Shanghai Inner Ring Number Plate Price & Registration Process

Afternoon Shanghai peoples,

I would like to get fully legal for riding in Shanghai and I would like as much of your up-to-date wisdom on this subject as possible on:

1) how to register a bike for inside the inner ring and
2) how to purchase a number plate that will not cost the ¥46,000 that I was quoted yesterday by the Regal Raptor sales woman.

I have my Chinese bike licence albeit registered in Hangzhou as my visa is registered there, but I have a Shanghai residence permit.

I also understand that there are two schools of thought on this forum as to getting legal or not. My foremost requirement to get legal is because I cannot afford to get kicked out of China and since I am self employed I cannot really afford one of these 10-15 day stints in the clanger either. The other reason is that I have a bunch of motorbiking mates in Shenzhen and we have been planning a 3-4 week trip into the depths of South East Asia sometime in the next 18 months and in order to get out of China and then back in again any bike I use will need to be 100% legit, plates, tax, insurance the lot.

I realise the plate will probably cost >¥30K, but ¥46K seems pretty damn punchy?

If all this has already been covered in the forum my apologies, I just couldn't find it on searching.

Thanks in advance.

Bad news, that woman isn't lying to you. It really does cost that much get legal inside the inner ring.
Good news, you wouldn't be going to jail just for riding an illegal bike as long as your have a real driving license.

Have a look at this thread, it's a great place to start!

Most Shanghainese don't live inside of inner ring. It is smallish and crowded. We motorcyclists outside of it don't usually venture into it on our bikes. The best mode of transporation for inner ring is subway. If you don't live inside of it, you may opt for the Shanghai Yellow C plate, which is less than 10k RMB I believe. As long as you stay outside of the inner ring, it works fine. It's legal, not too expensive and making no difference once you get outside of Shanghai.

I don't think anyone in their right mind would opt for the 40k+ option if it were just a straight fee. But it's not, unless the government decides to change the policy. Rather, believe it or not, it's a liquid commodity that can be bought and sold and, due to scarcity, is appreciating in value. What is 46k now was 42k less than a year ago. You own that plate and you can dispose of it later on the free market for whatever the market will bear. Makes the pain a bit less painful.

But there have been scares -- big ones. Just last month, people were reporting paying only 10,000+ for a car plate, and by one unconfirmed report someone paid 3k for a bike plate. This sent shudders through Shanghai, which up to now has been the only major Chinese city to limit plates through monthly auctions of a limited amount of new plates. Did the sudden drop in price mean Shanghai was dropping these controls, which, though onerous for people of limited means, are the main explanation why Shanghai's streets have such (relatively) light traffic. The latest reports were that it was a computer glitch! And a few lucky folks scored big time, unless the city comes after them to make the mistake right. These recent reports say there's no change to the auction system.

The unhappy part for motorcycles is that there is no monthly auction of motorcycle plates, so unless the government releases a new tranche, their number is capped at a fixed number. Worse yet, a motorcycle plate can be transferred to a car, while a car plate cannot be transfered to a bike. So the number of motorbike plates is probably actually shrinking, not rising.

So Shanghai is a mixed blessing indeed. Unlike many cities, you at least can get legal on a bike -- but it'll cost you. However, a big chunk of that cost can presumably be recovered if you sell or retire your bike or take it out of Shanghai and register elsewhere. Surely someone in the market will want to buy your plates from you.

cheers

:rolleyes1:Bike plates, yellow HU A's are no longer produced... in other words there are no NEW plates... What ever is out there is out there and when someone sells their plate then you can buy that plates and it is renewed under the new name and the plate is then good as NEW. It is not good for 11 years. This happens quite often, It usually takes about 1-2 months to find and complete the transfer (although some have done it quicker). Most dealers use a "fixer" to arrange the plates on their behalf so some money goes to this service and that understandable. Bigger dealers like Harley have people in their organization to do this for the customers, but smaller dealers use outside help.... either way the plates are expensive. Cars have new plates coming every month and so you see a flux in price and as stated earlier last month it was only 10,000 rmb for a CAR, but bikes did not change unless we are talking up in price. 4 years ago they were only 25-30,000 and not they are 46,000. The plates are bought and sold quite easily and often you will make money on the sale of the plate so the price is negligible. If you want to be legal its the only way....

To get an "A" plates you must have a central Hukou (from a district within the Inner and something Middle ring) However I have customers and friends who have used other Shanghai district and still been able to buy the coveted HU A (not sure the process).

