Newbie from Ohio,USA

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

Another thing worth mentioning, just because you have an extra gas can doesn't mean you can get it filled. Most stations won't fill cans, you will have to go down the road and transfer it out of your tank and then return to the station and top it off.

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Ha hah hah Yes, ChinaV I forgot about that one can't get a plastic or metal legal made can filled up ?
As I said Logic free Zone ???
But will fill a leaking kettle up that you have to walk 100 meters away to pour into your tank.

And don't forget that some petrol station will make you push the bike away from the pumps before you are allowed to start the engine.
Ok on a small 110cc bike that's 100kg but a big bike loaded up that comes in at 350kg makes life a bit hard

Here is pictures of 4 main low end cost chain hotels that do allow western people to stay.

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You can't find all this good shit out on HUBB?

Thanks to all 3 of you. Good info. Yes I started out on the HUBB and ADVrider. I'm an inmate on both. I got on this forum and RideAsia to find info from people in the area. I've traveled in many countries without knowing the first word of their languages. I've always gotten by. I do have a translator on my tablet.

I can afford good hotels. But I have slept many times on picnic tables. In Dusseldorf,Germany I gave up looking for rooms and slept on the pavement of a rest area. I may buy a tent when I get there. Sleeping on a picnic table in a heavy rain isn't as much fun as it used to be.

I have filled my tank with gas from buckets and milk jugs in Mexico and South America.

While I'm in China I will see touristy things. I'm not coming to Asia just to ride there.There are so many things I want to see. I just won't have enough time this trip. I wasn't planning to ride in big cities. I thought I would stay outside the city and get a ride to whatever attraction I wanted to see.

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Originally Posted by Doogle

Thanks to all 3 of you. Good info. Yes I started out on the HUBB

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OK, I've got to ask, what's the HUBB?

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I've traveled in many countries without knowing the first word of their languages.

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But in almost all other countries in the world you will be able to find someone who speaks a few words of English. Not so in most of China. As long as you are aware of this. You also may not know how poorly electronic translaters work between western languages and Chinese. I find electronic translation between English, German, Spanish and French is not perfect, but it is perfectly understandable. But between English and Chinese often ends up complete giberish. You can usually get by if you stick to very short and simple sentences (3 words: subject, verb, object) it usually works out good enough. But the Chinese person replying to you on your tablet may not know this and will reply to you in long poetic style will can be completely unintelligible by machine translation. Oh, yes, make sure you have Simplified Chinese language pack installed on your tablet as well as pinyin input method so that you can pass your tablet to have people reply to your questions.

It can all be workable but its good to have an idea what its like before coming here. It can seem almost like landing on mars.

Hi Bill

The HUBB...........http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/

The HUBB is very good for getting very good information about global travel.
But lacks GOOD up to date information with regards to China.
Just take your last trip by no means was it a short hop but just look at all the information you obtained but let's say in 5 years time ? would your experiences be of use? knowing how fast China is developing.
IMO I just not sure Bill......

You Had a friend at the end of the phone and I had my Wife look how quick we sorted out problems with these 2 people who could speak English very well and are Chinese.?
Just last week was riding around a remote area of Thailand and needed some help and yes I was able to find someone in the village who could speak some English.
That would never happen in China.

Then even with the help we had we was lucky as the people could speak Mandarin without a dialect?
Just with Mandarin, you have over 60 different Mandarin dialects.

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Link .......https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ies_of_Chinese


A very good point about pinyin.????

Hi Doogle
I have been reading some of your post on the HUBB.

Here on MCM are fully aware of Laura blog and has been posted and read on MCM before, her blog is very good and detailed with some very useful information...... but as mention by bigdamo who I think is a member here but lives back in OZ now made the point.......(Those Laura posts are from nearly 2 years ago. Things change by the day/week in China and it all depends on who and when you speak to and which part of China).

Take 1 point that Laura has made .......(She says they didn't need an official guide. Only a national Chinese person as an escort, and only in Xinjiang and Tibet provinces.)

Tibet ..... Yes need I guide, I have been looking to ride Tibet myself but have given up with the idea and I live here in China ?

Xinjiang .....

Just 8 weeks ago I passed through Xinjiang on my Chinese bike with no guide.
Lots of army and police checkpoint but no problem, could I do that next week ??? I just don't know things change on a daily basis.

If you wish to ride China tie-up with me in Thailand and I get you sorted with a bike let it be a new bike or a rental.
But with the Chinese DL, you will just have to take your chances.

That is the best advise I can give you and with me at your side you stand a better chance and I have a good idea of the rules and have good contact here in China

I will leave you with this about China

TIC = This is China!

1. Everything is possible in China.
2. Nothing is easy.
3. Patience is the essence of success.
4. The answer "yes" is not necessarily an indication of agreement or confirmation.
5. "You don't understand our country" means they disagree.
6. "Provisional regulations" mean they can change the rules any time they want, even retroactively.
7. "Basically, no problem" means a BIG problem.
8. "Signing a contract" means the beginning of the real negotiation.
9. When you are feeling optimistic, think about rule number two.
10. When you are feeling discouraged, think about rule number one.
11. It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to get permission.
12. If they tell you, that you know China very well, say NO - otherwise they'll show you, that you don't!

Source is from a Faceless asshole

Nuff Said

I think my schedule and yours are compatible. But what I want to do is a split between riding and sight seeing. There are a lot of things I want to see in China. Especially since I'll be half way around the world. I would like to have another month+ there. But that didn't work out this year. And I would probably like to come back again. But I haven't been to India or Antarctica yet. So repeating countries is a lower priority. Tibet and Nepal are very high on my "Next" list.

I caved in and downloaded WeChat on my tablet. I'll try to figure out how it works this week.
I will be working on my visa for Vietnam and China tomorrow. Vietnam seems to have changed and rescinded their policy the last couple months. Hope I get mine settled before they change again.

Repeating TBR again "Nuff said"

Still nothing from Jan!

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Originally Posted by billeuze

But in almost all other countries in the world you will be able to find someone who speaks a few words of English.

It can seem almost like landing on mars.

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I read that by 2030 there will be more English speaking people in China than any other country in the world. Riding through Russia and Mongolia I didn't find many English speakers either. Enough rubles always bought my gas, food, and hotels.

I'd pay good money to land on Mars.

Is the west coast of Canada Vancouver Island or Prince Rupert?

Spoke to Jan on WeChat about what he can and can't do for you ??? Can't or won't sort out shipping back from Beijing?

Can rent you a bike to be picked up in Kunming but need to be returned to Kunming?

Bike is a Shineray X5 400cc at $50 a day

Review link on MCM.

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...Yuan-X5-review

40 Pages of review to read??

What is your list of things to see in China?

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Originally Posted by Doogle

I read that by 2030 there will be more English speaking people in China than any other country in the world.

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Well, if you read that on the internet, then it must be true.

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Is the west coast of Canada Vancouver Island or Prince Rupert?

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mostly Vancouver Island.