Where to buy bike in China
 

After reading post after post it's pretty clear to me that importing your own motor bike into China is as good as impossible (unless your willing to pay a lot of money for taxes and documents).

So... i was thinking of selling my Enfield before i cross the border and buying myself a chinese version once i am in China.

Does anybody know the price of a good second hand motor bike and a place where somebody can help me with this? I would like the purchase one in Tibet but i know that might be a little difficult so... if anybody knows somebody who can help me just let me know.

Thanx

Hi Dutchie, dependent on which province you buy your bike you will be limited inthe capacity you can purchase. I bought my Haobon 125 road bike brand new in Qinzhou (Guangxi province on the border of Vietnam) for US$500 (3,500 yuan) in April this year. In Guangxi you cannot buy bikes larger than 150cc.

A 200cc offroader would be at least double this price. I didn't bother with rego plates or insurance - just rode from Qinzhou north to Xian, north east to Beijing, north west to Mongolia, and south east to Shanghai - 7,500kms in 30 days and average fuel consumption of 2.5l/10km and average speed of 40kmh (mainly due to quality of roads, bikes are not allowed on freeways in MOST provinces so average speeds are very low).

Garry from Oz.

CalRider knows alot about this, I have read his ride reports, maybe search for him. Try to get a QingQi, it's the DR200 copy.

What about a Chang Jiang?

cj750.net ::: about us

I saw VERY few CJ750s in China, and everyone I did see had a chair attached. To be honest, none of them looked to be in what I would call "healthy" shape, and let's face it they were never reliable even when new. I spoke to the mob who are exporting CJs (and you can buy one in China from them for export) and these babies are NOT cheap from them.

If it were my choice, I'd stay a minimum of a bargepole's distance away from any CJ.

Garry from Oz.

G'Day,

Chang-Jiang sidecar bikes are fine and work well with a bit of TLC. Riding them beasts since 1989....

Best regards, ride safe! BUTCH

Thanx for the reply guys... im a little wiser now

I'm on the fourth week of a trip across South West and South China.

I'm riding a QingQi QM200GY formely owned by Crazycarl and ChinaV. Both of them have added few improvments to the bike before I bougth it.

The bike is really fine and the engine runs great. It can be repaired by any local mechanic.

In 4000km, half of it dirt or bad roads, I changed the clutch plates and both tires. The seals of the front and rear suspension and the gear foot lever leak. Everyday you have to check nuts and bolts because of the vibrations.

I have to remove the airbox cover when riding on the Tibet-Qinghai plateau (3000m+) to allow the engine to breath.

One point is to ride legally (driver license, bike registration and insurance). I got involved in a light hit with a little girl. She was technically responsible but the police holds my bike and the way they write their accident report for 4 days until I settle a deal with the family (hospital fees). If I was not legal, Today I will be in deep trouble.

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_pSocT5D2pnE/SS...0/IMG_0631.JPG

I'm also looking at buying a bike in China, but am surprised, as from what I've read thus far, it seemed almost impossible for a foreigner. To those who have bought bikes previously, where there any legal hurdles to jump? Did/do you have Chinese driver's licenses? What did you have to do as far as registration and insurance was concerned at the time of purchase?

Thanks,

Jimmy

Jimmy, I suggest you PM me directly. In short, I broke every rule (no licence/rego/insurance as foreign visitors are not allowed to purchase or drive vehicles in China) but was warmly welcomed and assisted by local police at every interaction - at least 4 to 5 times daily as I had to keep asking them for assistance with directions.

Garry from Oz.

Thanks for your prompt reply Garry. Unfortunately, I can't PM you - cause I haven't made enough posts on HUBB to qualify for PMs yet!

In short, I guess I'd like to know how you went about achieving what you did. I've seen your posts pop up in various spots on the HUBB, and it seems like you had quite an adventure! Where did you buy your bike? From a dealership, or privately? How did you negotiate at the point of sale - given your lack of license and insurance (and everything else!). Were you ever threatened by the authorities when/if found to be riding illegally? Did you do all of this with any local language skills (ie - do you speak Chinese)? Were you just travelling on a tourist visa? What did you do with your bike once you'd finished your ride?