The sudden drop in the price is due to the fact that 2 months ago plates sales where very low and so the market price this month plumeted and will now steeply climb up as we approach the Chinese new year.... Nothing say happy new year then a new car. I bought a plate for 12,000 rmb and I now have three months to buy new car to put it on... then wait and sell my old car and plate at the usual rate:thumbsup:

I would like to get some advice about how to get the Shanghai inner plate. I have a cj sidecar, plate from Nantong, I am a foreigner with residence permit in Shanghai. If anyone can be a bit specific about the details, i will appreciate. Thanks

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Originally Posted by Shanghaifingers

:rolleyes1:Bike plates, yellow HU A's are no longer produced... in other words there are no NEW plates... What ever is out there is out there and when someone sells their plate then you can buy that plates and it is renewed under the new name and the plate is then good as NEW. It is not good for 11 years. This happens quite often, It usually takes about 1-2 months to find and complete the transfer (although some have done it quicker). Most dealers use a "fixer" to arrange the plates on their behalf so some money goes to this service and that understandable. Bigger dealers like Harley have people in their organization to do this for the customers, but smaller dealers use outside help.... either way the plates are expensive. Cars have new plates coming every month and so you see a flux in price and as stated earlier last month it was only 10,000 rmb for a CAR, but bikes did not change unless we are talking up in price. 4 years ago they were only 25-30,000 and not they are 46,000. The plates are bought and sold quite easily and often you will make money on the sale of the plate so the price is negligible. If you want to be legal its the only way....

To get an "A" plates you must have a central Hukou (from a district within the Inner and something Middle ring) However I have customers and friends who have used other Shanghai district and still been able to buy the coveted HU A (not sure the process).

The sudden drop in the price is due to the fact that 2 months ago plates sales where very low and so the market price this month plumeted and will now steeply climb up as we approach the Chinese new year.... Nothing say happy new year then a new car. I bought a plate for 12,000 rmb and I now have three months to buy new car to put it on... then wait and sell my old car and plate at the usual rate:thumbsup:

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Welcome to the forum, Dil.

Most if not all of the info you need is in this forum. As Felix noted, do have a look at this thread, it's a great place to start!

It'll be interesting to see how far you get with a CJ750. I've not heard of anyone getting a proper 沪A plate for a CJ in recent years, but it's probably doable.

good luck!

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Originally Posted by Shanghaifingers

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The sudden drop in the price is due to the fact that 2 months ago plates sales where very low and so the market price this month plumeted and will now steeply climb up as we approach the Chinese new year.... Nothing say happy new year then a new car. I bought a plate for 12,000 rmb and I now have three months to buy new car to put it on... then wait and sell my old car and plate at the usual rate:thumbsup:

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You actually got at 12k plate? Awesome!

I've been thinking about this. If I didn't need to ride my motorcycle within the inner ring for daily transportation, it would be easier just to store the non-shanghai plated bike outside the inner ring and ride it whenever I wanted to. Kind of a hassle but could afford to get a nicer bike for what I spend on a plate.

Look,
guys ride outside plated motorcycles all the time in Shanghai, its not like you will be driving ALL the time downtown. You would probably only get a ticket once and awhile and so it will still cost you less then the cost of a A plate.... The only downside I see and feel myself is the frustration in the delays outside plates cause when stopped (I have had police formalities can take as long a 30 mins.) The max fine in shanghai is 200rmb but often a quick chat with the officer in NICE CALM tones (in Chinese) and sometimes you can get the officer to give you a less fine. On average i usually get a 50rmb fine. I don't think you need to park it outside the city, parking in the city is fine, you will only get a ticket if you get stopped while driving....

Please Please Please avoid using cloned plates or fake plates... it only makes thing worse.....

Thanks very much all for the input. I think I am going to buy in for the Regal Raptor DD250 G with the single shock and 28ltr tank. I will then probably do a full rebuild using loctite and rubber backing to make it a smother longer lasting ride as per ZMC888's suggestions. The plan, expensive as it is will be to get the bike fully legal in down town Shanghai under my name as Euphoniuos has kindly laid out the process in all it's miserable convoluted glory. I would like to get this all done and dusted before April so as the weather starts warming our toes I can hit the road for some longer rides.

Would also like to meet some of you Shanghai bikers so if anyone is keen for a beer in Puxi anytime then let me know. I can even bring a map of China to drool over and make plans!

If you are getting the Regal Raptor, the sales people there will handle the plate process for you (for various fees, of course) so you don't have to do the actual process yourself. On a side note, I believe all the Raptors have been upgraded to electronic fuel injection so make sure to get that version for easier starts in the cold.

Hey Wrangler,

Cheers for this. In fact I have been quoted the following breakdown without any bargaining at all (this was at the place at 189 Pubei Road that besides Regal Raptor are also seemingly dealers for Suzuki, BMW, Shineray, Beneli and Hyosung):

Regal Raptor DD250G: ¥16,800 (this is for the single rear shock, EFI, Twin Front discs, Single Rear disc and 28 litre tank, however I still think this is much too high - any opinions on this price are more than welcome?)
Purchase Tax @ 10%: ¥1680
Documents: ¥380
Insurance: ¥220
Road Tax: ¥120
Document Transfer Fee: ¥500
Commission: ¥300
Number Plate: ¥46,000 (ouch!!!)

