Xi'an bikers - come out of the shadows!

Good morrow all mcm’ers and lurkers!

Even though i only moved to shanghai a few months ago, i have decided that before the end of this year i will pack up and move to Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, to pursue the next chapter of my china adventure. I'm pretty excited as this will move me further west into the country, closer to the all places that i'm really interested in trundling over on two or three wheels.

http://mqbqzw.bay.livefilestore.com/...0me.jpg?psid=1

I'm posting this thread to see if there are any kind members on the forum who are familiar with the city and could give me a heads up on what life is going to be like as a rider out there. This information is difficult to come by without going there or knowing anyone out there. I'm wondering about things like whether the motorbike ban is actually enforced or not. I read on Chinese forums about the official ban, and apparently no bikes are allowed within the 3rd ring road.

http://mqbqzw.bay.livefilestore.com/...ban.jpg?psid=1

I find this a bit hard to believe as that’s basically all of xi’an, so I’m wondering if there’s anyone who rides out there that could tell me how strict they are about this.

I’m also wondering about the biker community out there. If there are bikers, there are probably good local spots to go biking. I’ve been spending some time on google earth looking at the mountains just south of the city and they certainly look like a great craic!

I heard that there is a community of CJ750 riders out there too. I don’t know anyone yet, but if any of you are reading this I’d love to hear from you! I shall be moving there with my own CJ which I will possibly convert into a camper-bike for the journey. I’m wondering if there are ‘special’ rules out there for sidecars, are outside plates tolerated, are we allowed to drive in town, etc… My beloved CJ is the reason I moved to china in the first place, I would be very sad if I couldn’t ride it every day as I did back when i lived in Suzhou.

http://mqbqzw.bay.livefilestore.com/...om).jpg?psid=1

If anyone out there is reading this, looking forward to meeting you and swapping stories/routes!

Multicheers,

Felix

We where in Xian for a week in 2009.I saw no motorcycles.Another big city with way to much pollution mixed in with high temperatures and high humidity in Summer.That and alot of tourists.I know someone on this forum had a motorcycle for sale in Xian then I think he has moved on.So they must be there I guess?
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...-sale-Like-new

Hi Bigdamo, thanks for chiming in! Another polluted humid city, oh well. Is there anywhere in china that isn't? At least i'll be closer to real mountains than i am now!

That bike ad was put up in 2009, i'm guessing roadrash has moved to beijing since then as it says so under his name. Roadrash, if you're reading this, perhaps you'd have some good info for me on the situation out in xian?

Went there in 2008 and thought it was a pretty nice city. I remember coming in on the airplane and thinking it would be nice to have a motorcycle to explore the surrounding mountain areas. There were very few bikes at that time, so I'm betting they don't allow much inside the city walls.

http://www.contactdi.com/random/ND30423.jpg

http://www.contactdi.com/random/ND30429.jpg

Hope you end up relocating, would much rather visit you there than Shanghai. :icon10:

Cheers!
ChinaV

Dude... go to Chengdu! No BS!

CC

Or Xinjiang.No humidity no pollution except for Urumqi but hot in summer cold in winter but you can go skiing.Better go quick though.Xinjiang is developing far to quickly.

Or Beijing!

No traffic, no pollution, polite bureaucrats, bike-friendly, low real estate prices and safe fireworks displays (e.g., no buildings got torched here during 2011 CNY).

Would I lie to you? Trust me, I'm a doctor! :thumbsup:

Goto Guilin! Beautiful country, great food, motorcycle friendly city. Have a look at your 20 rmb note to have an idea what I'm talking about. And it's smaller than Kunming.

+1 for Chengdu.

Cheers for the replies guys!

Believe me, in an ideal world sichuan or xinjiang (maybe not beijing, sorry LJH) would be highest on my list of places to move to! In fact there are plenty of places where i would love to be located, yunnan and guangxi too. However i was offered a sweet opportunity in Xi'an so my choices are either that or Shanghai.

If terrain maps don't lie, shanghai beats xi'an hands down for proximity to absolutely nothing. So xi'an it is then!

PS: doesn't anyone why 陝西 shaanxi province is written with two A's in pinyin? It's the only character written like that. My best guess is that it's to differentiate between it and 山西 shanxi province.

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Originally Posted by felix

However i was offered a sweet opportunity in Xi'an so my choices are either that or Shanghai.

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Ahem, what could be sweeter than being a test engineer for a swank Scandinavian sex toys manufacturer? :jerkoff:

Especially in Xi'an?

PS, in one of the pre-pinyin romanizations (not Wade-Giles; probably Gwoyeu Romatzyh), the double-vowel convention was used to signify third tone, which of course is operative here. And, yes, otherwise, in pinyin, you'd have two provinces both called Shanxi.

Euphonius, i know you will miss me but don't try to hold me back. My mind is made!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by euphonius

Especially in Xi'an?

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I don't understand, you don't like xi'an?