Sorry to bombard you with questions - and I really appreciate your time!

Jimmy

You should be able to buy a used bike with a plate and some papers.

Since you won't get a local driver license you will still be illegal but unless you are involved in an accident it should be ok. In case of police checkpoints, they will be more interested to see the bike papers than your driver license and you call always show your international/country driver license even it have no real value here.

For the insurance, since you won't have a valid driver license, there is big risk that they won't cover you anyway.

If you come in China in the Macau area before July, I can drive you to a local bike shop and help you find a bike. You will have a used local 125/150cc for 3000 to 5000 RMB. If you want to land in another region, go to MyChinaMoto.com - Chinese Motorcycle Community and Resources, a forum used by many riders across China.

Brice, thanks for your reply - I do greatly appreciate it. And thanks very much for the offer to take me to a local store - it's very generous of you! At this stage though, it looks like I'll be landing in Shanghai. I will definitely check out the link that you posted though.

I have not been to China before, so am in the dark a little as to the political situation there. Like India, if you're involved in an accident, is it possible to settle the matter on the spot with cash, in order to avoid both the police and insurance companies?

Also, how often are you likely to encounter border crossings and police checks? Daily? Only in certain areas? Only when crossing provincial borders? I'd love to make my way towards Lhasa - is this unrealistic, given the political sensitivity of the region?

Your time, and knowledge is greatly appreciated!

PS. Wuming - I replied to your question on the other thread here. I am not looking to take the bike out of China.

This happened to me. See my ride report here Few weeks in South West China - MyChinaMoto.
I settled by paying the family and got reimbursed partly by the bike insurance. You won't avoid the Police but they will help/force you to settle as they did with me.

Police/military checkpoints are seldom. They don't really care about bikes unless there is an accident.
Riding to Lhassa, you will certainly meet some checkpoints and if they stop you, they will ask you to got back if you don't have the special visa needed for Tibet.

In Shanghai, there are many western riders and some of them could help you for the bike.

James / Wuming, drop me an email at farqhuarforever@yahoo.com.au and I'll try and answer your questions.

In essence, I took a laisse faire attitude towards achieving my objectives (as Nike is wont to say "just do it!").

Brice and others were of invaluable asistance in helping me purchase my bike.

As far as local officials being an obstacle, the reverse was true, although I do NOT recommend Shanghai as the best place in which to attempt to perform all the illegalities I did.

Garry from Oz.

Thanks again to everyone for their replies - I'm starting to think that this might actually be possible! :clap:

Brice - I've read your ride report on MyChinaMoto - amazing! What do you think the practicalities of riding in a group of 3 would be? I'm doing all of the research on behalf of a group of 3 riders. Will riding in a group of 3 be ok as far as police are concerned? And what about the prospect of buying 3 bikes, instead of 1?

I'm thinking now of maybe purchasing the bike(s) in the Macau area, and taking you up on your offer Brice with help to buy them. My two friends will be flying from Australia (I'm coming from Japan), and Macau should be very easy for them to get to and meet me at. I've also been reading Chris's tales on both his blog, and MyChinaMoto - and a loop from Macau seems like a good ride, for both scenery, and the cultural aspect.

As always - comments, advice and recommendations are most welcome!

Jimmy

Riding in a small group will be easier for navigation, bike failures and not a real issue with Police. You will also save money because it is common to find cheap hotels with 2 or 3 beds per bedroom.

Buying 3 bikes in a very short time all with papers/plates will be a little bit more complicated but doable. I know 2 or 3 places where you can find some.

Your friends need to understand that you will be not legal regarding the Chinese traffic code because of the lack of Chinese driver license and that you will be on your own once on the road.