These are my best translations of their list, so some might have slightly the wrong translation. However, any comments on this would be welcome. Also, I do not think that I am going to be able to get my Shanghai Residence Card (申请上海市居住证 or simply B证), so anyone who has had success in getting a plate in their own name without a B Zheng then please speak up now. Much appreciated!

Also, if anyone can suggest a Regal Raptor dealership in Shanghai that have any sort of professionalism/ experience then this would also help; the people down at Pubei Lu were totally useless.

Cheers,
Tommy

Is yours watercooled? If not, it seems rather high but if so, it seems about right. But then again, it's my understanding that all the models went up 1K for EFI. You can probably negotiate another 1k off the entire amount. Just give them an offer. If you go on the chinese website you can see what the recommended price is. The shanghai prices are 2k more. I wasn't able to find another dealer. I called the headquarters office 6 months ago and at that time the pubei lu was their only dealership. For the street bikes I am thinking the Regal Raptors are overpriced in Shanghai. 8K more could get you a YBR250 I believe with a lot less worries.

"Number Plate: ¥46,000 (ouch!!!)" WTF???? Double ouch and I thought that our fee at $48 was expensive.

Does anybody know of any sales outlets for the Regal Raptor in Shanghai? More specifically in the Minhang area?
I'm a new rider and currently looking at 250cc's available in Shanghai. Does anybody have any info regarding what's hot or not? I like the look of the Honda CBR250, but i'm on a budget so a Chinese equivalent might be the better option. I'm still on my little scooter and desperately looking for my first 'real' bike.
Another quickie if i may, regarding the shanghai plates. Are cheaper options available for use in the MinHang district, with an engine size of 250cc or under?

I believe the one at 189 Pubei Road is about as close as you can get. That's 20-30 minutes walking distance from Shanghai South Railway Station. There is a motorcycle/scooter store just down the road west from Dragonriders on Wuzhong Lu that has a few Zongshen dual sport bikes but no Regal Raptors that I saw last time I was there.

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Originally Posted by dewsnap

Another quickie if i may, regarding the shanghai plates. Are cheaper options available for use in the MinHang district, with an engine size of 250cc or under?

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MinHang is outside the inner ring right? There should be cheaper plates available there, around 7000 RMB if i remember correctly. You just won't be allowed to drive into town with them.

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Originally Posted by felix

MinHang is outside the inner ring right? There should be cheaper plates available there, around 7000 RMB if i remember correctly. You just won't be allowed to drive into town with them.

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I remember it as closer to 3000 or 4000, but it's a fee, not a purchase, so they are not transferable upon sale. These are the blue plates, as opposed to yeller.

cheers

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Originally Posted by euphonius

I remember it as closer to 3000 or 4000, but it's a fee, not a purchase, so they are not transferable upon sale. These are the blue plates, as opposed to yeller.

cheers

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Last I checked these were 17000. For foreigners however it depends upon your Visa. When I asked about this I was told that although I lived in Minhang, and worked in Songjiang, because my Visa was issued by a company in Pudong I was SOL for getting cheaper plates. Someone PLEASE prove me wrong on this, as I would happily get a C-Z plate for a new bike.

I'll ask a rider when I go out today.

Then again, you could call these guys and have one custom made, assuming you are prepared to buy in lots of 100,000.

http://akamai.globalsources.com.edge...1037623714.jpg

I always thought license plates were made in prison?

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Originally Posted by Nuhaus

Last I checked these were 17000. For foreigners however it depends upon your Visa. When I asked about this I was told that although I lived in Minhang, and worked in Songjiang, because my Visa was issued by a company in Pudong I was SOL for getting cheaper plates. Someone PLEASE prove me wrong on this, as I would happily get a C-Z plate for a new bike.

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Motorcycles with engine size larger than 50cc require yellow plates, including yellow A, B and C. Only bikes of less than or equal to 50cc are eligible for those plates mentioned here costing around 17000, which are blue A with similar access coverage of city roads as yellow A and B. As far as your situation goes, since Minhang, Songjiang and Pudong all three allow yellow C plate, you are in luck for the cheaper yellow c option, which costs around 5000. (I am pretty sure about yellow C and Pudong, of which I am a resident.) I believe you go to where your residency is located for your plate, not where your visa was issued or which company your visa was sponsored by.
Hope this helps. Cheers!

