What's the deal with tolls?

I know China has tons of tolls. Say on a weekend trip 500 KM or so how many tolls are you going to run into? At first I thought tolls only existed on the expressways which I didn't plan on riding anyway but I'm pretty sure they exist all over the place. 高速，国道，省道, maybe even 县道??? And from what I've seen, they're not too cheap, and sticking to non-tolled roads in shitty condition for a long trip would just take forever.

Do people generally just try to take tolled roads when appropriate and talk their way out of it, or skirt around them? Is there any rhyme or reason (I know rhyme and reason is hard to come by in China) to which roads tolls are on, and any surefire way to get through them? I'm just imagining trying to drive a newer road on a semi long trip and shelling out 40 kuai every 100 km or so... seems kinda crazy!

Ah you mean the nice boTollnecks, where you get into a traffic jam first (when driving a car) till you reach the booth. Once you drove through it, the road is pretty much empty. Which traffic management genius came up with this !@#$%^&*( idea?! Then they wonder how they can improve the traffic!

To get to your point, you can easily reach some amount like 40 kuai indeed. Quite ridiculous if you compare it to the fuel prices!

As it happens on the ground, motorbikes are not allowed on the expressways, so this is a non-starter. Legally, it is ambiguous, yet it seems that the practice is no bikes allowed.

For the other tolls on regular roads, bikes don't pay. Just go around the booth on the side. However, the Chinese often set up police checkpoints at the same location of the toll booths. Sometimes they will check bikes going through, in which case you need to know which tolls also function as checkpoints and how to avoid those.

It's a booth-by-booth or checkpoint-by-checkpoint specific scenario so it's best to cruise up slowly to the booth first, stop in advance to see what's going on, and then plan your route for how you'll get through. For example, sometimes you go around the side, sometimes you cruise slowly, other times you blast right through, other times you have to completely avoid the checkpoint using back roads.

Expressway tolls; given the current stance that results in motorcycles being banned from most (not all) expressways, then where a motorcycle is banned then accordingly tolls do not usually apply. For those expressways where a motorcycle is not banned then usually a motorcycle rider collects an electronic card when accessing the expressway from the toll booth in much the same manner as other expressway users, then simply hands in the electronic card at the toll booth exit and pays the applicable when exiting. There are some tolls that allow/tolerate motorcycles where no tolls are charged. Myself and a mate used a 80-100km section of expressway in Jiangxi province, both of us used the expressway by accident and at different times, when we found ourselves split up from one another. Neither of us were challenged when entering or exiting, and no attempts were made to remove or stop us when were riding on the expressway. This came about as we rode out of Nanchang, after having refuelled, we became separated and despite back-tracking we couldn't find one another, which was of no great concern since I had GPS and my mates Mandarin is A+, notwithstanding that we have been known to split on rides for a time. Therefore pressing on, riding the main highway out of Nanchang, we'd both eventually came up to a toll station (at different times as it transpired) which was where the expressway started and the highway just ended. We'd both covered 10km or so before this expressway just appeared, and not finding an alternative route on maps or my GPS, I for one just rode on dodging the tollgate barrier arm. No one yelled, or made any attempt to stop me which is quite the opposite of what's occurred when I've inadvertently entered expressways on occasion. The same circumstances occurred for my riding mate on his bike. We both met up again later that evening some 150km up north, and discussed our two experiences we were not to dissimilar to what I've written.

Highway, main road tolls and the like, generally do not apply to two wheelers. When one approaches the toll booths, simply approach slowly looking to the right side of the roadway and there is usually a smaller lane set aside for two wheelers. Sometimes, some tolls do not have such a lane or it is closed, or some slower two/three wheeler but be causing a bottle neck in the lane itself, in which case it is often possible to usually ride in the right toll lane closest to the two wheeler lane provided the toll lane is open and operating. Some toll booth operators will raise the arm for the occasional motorcycle in the right lane, but not always. A good strategy, is when unsure, simply stop prior to entering the toll booth area and watch what the majority of motorcyclists are doing, then follow their lead. There are some private or restricted access areas/roads, where tolls are charged which may also include motorcycles, again observing from a distance then doing like a local does can be a useful strategy. A full face helmet, or wearing an air filtering mask (as I do when riding my maxi) helps one remain less conspicuous, as does a more nondescript ride.

Red light cameras, and speed cameras when activated by a motorcycle generally do not result in a ticket or fine being sent out by the enforcement authority to the registered owner of the motorcycle, the logic being that motorcycles being a utilitarian form of transport ridden by all and sundry and are thought of as not affording much - are generally not penalised for such transgressions, also most tickets to motorcyclists just don't get paid. I hasten to add, with the word generalisation in the above statement, since TIC! and one rules does not fit all situations or locations - so be warned. Even when I'm knowingly breaking the 'rules' I avoid activating red light or speed cameras which usually rely on activation of embedded contact strips in the bitumen/roadway.
It is relatively easy to avoid said contact strips when you know how :riding:

My philosophy is not to take anything for granted in PRC and I apply the general TIC principle where to paraphrase Euphonias "where difficult things are easy, and easy things are difficult" and if too many riders were to be captured on said cameras in violation of the rules, then said rules might be more routinely enforced with more vigour. Just saying!

Thanks for the responses everyone, especially bikerdoc. Just what I was wanting to know. Much appreciated! :)