To be precise, I'm not in Macau but in the border town called Zhuhai on the Chinese mainland side. From Australia, it is easy to flight to Macau with low cost airlines. From Japan, you can flight to HK then take a one hour ferry to Zhuhai/Macau.

You won't be able to ride in Macau because there is a border to cross from China mainland like HK. You also need to know that many large cities have banned bikes in their inner center.

Do you intend to do a one way trip or a loop?

How long is your planned trip? Count between 200/300km per day in average unless you ride very hard and want to seriously increase the risks. No night ride.

Brice

G'Day,

Let's all go to Australia and drive - ride vehicles without proper documents and driving license!!!! Think twice, would you do this in your own home country.....

Best regards, Butch

ps: foreigners have been detained for up to 10 days and deported in the past for driving without the appropriate doc's..... bloody morons!

Butch, the difference is that in Australia 99 out of 100 local drivers have a licence and the rules are rigidly enforced. In China the percentage of licenced drivers is far less. I specifically spoke to Chinese in Australia (who had recently emigrated from China) before I elected to take the risk. Their advice was to ignore what you would do in Australia and instead to do the things the Chinese way - specifically that in China there was a far more relaxed approach to the road rules.... and given my experiences in China I can certainly attest to this fact.

Look at the number of children riding/driving, the poor and unsafe condition of most vehicles, the chaotic driving and continual ignoring of road rules.

Look at the fact that the police, far from impeding my travels, actively condoned and encouraged me whenever they could. I had one, and only one, experience on my second last day in Shanghai, where I inadvertently broke one of the traffic rules and the policeman demanded to see my licence. I showed him my international one and he said this was not valid for China, told me to get off the bike and push it instead. I did, around the corner before hopping back on again - a far cry from being detained for 10 days before deportation.

So it's basically horses for courses Butch.

Garry from Oz.

For most people a 150 or 125 is too small for the ego. I have been riding a 250 around asia for 8 years, its does the job, and in some conditions its perfect. When you're up to your hubs in mud or in deep sand the lighter bike is a blessing, its just not so much fun on the highway, and the aren't so many of those in most Asian countries and when there is a constant threat of pigs, dogs, cows or children running into the road its much safer to keep ones speed down to 60mph or 90kmh .

The local bike shop here gets asked about KTMs and BMWs all the time by travellers, they are completely innapropriate, there are no parts and nobody knows how to fix them.

It is difficult to find used bikes above 150cc with real plate and papers in China, same for parts so better to stick with the standard.

Butch - thanks very much for your concern. Rest assured that this is something that I'm putting a lot of thought into (and no decision has yet been made either). I'm aware of the repercussions, but am also aware (having ridden extensively in India and Vietnam), that not all countries enforce their road rules the same way Australia does, as Garry (amongst others) has attested. Of course - this still doesn't make it right!

If we do proceed, we will certainly not consider any bike that isn't local. A non local bike will be hard to get serviced/repaired if something goes wrong, attract unnecessary attention on the road, and be too hard to obtain in the first place! For me, size is not important - it's about the journey, not how big your ride is! And just like the road rules, I know that the quality of the roads in Asia is not like back in Australia either! If 150 is ok for the locals, then it's certainly ok for me too...

At this stage, I'm not sure whether to do a one way trip, or a loop. Do you think it would be possible to arrange a 'buy back' deal on the bikes with the potential sellers, if we were to ride in a loop?

We certainly wouldn't be looking at riding more than 300km in an average day. We plan to enjoy ourselves, and get to know a country and it's people, rather than set any land speed records!

Thanks again for everybody's help,

Jimmy

Do not count on it but as Garry did, you should be able to sell them wherever you will leave China with a big discount (for the buyers).

If you ride in China, or in any country, without your and the vehicle´s papers not 100% OK, you run a risk of being royally screwed, in case you are involved in any serious accident.


In Asia, a foreigner is usually presumed guilty no matter what, and the more serious the consequences of an accident, the higher the probability, that you´ll find yourself neck-deep in trouble, even if you have all papers in order. Will be a lot worse, if you dont.


