There are broadly two classes of riders here in Shanghai, and I'm not counting the poseurs who just ride to Starbucks for coffee. These are guys who ride daily for transport, and those who ride "to get out of Dodge". I'm definitely one of the latter, having zero appetite for stop-and-swerve riding in urban chaos.
Riding out of town is only the most obvious method, and you can be in excellent riding country in four hours or so. Also highly recommended is shipping your bike by K train to a great roadhead city like Kunming (maybe 750 rmb), Guiyang (650 rmb) or Changsha (450 rmb), then transporting yourself by plane or train to meet your bike. This way you can hit some of China's great roads wtih a fresh start, saving yourself endless hours of East China riding drudgery. This "forward projection" approach probably costs less than riding directly if you factor in petrol, tolls and hotels.
We all have our own reasons for riding, and I fully respect yours. We're always looking for riders to join us in organizing adventure rides, and would welcome you and others to give it a try. Even if you wind up with a 'busa, you can throw some soft panniers over the saddle and you are good to go!
cheers!
