Registering a bike in China....legally or illegally

Hi there.

I am teaching at an international school here in Jiangsu province, outside of Shanghai. Just arrived here. Have a little bit of experience riding in India.

A few questions.

Eventually I would like to get a qingqi 200 or 250 streetbike or dual sport and do some touring. Two other teachers here are also interested.

Some questions.

1. Are there dealers that will give plates to foreigners without Z visa or local driver's license? Any near here? I recognize this technically illegal. I have heard that dealers are willing to license the vehicle in their own name. I recognize this won't work inside any major city, but would it be generally ok for the countryside?

2. How difficult is it to get a plate assuming I have a chinese driver's license and Z visa?

3. Assuming I stay out of the cities, what are the consequences of driving with a dodgy plate and a foreign driver's license? I recognize there are two categories, worst case and likely.

4. Does anyone know any reliable dealers (reliable meaning won't rip you off, not meaning reliable in a western sense. I know this is china and things like warranties and customer service aren't going to happen. Mainly I want to pay as low a loawai tax as possible). If I could find a reliable dealer, I would have little problem with flying there and riding back, assuming you could ride back in 3 days.

5. Would I be better off dealing with the factory directly?

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

Hi there.

I am teaching at an international school here in Jiangsu province, outside of Shanghai. Just arrived here. Have a little bit of experience riding in India.

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Welcome Jim. :riding:
Where exactly in Jiangsu are you ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

1. Are there dealers that will give plates to foreigners without Z visa or local driver's license? Any near here? I recognize this technically illegal. I have heard that dealers are willing to license the vehicle in their own name. I recognize this won't work inside any major city, but would it be generally ok for the countryside?

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I think the dealer doesn't care whether or not you have license or visa. Yeah, you are right, it is technically illegal :rolleyes1:

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

2. How difficult is it to get a plate assuming I have a chinese driver's license and Z visa?

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This depends very much on where you are living. Some cities don't issue any bike plates at all and in some areas (mostly city centers) bikes are completely banned from the roads.:confused1:
If you are not in one of these places, it shouldn't be that complicated :icon10:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

3. Assuming I stay out of the cities, what are the consequences of driving with a dodgy plate and a foreign driver's license? I recognize there are two categories, worst case and likely.

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As long as you are not involved in an accident, you may not have to fear any consequences. If you would be involved in one (god beware), fines may reach from a couple of 100s or 1000s to jail or banishment. Difficult to predict, however.

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

4. Does anyone know any reliable dealers (reliable meaning won't rip you off, not meaning reliable in a western sense. I know this is china and things like warranties and customer service aren't going to happen. Mainly I want to pay as low a loawai tax as possible). If I could find a reliable dealer, I would have little problem with flying there and riding back, assuming you could ride back in 3 days.

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Dealers, except BMW, HD and some of the sidecar builders, aren't like you know it from the West. Many of them sell anything they can get from a wholesaler or the factories.
As an indication for price levels from what some of my buddies bought
Lifan GY150 - new - RMB 5500, all inclusive, Beijing plate
Zonshen 200 - new - RMB 9800, all inclusive, Beijing plate
the bikes are registered to the dealer or someone related to the dealer.
They have a paper, signed by the owner, stating thay are allowed to use the bike. Insurance and road tax go under their own names.

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Originally Posted by iamcanjim

5. Would I be better off dealing with the factory directly?

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I have no experience with this, but would think that it only makes sense if a factory is close to where you live or you know someone in a factory.

Save :riding:

Andy

I guess when I said dealer, I meant 'fixer.' Basically wondering if anyone knows someone nearby who could set me up with a dodgy plate.

I am halfway between Shanghai and Suzhoi, near the town of Luxu.