Of course most travellers will not have any troubles of such nature. But that does not mean the risk isnt there, and whether you are willing to take it or not, is something you should decide, before you go on a trip like that.
´Im on a holiday, so nothing can happen´ is a very common attitude, but it may not always be true.

Hi all,

I would never condone riding in China without documentation, and yes not having a Chinese driving license could technically get your bike impounded, give you a 200-2,000 RMB fine and see you in a detention center for up to 15 days, and possible deportation, this is the law as written. :nono:

The reality is, luckily, that this is highly unlikely and farqhuar's experiences are by far the most likely outcome. Although I think he was a bit nuts to ride without plates and insurance. :thumbdown:

My view, as long as you are not involved in accident and have plates and insurance chances are over one month ride in China.....

-Successful ride, no serious hassle from the police (small on the spot fine at worse) 96%
-Cops impound your ride, and possible fine 3%
-Worst case scenario (above) 1%

Those are the risks for small town/rural China, big cities have worse odds.

We are adults! Assess the risks for yourselves! If in doubt go to Taiwan province :wink2:

Hi ZMC, I also initially shared your concerns about registration etc., however, I was assured by my Chinese host that I would have one month in which to obtain plates etc..

I set off with trepidation and I even suggested to my host that I find a set of old plates from somewhere so as not to draaw attention to myself (in Australia any vehicle without plates is a magnet for the local constabulary) but he said no, I would be in real trouble if found to have false plates rather than none. to be fair to him, he had gone through exactly the same exercise a month or two earlier so he did know what he was talking about.

To my surprise, once on the road I saw MANY vehicles without plates, even including police cars. It was on my 3rd day of riding when I had the bike checked out by police (who were only interested in who I was and where I came from, and ensuring that I obtained a positive impression of Chinese government officials) that they stated to me that it was not a problem and was quite normal for a new vehicle.

Prior to this I had been shying away from interacting with the police but afterwards I went out of my way at least 6 times a day to find them and ask for their assistance in directing me to my preferred location. They always went out of their way to help and get me on my way again

So yeah, I was a little nuts, but it was a calculated risk and turned out to be the correct one. :)

Would I do it again? You just try and stop me! :biggrin3:

Garry from Oz.

I'm not talking about concerns, I'm talking about actual Chinese traffic law as it is written, making people believe that they can ride for one month on the highway, that's wrong, and you were misled. Maybe you have a month to get plates from the PSB traffic division, but that is probably as long as the bike is at the dealership or outside your apartment block, not on the street! The law clearly states that no motorized vehicle may use a road or even car park or town square without plates or temporary plates, and the punishment is the vehicle being impounded and 200-2000 RMB fine twice over with no insurance too, suspension of license and detainment for up to 15 days as well with fake plates.

I've been here 7 years I know the reality is different from the law 99.9% of the time. The problem is that things here can be enforced on a purge basis, or you go to the wrong place or have an accident things change very quickly........

The best thing really is to at least have plates and insurance, as they can be pretty cheap in many provinces, only 300 RMB.

I'm pretty keen on helping people ride in China even if they have no Chinese license, but encouraging people to ride without plates and insurance, which are things they can obtain is a bit silly. Just because you get way with it a few times doesn't mean you can get away with in indefinitely. Come to ride in China but at least try to stay under the radar!

So Butch, it seems as if you've found a soul brother in ZMC in order to discredit my journey.

Well guys, if you've got that big a chip on your shoulders, then there is nothing I can do about it.

I tell my tale as I experienced it, there is nothing embellished and I gave the local police and government officials ample opportunity to stop me. In plain English, they weren't interested.

Let's give it a rest. I did what I did, I don't resile from it, and given half a chance I'd do it again tomorrow.

Garry from Oz.

Farqhuar! I'm not trying to discredit you! I've also read Butch's posts, and I disagree with him, he's much too extreme in his views in my opinion. :thumbdown:

I believe your story, I said before that it is highly probable.

