Kurisu's Riding in China Top 14 Tips

Hey friend! Beijing to Lijiang huh? Ballsy - trying to outdo me? haha. I think that will be an awesome ride. I will give you advice assuming that you are not a Chinese resident and that you are doing this on a tourist visa like I did.

1. Dirt Bike. Dirt Bike. Dirt Bike. China has the WORST roads I've seen yet. The "National roads" are often in wretched condition. But, if you can find a dirt-bike with the high suspension etc., you will be able to fly over the potholes etc. This may be tough to find in Beijing - but it's worth looking for.

2. Full-face helmet with reflective visor. Keeps the cops off your case. You want to avoid the police because they can put a dent in your fun. If you do get pulled over then insist in speaking only in English and speak very fast. This worked for me 2 out of 3 times. Finally, don't offer up registration or license until they ask you in English - they will probably give up and wave you on.

3. Stay out of city centers - bikes are banned.

4. Get the ownership documents for the bike- get a letter written by the chinese seller stating that it is yours to own and use. Get a copy of his ID card if you can.

5. Plan your stays along the way in medium-sized cities or larger cities. Some small hamlets cannot host foreigners and it might leave you stranded.

6. Travel light. Forget all that damned baggage. I've done just fine with a gym-style sports bag and some bunjee cord. Don't weigh your bike down with a bunch of crap you dont need.

7. BUY IT THERE. Whatever it is, it is made in China, so just take cash and buy it when you need it. Don't be that guy who prepares for everything. If you need a flashlight, stop and buy one. Don't worry about bike repairs - tons of shops in every town can do quick mends to brakes, chain etc. No need to carry all the stuff - repair is cheap too!

8. Avoid hotels, use guesthouses, hostels etc. Try Couchsurfing.com to find places to stay for free.

9. Do not pay tolls. Bikes can circumvent toll booths - just go around them.

10. Yunnan - You will love it! It was the BEST of everything, including roads. Get to Kunming and stay at the Hump hostel. Then, dart out Dali (enjoy some herbal use there..) and then to touristy Lijiang. But don't end it there - You have to go north to Shangrila - it is awesome.

11. Gas - use #93 octane.

12. Don't let someone con you into buying an expensive japanese bike. I got my Zongshen for only $600 and it is a workhorse bike.

13. Bring your own, good bike lock. I've gone through 3 Chinese ones already.

14. Don't worry too much about the (il)legalities etc. You will be fine - just do it and keep your head low. I got caught 6 times and I'm still rolling now! (in Cambodia) Find a tentative route - one that will take you through some cool sites. Then, use a local map for the rest.

Hope this helps - if you have more specific questions, just let me know. I had the hardest time finding info when I was planning my trip, so I am happy to help out. Good luck friend!

Chris - sensational advice mate, thanks so much! I've read your blog too, which has gotten me really inspired.

Just curious to know what happened when you were stopped by the authorities - what happened the times the cops didn't let you keep rolling? How & why were you stopped in the first place?

And what parts of your trip were legal? You obviously didn't have a license, did you have insurance? How long did it take you to buy your bike (the second time around)

I'm looking to ride for a month or so (in China only - no boarder crossings) with a couple of mates, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Jimmy

Hey, thanks for reading my blog and leaving feedback! When I was trying to get information and plan for the ride I found it really difficult to get any exact answers from anyone, so I will try to be as helpful as I can!

COPS: I got stopped 6 times, and I'd say 4 of those times were just random license/reg. checks. The really exhausting thing about China is that there are cops (Public Safety Dept) EVERYWHERE. God there are tons of them, especially in cities. The good news is they are pathologically lazy. I know this seems really crazy, but your best option is to just start speaking English! My strategy was to start asking tons of superfluous questions and pressuring him to answer "politely." This scares the shit out of them and they will let you go about 2/3 times. Do whatever you can to stall the license, Reg. thing.

IF THEY GET YOU TO SHOW YOUR PAPERS: Don't sweat it. In Yunnan, my English trick failed twice, and both times they got me to show my IDL (illegal) and fake papers for the bike. Just be really really polite, patient and act like you are completely not surprised or doing anything wrong. They always called HQ and someone on the other side would always say "let him go." Hopefully you will fare the same.

LEGAL / ILLEGAL: Owning a bike is illegal for you on a tourist visa. You need a residence permit to get the right papers. I operated in the gray area by getting a hand-written letter from the guy who sold me the bike and this worked with the cops, believe it or not. Get a letter like this when you buy the bike and make copies. Officially, international licenses are not valid in China, but I think that may have changed secretly and they didn't tell anyone - because I kept getting off the hook. You cannot ride on the super highways, so forget that. The other roads are really harsh, so I recommend a dirt bike! I had an IDL, but I had no insurance. Not recommending the latter.. Finally, stay out of city centers!

BIKE: The second bike was a pretty straight-forward deal. I just walked up to a guy on the street and pointed to his bike and said I wanted to buy it. That was that! You pretty much have to do this, because you can't buy bikes from the dealers - you don't have the residence card. Also you could buy a bike from a rental place in somewhere like Shangri-la or Dali.

FINALLY: On my blog and in the book I am working on, I recommend Yunnan for biking - this is true. But I got into real trouble by getting too close to the Myanmar border (DaLuo, Yunnan.) That situation could have been really bad - I got lucky. The cops were really really concerned that I was a dope smuggler or spy or something. So, my advice is don't go much further west than Meng-hai in south Yunnan. Also, be careful about central Kunming and don't go further north than Deqen.

