Hi folks, I've now arrived in Nanning from Vietnam. I have been trawling the bike shops and am getting conflicting messages from the locals re bike purchase.

1. First, it seems like 150cc is the biggest bike I can find here (although I did find a battered old CJ750 outfit which is of no interest to me). If a 150 is the biggest I can buy then I can live with that.

2. A NEW QingQi GS125 is around 5,500yuan with another 1,300yuan for rego - total 6,800yuan. Sounds good providing I can get someone to rego it in their name, but without a local interpreter I seem to be pushing up hill on that point.

3. I checked out used bikes (to get around the rego problem) and a used QingQi 125 seems to be selling for around 8-9,000yuan (these are the prices marked on the bikes and confirmed by the sellers and I've checked out over a hundred used bikes so far so it seems a little strange).
I don't understand why a used bike should sell for more than a new bike. :confused1:

I then checked out some cheaper used bikes (< 5,000yuan) and these bikes seem to have registration documents which have expired. I can't work out whether this is still Ok or not, and I have been told it is an extra 1,300yuan for another year's rego.

So in essence can any one clarify what is going on.

First, why would buyers apparently pay more for a used bike than a new one? Is there some additional cost on top of the new bike price which I have not been told about.

Second, do I need a registration document with a date into the future on it or is a bike with rego that expires in April 2008 ok?

Third, if I do need to renew the rego what is the procedure?

Many thanks for your help, this is my 3rd day in Nanning and I'm itching to hit the road asap.

Garry from Oz.

__________________
Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

I try to answer your questions below:

Hi guys, a bit of an update for all.

First, many thanks to both Brice and Crazycarl for pointing me to Mike in Qingzhou.

Second, even more thanks to Mike for helping me out to buy a new Haobon 125 for 3,600yuan. Mike and his partner were most gracious in hosting me for the Sunday and less than 2 hours after meeting Mike for the first time I was the proud owner of the Haobon, which is unregistered with NO plates as I have 1 month in which I can ride unregistreded and this is all the time I will be in China.

I am now leaving Xian in an hour or so to head up to Beijing to get my visa for Mongolia.

To date I have travelled 2,400km in 5 days as follows:

Monday 28 April. Qinzhou to Bama (North East of Bai Se) -450 km. Beautiful ride through the mountains

Tuesday 29 April. Bama to Guiding (just outside of Guiyang) - 500km. I had a 500km oil change and minor service done on the bike at a small town near Bama - 15 mins and 10 yuan (I provided the oil). I travelled this section on the expressway - yes in Ginzhou province they let you ride on the expressway and even make you pay the toll. In Guiding the hotel owner did not know how to check me in so 5 minutes after I entered my room I had a knock on the door from 4 police officers wanting to to check my passport. They subsequently took me out to dinner and then offered me their poice bike to ride back to the hotel on. At no time have any police asked about my lack of a licence or registration - it is of no interest to them.

Wednesday 30 April. Guiding to Chongqing - 450km. I took the expressway and was stopped by the police with flashing lights around 60km from Chongqing as apparently I had crossed the provincial border and could no longer ride on the expressway. The police escorted me another 20km to an exit and then got a primary school teacher to translate for me and show me the route into Chongqing. It was an absolute pain riding taking the country roads but much more interesting.

Thursday 1 May. Chongqing to Wanyuan - 450km. I was dreading finding my way out of Gongqing back on to the 210 North. Unable to read any local signs I chose to navigate by the sun knowing that I needed to head NNW. Amazingly enough 1.5 hours of zigzagging later later, and when I was ready to give upm I saw a sign saying 210 with an expressway picture and a diagonal bar across it. It was then an uneventful ride along the river valleys to Wanyuang apart from lots of road work and lots of diesel trucks belching black smoke. On checking into my hotel I looked in the mirror and realised why the hotel owner looked at me with trepidation. My face was almost black with dirt!

Friday 2 May - Wanyuan to Xian - 500km. This day was a killer. Lots and lots of going up and down mountains, lots of trucks and crazy drivers. Twice I had to climb mountains up to almost 3,000 metres and the poor old Haobon was running rich and has no power. A number of times I was riding flat out in 2nd gear at 30km/h trying desperately to stay ahead of trucks bearing down on me. In addition it was very cold. I eventually descended into 33C heat and made it into Xian around 8.30pm.

I have spent yesterday visiting the terracottta warriors and am now bacxk on the road. See you around.