I have no chip on my shoulders, I'm just trying to give people good advice.

I have ridden in China well over 6 and a half years only with my home license, but with rego and insurance, only recently I got my Chinese license, so I'm hardly Mr Whiter than white. But I know friends even in my city (3rd biggest in the province), who have had a bike impounded. Shanghaifingers at MyChinaMoto got 15 days in a detention center for riding without a license in Shanghai, and Brice would have been in deep(er) shit if what had happened to him had happened without all the legal paperwork. Everything is fine 99.9% of the time until the event of an accident, then they dig around to try to find something wrong, or you get stopped by the wrong cop. I'm just saying that people should be as legal as possible.

There's people out there that tell others NO! "Don't ride here, it's illegal without a Chinese license", and then leave you the links to buy their DVD or read their blog, and in my opinion want to keep riding in China to themselves, which is selfish and use the law to back up their argument.

All I'm saying is take a look at the actual laws:

Beijing Traffic Management Bureau
Chinese Driving Test Theoretical

I'm GLAD you rode around with no problems. But I am saying to others get yourself protected as much as you can. If you come back spend an extra $85AUD to get yourself rego, 99% of the time it won't matter, but just for that 1% chance it's a good investment. I'm happy to help you get rego too, come see me, if you come back for a ride here. :thumbup1:

Ok ZMC, I take it back. :flowers: Good to hear you have also had good experiences riding in China.

I just want to stress again, however,

1. I made the decision to ride without plates because I genuinely believed (and still do) that I had the 31 days to ride without them. I was advised this by the HUBB member who assisted me in buying the bike (he had done the same) and the dealer who I purchased the bike from. I was still nervous about it initially though because it is an alien concept in Australia to do such a thing.
2. Daily I saw many, many new vehicles driving without plates, including (but not limited to)convoys of trucks driving from one city to the next.
3. I even saw police cars on highway patrol driving without plates.
4. I had police take photos of me with my bike and none of them ever commented on any way on the absence of plates - for the first couple of days I tried to park the bike in such a way that the lack of plates was not conspicuous but then I realised it was impossible to hide the fact because in China you need to have plates on both the front and rear of your bike.

All in all, it sounds like this is probably a bit of a grey area, although for me, my experiences corroborated the advice I had been given.

Garry from Oz.

Farqhuar mate!

China is bonkers, they ignore their own laws on mass! I see it everyday. In Chinese law you cannot drink any alcohol at all and drive! I don't see many people obeying the law in my area.

They run red lights, talk on cell phones when they drive, drive down the wrong side of the road and smoke and drive, everyone does these things, but the law as it is written forbids them all.

Yeah also about the long term people here, there is a difference, we often have families here so need to stay out of trouble, also have gone to lots of hassle through bureaucratic red tape to keep legal, and probably we don't want people telling us it was a waste of time and money (so an element of sour grapes from some) but we and have seen and heard what happens when shit hits the fan.

Most Chinese people don't know the law, because they cheat on the driving theory test! :rolleyes3: They also believe because everyone else does something illegal, they can too!

Also the smaller the city and the more rural the area, the less the law is followed, and the more people are interested in foreigners and are happy to help you on your way. There are also loads of types of police, different kinds of security police, military police etc, who knows how many of them you met were actually traffic cops!

The rulebook is usually only taken out of the draw and dusted off after an accident or if some cops want to make some money from motorists.

I still can't understand why you'd come back and but not bother with rego and insurance when you can get them though.

Riding without proper registration/plate/driver license is certainly illegal everywhere in the world.

After we are supposed to be some big boys (and girls) here so this is a personal decision to do it or not.

I have a legal driver license and 2 bikes in China. One bike has no registration, one is fully legal and insured.