Hope this helps you out man - if not, write again and ask me more! Good luck, and POST PICTURES when you guys make your ride. Stay upright friend.

www.chrison2wheels.com

I would definitely add to Karisu's excellent tips......

1. You can buy a new bike from a dealer even on a tourist visa, but the bike would need to go in someone else's name, either using a Chinese persons ID card or a foreigners residence visa. Then a handwritten bill of sale as Karisu mentioned. It doesn't matter whose name the bike is registered in legally.

2. Mandatory insurance which covers the bike for any rider and is only for 3rd party injury and property damage, comes with full registration. If you buy a 2nd hand bike you can buy more insurance at insurance agencies and from the local traffic police, but remember to do it where the bike was registered, and to quote the ID card number of the person whose name it was registered in originally.

This way with an International Driving Permit and home license you'll be as safe as possible...very unlikely to be given any hassle by the cops, especially if you follow Karisu's other advice on how to deal with them!

Happy riding :riding:

I'll be back in 1 year so I thank you all for the tips ....looks like the only advantage I have is a wife with an ID card and an address in China ...
Police are Police anywhere ..treat them with respect and politeness , co operate as much as possible and if that doesn't work the old brown envelope may work...lol !

Maybe I have some more tips from my 2.5 months of riding here (about 10,000 kms).

Full face helmet. Mixed bag. It protects much better and it hides you from cops. However, I get way more respect from cages (cars) with my half helmet. People actually see you and realize killing you would cause a lot of trouble. YMMV.

I fully agree about the looking like you know what you are doing.

Lane splitting. Lane splitting is the act of driving between 2 moving cars on a multi lane road. I have done it. I don't reccomend it.

Chinese drivers really don't know what is right and wrong on the road. If lost or confused, they panic. Keep this in mind.

-When they cut you off, they are generally not being aggressive. Just clueless
-When they are about to do something stupid, they tend to slam on their brakes first. Be very cautious around cars that slam on their brakes.
-When a car is going well below the speed limit, avoid it. This is an uncertain driver and will probably do something stupid shortly.
-Cops will generally make only a half hearted attempt to stop you. They tend to step in front of you and hold up a hand. If you don't stop, generally there are no consequences. Do NOT use this technique at military checkpoints.
-Do not retaliate. If a car cuts you off or even physically hits you, he is not doing it out of aggression, just lack of skill and manners. If you retaliate (yell, hit mirrors or kick doors) they will get angry, as they have no idea why you are angry.
-After the light turns in any major Chinese intersection, there will always be a befuddled partly blind old man or woman pedalling a bicycle in the wrong direction through the intersection at 2 km/h.

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

-After the light turns in any major Chinese intersection, there will always be a befuddled partly blind old man or woman pedalling a bicycle in the wrong direction through the intersection at 2 km/h.

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and 4-10 more cars coming thru on the red light.

for anyone attempting to tackle an intersection in china for the first time, this article is essential reading! it's hilarious but my god is it true...

http://soimgoingtochina.blogspot.com...left-turn.html

for those inside the PRC here's a proxified version of the page:

http://cheo.info/index.php/1010110A/...a788cac7c15910

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

Lane splitting. Lane splitting is the act of driving between 2 moving cars on a multi lane road. I have done it. I don't reccomend it.

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Lane Splitting!?

I've haven't been on a CHinese road yet where anyone was NOT lane-splitting! That includes, busses, trucks, donkey carts, etc. :eekers:

Cheers,

Dan K.

Lol. I meant at high speed. Above 70 km/h. At lower speeds, yeah, do it. You would be stupid not to. If a full size bus can do it, you sure can.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

-Do not retaliate. If a car cuts you off or even physically hits you, he is not doing it out of aggression, just lack of skill and manners. If you retaliate (yell, hit mirrors or kick doors) they will get angry, as they have no idea why you are angry.

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This is the smartest advice that I hate the most! These people need to have their head straightened and unfortunately, turning them off to you won't help that situation. However, given the many injuries and much damage I have suffered (and never bothered dealing with the authorities), controlling the rage is the hardest thing to do...

Dan! Where was your profile pic taken! It looks soooo familiar! Perhaps it could have been any city in China.... ;0)

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Originally Posted by wanglong

This is the smartest advice that I hate the most! These people need to have their head straightened and unfortunately, turning them off to you won't help that situation. However, given the many injuries and much damage I have suffered (and never bothered dealing with the authorities), controlling the rage is the hardest thing to do...

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I know, life is such a fukkin shit isn't it? And it is getting sooo expensive too. Oh well we all should grow up sometime. You could always ride around downtown Washington or Tottenham London, Glasgow Scotland and many, many so-called civilised western cities on a pimped-up cruiser and see how long you last. Did you need a larger arsehole? Cheaper than plastic surgery but difficult to remove the muffler unless you have a friend with you.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wanglong

This is the smartest advice that I hate the most! These people need to have their head straightened and unfortunately, turning them off to you won't help that situation. However, given the many injuries and much damage I have suffered (and never bothered dealing with the authorities), controlling the rage is the hardest thing to do...

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you have to realise and accept that you're in china and not in some western country with traffic rules

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wanglong

Dan! Where was your profile pic taken! It looks soooo familiar! Perhaps it could have been any city in China.... ;0)

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http://i605.photobucket.com/albums/t.../DSCN0182a.jpg

That photo was taken in the new town area of LiJiang, Yunnan in December 2005. What you don't see is the policeman who was running towards us because I rode up into the pedestrian square to be able to get this snapshot. It was my first trip to China and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. We got out of there just before getting apprehended.

Cheers,

Dan K.