Garry from Oz.

__________________
Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Did you bought a bike or a jet? You fly man!

Glad to read that you are on the road. Have fun and whenever you can please try to share some photos of your epic trip with us.

Brice

MyChinaMoto.com - Chinese Motorcycle Community and Resources

__________________

Way to go Garry! You're making some great time. I hope everything goes well for you in Beijing.

Glad to know the 125 is getting you around China in the kind of fashon I think you enjoy best. Remember the hard times are the ones we remember best and love the most. Go HAOBON!

Sounds like the real deal there! 125 too...mad props Gare-man!

CC

__________________
---------------------------------------------------
Buy "The Return - Riding Western China" DVD - Now on Holiday sale!!!
http://www.motocyclops.com/buydvd/

The world's newest, most super-awesome Chinese Motorcycle and Travel Community!
http://www.mychinamoto.com/

Personal China travel info, photo and video site:
http://www.carlparker.com

Hi all, just arrived tonight in Shanghai after 6.5 days and 2,500km of riding down from the Mongolian border.

These last few days have been some of the most challenging and interesting of my travels.

The roads have been indescribably bad - so bad that one day I only managed to cover 180km in 10 hours on the road. Lots of roadworks - 200km+ sections of road so badly chopped up it may as well not exist. Landslides and roclk strewn roads. Potholes 2 foot deep and riding on dirt.... and then yesterday it rains to make it all one big chopped up swamp. When it rains in China it is is one huge torrential downpour for an hour or so.

Two more flat tyres in the middle of nowhere - had to ride 25km on bumpy gravel before I could find someone to repair. Rack snapped off from constant bouncing and the steering head bearings and swing arm bearings have worn out from being hammered by all the bumps.

Had the opportunity to stay with a family after the first puncture - the Chinese are very hospitable and you won't believe some of the foods I have eaten (I don't even know what it was I was eating). Speaking of which, it's also been 4 days since I've last been to the bathroom so I'm not sure if it agrees with me or not.

Last night, another puncture around 7pm (dark). Once again, family took me in for a meal whilst it was being repaired.

I've also broken the heart of a Chinese hotel receptionist once she learned my age and marital status.

Now to sell the bike and book a ticket to Busan to pick up the Burgie. The Russian journey will be longer but I'm not sure if it will be so challenging- I've really gotten off the beaten track in China

At least my derriere will be pleased to have a nice comfy seat again and less bumps on the road. :-)

Lots more to say - will update blog and post here again tomorrrow.

Garry from Oz

__________________
Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

Hi Garry,

Read your B L O G. This is fine writing and with some photos you've got good material for an unconventional travel book.

I wish you the best for the next legs of your trip.

__________________

The Haobon has been sold to a local bike repairer for a bargain price. I trust the new owner gets as much enjoyment out of it as I did.

I'm off to Busan tomorrow morning to pick up the Burgie and start the next stage of my journey across Russia. I'll start a new thread in the North Asia section for all to follow my travels.

Garry from Oz.

__________________
Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

I'm now just starting Part 2 of my travels, this time on my own bike (burgman 650) after my one month 7,500km China ride on a local Haobon 125cc bike: see
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-part-ii-35545for details of the next leg.

Today I am in Busan, Korea and the good news is that I've just cleared customs without delays.

After some minor hiccups with paperwork and having to get Vicroads (local vehicle registration office in Australia) to fax through copies of the registration documents to Korean customs (which took all of 15 minutes), Mr Lee of Eagle Shipping took me down to collect the bike. The bike arrived in perfect shape and undamaged despite my concerns about how well I had crated and packed it.

It took me a couple of hours to uncrate and reassemble it before paying all fees (total around US$500) and riding the bike out the gate and into Korea. The Korean customs people, as usual wherever I go, were polite and helpful. One of them even gave me a copy of a book he has written but I will need to brush up on my hanguel first!

I will leave tomorrow morning to ride North to Sokcho for the Dong Chun ferry to Vladivostok.

It's good to be back on the Burgie - much smoother and more comfortable than the Haobon, but of course it is far less nimble and feels quite ponderous initially - that feeling will hopefully disappear once I get used to riding it again.

My blog is Across the universe

Garry from Oz.

__________________
Garry from Oz - powered by Burgman

What a fantastic journey - you must have some very interesting tails to tell. I'm envious already and my trip starts on nov 25th '08.

The bureaucratic hurdles are always the most infuriating I imagine.

__________________
TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net