I did my South West China trip with the legal one because it was the more appropriate for the purpose but I will have done it with the other else. I was involved in a light accident with a kid. Police came, check the papers and license. Even if I was not responsible they kept the pressure on me until I settled a deal with the family. My consulate was in the loop and they told me more or less what ZMC888 said if I hadn't been legal or ready to settle (2 weeks in jail and/or expulsion).

On the road dealing with Chinese Police is not as painful as in many western countries. They are surprised at first but often helpful. If something goes wrong like an accident or a road blocked for "security reasons", you have to make the effort to understand their logic and follow it diligently. And here it can be difficult because their logic is sometimes not so logic for western people.


Brice

Hi all

I am new to the HUB and have found all of your posts very interesting as I am planning on riding from China (Beijing) back to the UK. There are a number of issues that are concerning me and that I hope you can lend your wisdom to:

1) I have read a lot about the benefits and risks of not getting proper registration and insurance and understand that it is up to personal preference at the end of the day. What I would ask is if you are going to do it legit then a) what paper work do you need as a foreigner buying a bike in China and b) how long does it take?

2) As I am planning on exporting a bike out of China what are the likely problems at border crossings with a) an unlicsenced and non-plated bike or alternatively licensed, fully documented one, and b) will I have problems in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan etc if the bike is registered in China and ownership docs are in Chinese?!

All advice is hugely appreciated as so far I have taken a rather ad-hock approach to organising this trip!
Cheers
Fynn

Fynnbar, I have recently finished a website about riding in China, it's on my signature, take a look, feel free to PM or email me if you have any questions. Most of the questions you have are answered on the site. Or go to mychinamoto.com, join the forum and ask your questions there, after you have read some previous posts.

Most people who have ridden a lot in China will tell you no license and insurance is a very bad idea :nono: also It will be very difficult to impossible to get a bike out of China without plates and documents, but with them, there is no guarantee, but possible at least.

The traffic rules are toughening up, this is creating a safer road environment, but the Chinese authorities also want everyone to follow the rules.

Thanks ZM,
I will have a look through it. I the mean time is there any chance you could send me your email so that I can get back to you that way, as unfortunately I cant PM you as I don't have enough posts yet.
Cheers

Some thing alot of people over look (me included) That they have seen on a forum or heard from other people that you have 30 days once you have bought a motorcycle/car here before you have to legally register it.

This is partially true when you study the Chinese traffic /driving laws you do have 30 days grace before you have to legally register the vehicle so long as you seek a permit for the vehicle for that 30 days from the appropriate authorities.

Buying a Bike in China
 

Hey guys, I am new to this forum but I might be able to lend a word here.

I bought and drove a Chinese motorcycle through China (on a tourist visa) last fall from Aug- Oct. of 2008. I have tons of pics, info, border details and more on my website if you are interested in that.

As for buying the bike, the dealers are no good because you cannot register the bike. So, I just went to the town I wanted to start in (Shangri-la) and then I found a bike someone owned on the street. I sat down next to the bike until its owner returned and then I made an offer. That easy!

Now, once you get the bike (remember, EVERYTHING is for sale in China!), you need to get the owner to write you a letter (in Chinese) saying that you have permission to ride the bike, take it out of the area, etc. This is NOT legal, but it's better than nothing! Insist on getting a copy of his national ID card AND your passport together on the same paper. Make about 10 copies of this letter and keep them on you!

I got caught riding by the cops 6 times! Each time I showed that letter and the cops seemed to be satisfied by this. I also wrote a lot about how to fool the cops, make quasi-legal paperwork etc. on my website and in my book. (also on site)

Hope it helps.

By the way, I paid about $600 USD for a 2004 Zhongshen 150cc dirtbike with about 7,000 km on the odometer. It was good enough to take me 12,000 kms to the Tibet border, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3105/...dc2e00.jpg?v=0


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3042/...d4928f.jpg?v=0
Chris
Chris' Trans-Continental Motorcycle Adventures

Chris you sly fox.

$600 seems a lot for a 5 year old bike. 12 000 kms is a great trip and the bike was very reliable.
Will look at the website.

