Living in China - Asia Trips

[uk_vette]

Originally Posted by selzbytes

For the next 2 years we are hunkered down in China - Shanghai specifically. This presents us with an opportunity to plan and do some riding in Asia.

Thus far it appears to be more effort than I'm willing to do in order to ride in China - unless someone has figured that all out. So looking for suggested places to rent and ride in Asia.

I'm all ears -

Thanks in advance.

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Hi Selz,

I live in China, and have recently (last year) passed my car adn bike tests.

As mentioned, from www.mychinamoto.com of which I am a regular is a decent enough forum.
Many guys there to offer good advice.

Will you be applying for your Chinese bike driving licence?

Presume you have a full foreign licence, which just needs the Chinese (in English) computer part of teh test in order for you to get your legal Chinese bike licence.

Don't think about buying one of the fake licences, they might have worked several years ago, but them days are passed.

No need to go outside China really, there thousands and thousands of trails to ride in China, from mountains, and lakes, there is every thing.

I have the car and bike computer questions and answers if you want to test yourself.

Gra.

[uk_vette]

Originally Posted by selzbytes

Sinned,

Thank you for a very thorough description - I'm motorcycle licensed in US, and can get international license without much effort.

I'm living outside the inner circle of Shanghai - Pudong out near Century Park.

With regard to simply running errands and such in the greater area, what are the requirements for a lower displacement bike?

Thinking we'll just take our major riding trips outside of China, and simply buzz around here on a standard with 100cc or so................... If I understood some locals correctly small displacement (100 and under) are treated like bicycles - no license required. When I asked if there were issues of licensing, or purchasing gas, etc, they advised that small displacement is no issue.

Thanks in advance - missing being on 2 wheels of any size.

.

Originally Posted by selzbytes

Sinned,

Thank you for a very thorough description - I'm motorcycle licensed in US, and can get international license without much effort. [IMG]file:///C:\Users\GRAHAM~1.GRA\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\ 01\clip_image001.gif[/IMG]

Sorry to tell you, but an international Drivers licence, isn’t really a licence, and as such, it isn’t worth the paper it’s written on in China.

Originally Posted by selzbytes

I'm living outside the inner circle of Shanghai - Pudong out near Century Park.

With regard to simply running errands and such in the greater area, what are the requirements for a lower displacement bike?

Thinking we'll just take our major riding trips outside of China, and simply buzz around here on a standard with 100cc or so................... If I understood some locals correctly small displacement (100 and under) are treated like bicycles - no license required. When I asked if there were issues of licensing, or purchasing gas, etc, they advised that small displacement is no issue.

Thanks in advance - missing being on 2 wheels of any size. [IMG]file:///C:\Users\GRAHAM~1.GRA\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\ 01\clip_image001.gif[/IMG]

.
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I think you will find, that the rules and regulations in China regarding 49cc ‘ers is changing fast.
You can probably be OK in 3rd tier cities, but not in any thing like Shanghai.

You can take a chance, and that’s what it will be, but you will get stopped in Shanghai.
Probably lose your ride, and get slapped with a fine, or at the worst, 14 days porridge.

However, they all fall into insignificance, should you have an accident with an unlicensed / uninsured bike.

Gra.

[selzbytes]

The more I read and learn the more I think I'll pass on ownership within Shanghai. Mostly due to the liability of being guilty of being a foreigner - if anything happens I'm basically screwed. I can live with planned trips outside of Shanghai or China. Chang Mei is first on the list - Australia second.

[Pecha72]

Originally Posted by selzbytes

if anything happens I'm basically screwed.

I´m afraid it´s not just China, where you have a good chance to be considered the ´guilty´ party, no matter what happened. China of course may be one of the worst, because it´s very hard for foreigners to even ride there 100% legally, but plenty of examples of basically the same thing with accidents all over Asia. Also the whole insurance thing is very, very different to what you may be used to back home. Add to this the language barrier, possible corruption, etc., and it is one of the biggest downsides of the otherwise splendid area for riding bikes. Not meaning to scare anyone, but a major accident (and its aftermath) will be almost guaranteed to give you a major headache.

But despite that, I do enjoy riding there, and I´ve done some of the best rides of my life in Asia, so I still recommend it. Just be aware of the risks, and take time to learn the local ways in traffic.

[nigerianwombat]

Originally Posted by uk_vette

.
Hi Selz,

I live in China, and have recently (last year) passed my car adn bike tests.

As mentioned, from www.mychinamoto.com of which I am a regular is a decent enough forum.
Many guys there to offer good advice.

Will you be applying for your Chinese bike driving licence?

Presume you have a full foreign licence, which just needs the Chinese (in English) computer part of teh test in order for you to get your legal Chinese bike licence.

Don't think about buying one of the fake licences, they might have worked several years ago, but them days are passed.

No need to go outside China really, there thousands and thousands of trails to ride in China, from mountains, and lakes, there is every thing.

I have the car and bike computer questions and answers if you want to test yourself.

Gra.

Hello Vette.

I live in China too and until now have been looking for a crooked cop to buy a license from. Just been too busy to get it done. Really where I live I probably don't even need a plate. Nearest town, 10km away has 60,000 people and I only see police in that town centre. I am in Afghanistan half the year and have buses and bikes to keep me going when I'm here but wouldn't mind having a look at those answers if you still have them. I understood the computer selects 100 randomly from 1400 crazy questions and really only a fool would study if you could pay a cop 500 RMB. Apparently that is the rate here.