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Originally Posted by milton

Motorcycles with engine size larger than 50cc require yellow plates, including yellow A, B and C. Only bikes of less than or equal to 50cc are eligible for those plates mentioned here costing around 17000, which are blue A with similar access coverage of city roads as yellow A and B. As far as your situation goes, since Minhang, Songjiang and Pudong all three allow yellow C plate, you are in luck for the cheaper yellow c option, which costs around 5000. (I am pretty sure about yellow C and Pudong, of which I am a resident.) I believe you go to where your residence is located for your plate, not where your visa was issued or which company your visa was sponsored by.
Hope this helps. Cheers!

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Holy cats! I really had no idea about this. Very much appreciated information that is going to change my plans considerably in the near future. I'll have to check this out again during the week with the local authorities. I can't help but wonder why more people aren't doing this rather than risking fines and putting up with the inconvenience at local petrol stations.

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Originally Posted by Nuhaus

Holy cats! I really had no idea about this. Very much appreciated information that is going to change my plans considerably in the near future. I'll have to check this out again during the week with the local authorities. I can't help but wonder why more people aren't doing this rather than risking fines and putting up with the inconvenience at local petrol stations.

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A reminder: Yellow c can only enter those districts that allow it, which pretty much rules out almost all districts inside the inner ring. Yellow A and B can do more, but with many off-limit roads as well. There is an excellent Google map that marks those forbidden roads: http://ditu.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...6&ll=31.237756

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Originally Posted by milton

...There is an excellent Google map that marks those forbidden roads: http://ditu.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...6&ll=31.237756

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Excellent map, Milton! Very useful.

As for our new friend dewsnap in Minhang, there should be no problem using the yellow "no access inner ring" plate in his part of town, though this will render all of downtown Shanghai as forbidden fruit.

As we've discussed many times before in MCM, the maximum fine for riding a 沪C plate inside the ring is 200 RMB, or about US$30, and as long as your plate is legal it's unlikely the bike will be confiscated. You'll just be fined (if the officer is in that kinda mood) and sent on your way. OK, do the math -- it would take a hell of a lot of 200 RMB fines to approach 45000 RMB (225 times, to be exact, or once a day for almost 8 months). If I lived in Pudong or Minhang and had no need to ride inside the ring, that's surely what I'd do. I have the Inner Ring plate because that's where I live (and, as discussed ad nauseum, the 沪A plate hopefully appreciates in value...). But if I lived and worked outside the ring, I could think of few things more unsatisfying that motorcycling INTO Shanghai downtown. The awesome Shanghai metro will take you almost anywhere for under US$1 a trip.

cheers

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Originally Posted by euphonius

...the maximum fine for riding a 沪C plate inside the ring is 200 RMB

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What hasnt been mentioned on this forum yet is that as well as a 200 kuai fine, you also get 3 points taken off your license.

Your license has 12 points, which if lost come back automatically after a year, apparently. So you can afford to get caught 3 times, after that stop for a year or risk losing your license...

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Originally Posted by felix

Your license has 12 points, which if lost come back automatically after a year, apparently. So you can afford to get caught 3 times, after that stop for a year or risk losing your license...

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That makes it a little less likely to be abused. However, I still see lots of C plates when I'm downtown. Not to mention no plates whatsoever or (as unfortunately in my case) plates from another province entirely. 5000 is within my means. I'm very much surprised that more people aren't lining up to get these with the new laws in place, rather than lining up to get jerry cans.....

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Originally Posted by Wrangler

Is yours watercooled?

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Yep, watercooled and EFI. Still think it's pretty pricey tho!

I have tracked down three other supposed Raptor dealers so I am going to have a shop around and bargain a bit:

上海市嘉定区丰庄路317号

上海市长宁区长宁路1357号
and
上海市宝山区罗店镇罗升路212号

Anyone ever been to any of these addresses and can comment on whether they are legit Raptor dealers or some guy who happened to come across a Raptor for resale?

Only the second one is anywhere near central Shanghai. I'd start there first. It's in the Zhongshan Park area, roughly. Jiading and Baoshan are a hike.

It's a good strategy. Pubei Lu can compete on price with all the platinum priced hardware from BMW and Benelli next door. On Changning Lu (or in Jiading or Baoshan) the RR will be the priciest thing on the block, so you can start bitching about the price and perhaps be taken seriously. Say you live in the neighborhood, and don't let on that you even know about the Pubei shop.

Happy hunting!

cheers

Thanks so much for the map. That's gonna be really useful.
I'm delighted to see my University is just on the outskirts of the no go zone.
I didn't know it was so bloody close tho. Phew!

I wonder if anyone could clarify the boundaries a little more for me.
Where does the boundary start just south of Xujiahui? It looks like the intersection where IKEA is located just off Humin Highway? I think i need to start memorizing the boundaries.

Yeah, i'm also still seeing a lot of bikes around Shanghai with no plates.

Pubei Lu shop is owned by the same guy who owns the BMW and Benelli shop as well as the car service center.... Basically he owns the block.