From inside China, $600 seems ok considering how he bought it, he is a westerner and a 150cc dirt bike is not so common around here.

A used Chinese CG125 will be around $300/$400.

I hate to say it, but i'm going to finally crack and say it on the forum...

...the amount of people who talk absolute shite on this forum is incredible. Its a very useful tool alot of the time, its just a shame you have to wade through all the crap and moral-men out there to advise you on your trip.

I'm with Farqhuar here. There isn't a chinese policeman outside Beijing or Shanghai who has the language skills nor the malice to bother with a friendly looking westerner on a small bike pootling about with or without plates/registration/whatever. They will be delighted to see you and probably take a few pictures on their camera phone and call their friends and generally be pleased to be of any help (but the fact is they probably can't...because even they don't know where they are).

Why do people persist here on telling people whats morally right/morally possible, we are all big boys and can make up our minds.

Farqhaur has done it, as have i around Chengdu and its complete bollocks to suggest otherwise. In china (and i'm gonna say most of the third world) there aren't any absolute rules because there isn't legally speaking a 'correct way to do it'.
So if a cop takes a disliking to you he's gonna be able to find a way to book you, so you might as well make his life easy and say '**** the lot' instead of messing around with getting plates/chinese drivers license and all the other associated beaurocratic crap...which still leaves you riding a bike illegally.

Why don't people just post their advice on here from their experiences, not their opinions and what they 'believe' and things small birds told them, and things they had dreams about.

Christ.

Joe,

Advice I have given isn't from what some bloke told me down the pub, nor most of the long term residents who live here. It is actual experience of LIVING in China for the last freakin 7 years. Clocking up 50,000 kms on motorcycles and 20,000 kms on a bicycle!!!!!!

That's really odd, because I was stopped two weeks ago (the 4th time I've been stopped), and luckily I had all my docs, so I was let go by the cops. No malice, but a desire to stop any vehicle that moved, they were hoping with some kind of illegality, so they could make a quick dollar, also they saw I was a foreigner and I don't live anywhere near SH or BJ. It used to be that being a foreigner alone used to be enough to avoid hassles (and that is still the case in small rural towns and other rural areas). Guess what? The rest of the country is changing and becoming more like BJ and SH, so as time passes, your opinion is becoming more incorrect.

I know this wasn't what you discovered in your experience of Chengdu, but if we give advice out on China, you have to consider what will happen to someone that goes to Shanghai and starts riding around on an unregistered, uninsured 125cc bike, possible deportation, imprisonment, fine etc. China is huge, provinces are all different and have different administrations. So go off and write your 'riding in Chengdu' guide, as you might be right, but you can't say the same for anywhere else.

I know its frustrating to not be allowed to own your own bike in your own name, the size engine you want, it isn't fair, but that's the way the law is in China, it doesn't mean you have the right to go and break laws you don't like or to go and tell others that your idea is correct.

An example of an accident involving a fully legal foreign rider with all documentation including registration, insurance and Chinese Driving License:

Location and Date: Sichuan, Spring 2008.

While crossing a village, a little girl runs in front of my bike, too late to avoid her and I hit her in the back with the front fender. I shout in my helmet, stop quickly then rush to check her. She is conscious and can move but she is a little knocked. She has a mark on the front of her head so I start to worry about something more serious. The road nearly empty one minute earlier is now crowded. Lot of people around are talking and looking, some are shouting. I ask to call a taxi to bring her to hospital, nobody is moving. I ask to call the family, the Grandmother arrives. The Grandmother goes back to her house to grab some money, then after more discussion she takes the girl to hospital with some relatives. I want to go with her but the villagers stop me and tell me that I have to wait for the Police.

