by the Chinese government.

G'Day,

a mate tried last week in Shanghai and was told that the temporary driving license was linked to car rental. they will issue him a temporary license for the duration of the car rental..... go figure....

regards, Butchman

__________________
Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Hi,

I'm in Kazakhstan waiting for the weather to mild down to head into China.

There is one thing in common to all my enquiries about the necessary paperwork to enter and ride legally in the PR of China.

Whomever I ask, Consulate, Chinese travel agents, independent individuals, foreigners living in china or riders who had made it through have a different answer to what is required.

All of them quote different governmental agencies involved, all offer different advice and for everyone you question you get a different set of requirements; requirements that always involve paying someone for something unheard of in the rest of the world.

The three common requisites to all the queries are: Chinese driving license, temporary license plates and Chinese motorcycle insurance.

I have not figured out yet who can help to arrange these without turning their back on you because you will not pay large amounts for a guide or because ‘it’s impossible’ or because it will take six months or because a long list of other paperwork is needed.

If someone can point me to the relevant authorities or agencies that JUST deal with the license, plates and with a reasonable insurance company I will be most grateful (and sure, so will be every other rider of the many trying to go there).

I don't want to break any law, in China nor anywhere else, but it seems impossible to sass what the law is in China regarding entering the country on a bike and riding.

Fernando

(Ah, and I don’t think the riders that turn up at the country’s borders after crossing half of the world can be compared with underage ex-pats brats illegally riding scooters.)

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Smile

G'Day,

there are no agencies for motorcycle travellers coming to China or agencies handling temporary import of bikes into PRC.

we did the temporary import of 6 motorbikes some years ago for mates, a lot of running around to different government offices in Shanghai was involved and helped a lot to have a good mate in the forwarding / shipping business here in Shanghai..

the six riders were issued temporary license plates (valid for 6 weeks), temporary driving license (valid for 6 weeks) and basic insurance (valid for 6 weeks).
we had to submit a route for the 6 weeks tour and we were told they had to stick to the route.

motorcycles were imported and exported through Shanghai / China.

best regards,
BUTCH

__________________
Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR

Getting papers in China is not straight forward and it goes very often via a friend of a friend. The trick is to find the right person that has the right friends.
A simple example: Jack an Jannet from the Draginrun needed 1 week and a lot of hassle to get their bike out of China into Mongolia. I was in the same situation at the Chinese-Pakistan border but was very lucky to find a travel agency that new the manager of Chinese customs at the border. The whole procedure cost me a couple of hours and the only fee I needed to pay was 5 Euro for a militairy excort to the physical border.

So ask around and find the right guy.
For people who are in Shanghai on any visa and want a legal chinese driving license: check: http://www.visainchina.com/visa3.htm
See S12:
S12 Services: Apply Local Drive's License ( Period of validity:6 Years )
1. Valid Foreign Country Drive's License
2. Registration Form Of Temporary Residence( From Police station or Hotel)
3. Passport with more than 3 month valid visa
Standard Services: 2 Working Days

The registration Form Of Temporary Residence you can get it from your hotel or ask the visa bureau.
The bad thing is that it will cost you 150 Euro. If you have a residence permit and go to the Shanghai Vehicle Management Bureau it will only cost you 20 Euro.... But rules can change every day, maybe a visa is enought, so better call yourself:
Shanghai Vehicle Management Bureau
Telephone: +8621 6516 8168
1101 Zhong Shan Bei Yi Lu

Roel
ps) A good friend of mine sells Chang Jiangs in Shanghai and he can sell them with a legal vehicle license + insurance.

Yes, Butch, and we three couple were the recipients of those efforts, thank you much!! We followed the Silk Road about 4 years ago: Lots of time, phone calls, route approvals, hotel/city arrangements, flights coordinated, guides and vehicles national and regional (required),SARS!, visas, bike shipping, inspections, licenses,Government, Military, Tourism approvals, etc., etc. It was as if we were setting up a major tour. Even got to watch the F1 races, right Butch? Take care my friend.
Allen.

G'Day,

get real, once again...big BS .... do your homework... do not fall for the money making Chinese Chang-Jiang scam.

since 1st.October 2006 no more old or "written off" Chang-Jiang license
(registration) will be issued in Shanghai municipality.

lifespan of a Shanghai Chang-Jiang license (registration) reduced to 10 years
now, before 12 years. only the date of inital registration counts! 10 years and its over + out....

current Chang-Jiang license plates (registration) CANNOT be transferred
anymore. you have 10 years total, check your blue book registration, the initial registration date counts!

you cannot transfer Shanghai Chang-Jiang license (registration)
anymore from written off bike to a brandnew one! black market
Shanghai Chang-Jiang license (registration) not valid anymore since 1st.October 2006.....

buyers beware! double check when buying a used CJ bike in "bikers-
paradise" Shanghai or the rest of Mainland China.....

all the self aclaimed China bike experts put a smile on my face over a few Bundaberg Rum + Coke.... with a lot of ice!

cheers, happy travels, regards,
BUTCH

__________________
Somewhere down the road in China since '89 ~ along the route I've learned the hard way that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everybody off is a piece of cake....TBR