A local policeman arrives within ten minutes, but he is not in charge on this kind of accident. I have to wait for the Traffic Police who will come from a larger town. I take photos from every angle to memorize the scene. The crowd is quiet, mostly curious about the accident and me. One or two people were hostile at the very beginning but it was more due to the language barrier than anything else. One hour later, when the Traffic Police arrive, this is the big game. They block the road and start their job. They assure me that I have nothing to worry about. Their investigation will be made according the rules... It will take me few days to understand what they mean. They find a translator to ease the communication, an English teacher from a local high school. The bike is put back where I hit the little girl.
I contact the Embassy. Some Embassy official calls me back few minutes later to have a quick report of the situation and give me some advice. He will follow this case for the next few days until its resolution. I try to get some news about the little girl but nobody knows how she is. I ask to go to the hospital to see her. After 5 hours, things are moving. Road is unblocked. The bike is parked at the local Police station then they bring me to a hotel for the night. As requested they will accompany me to the hospital next day. Next day at the hospital, I'm glad to see the little girl here with her Grandmother. The doctor tells me that she has nothing broken but because of the trauma on the head they need to keep her in observation few days.

To make it straight, somebody must pay for this accident and its consequences and even if I don't think that I am responsible, this will be me. The bike is insured, I'm a foreigner so considered wealthy. The girl's family is poor and the hospital is expensive. I will spend 3 more days in this village not by necessity but because the Police can choose the way they will write their accident report and my will keep the bike until I settle a deal with the family.
I'm leaving this village to Chengdu. I have some mixed feelings about these last days. I'm glad to know that the little girl is fine, but I hated the way they played by their f***ing rules. I paid 6000 Yuan (US$870) which is a big amount for China in the countryside. Insurance should reimburse half of it. Frankly, I don't care about the money. It is the way it is done that bothers me.

Read original under 'Ride reports' A few weeks on SE CHina on mychinamoto.com

Few weeks in South West China - MyChinaMoto

If this was an accident involving a foreigner with fully legal documentation, please imagine the consequences without documentation, before giving out your nonsensical advice.

Christ.

Lew

Where to buy a bike in china
 

Okay, so ... back to the topic ...

I will be in Hong Kong on October 2009, will only have one week to spend on biking. I know that 1 week is not much time - but it's all I have.
Buy and resell vs rental?
How easy would it be to buy a bike in a day - is there a specific area that is best?
With rental often they don't want you to travel far (even out of town)

JHMM

Thanks for bringing us back to the topic! :clap:


You could try to investigate renting in Hong Kong for week, there's more hidden away in Hong Kong than people think, and it would be safer and more legal.

If however you still have your heart set on China. I think you should buy 2nd hand on the edge of Shenzhen or Zhuhai. Try to just pick up a regular 125cc bike. I don't know about Guangdong province, but where I am 2nd hand prices from 3-4 years old hover at around 1500-2000 (US$250-300) Yuan as long as the bike is in reasonable condition, so you'd lose very little money in resale.

Make sure the bike comes with a big green registration book with up to date insurance, and a small blue motorcycle photo ID card book, with an up to date insurance card in it.

Happy Riding!

Where are you going to ride out of Hong Kong in one week? Seems like a massively expensife hassle to me. Sorry to say it but i'd just soak up Hong Kong...:funmeterno:

Thanks ZMC, for the advice on the paperwork that needs to come with the bike. Will obviously help when I get pulled over. I will visit Shenzhen to get the bike.
1000 yuan is not too much to lose on resale. Plus someone will get lucky and get a really cheap bike.
:Beach: I will have the first week to soak up Hong Kong - work related. The second week I want to see as much as possible , real world - not the normal tourist traps. Seven days should be good for 1000 miles round trip.

JHMM

I put some pictures of what the documents actually look like up here:
The Federated Motorcycle Club of China

JHMM,

I would forget Shenzhen and Guangzhou, the streets are pretty much swept clean of motorcycles these days, hardly any shops left. Try some of the smaller cities a little to the north, where bikes have not been banned. It's a better place to start your trip from and much easier to avoid "hassles".

Good luck with your adventure.

Cheers
ChinaV