Riding an 'export' bike out of China
I have no plans on doing this (but would not say 'never' either), but wanted to know if one could purchase an export-only bike in China and successfully ride out of China on it? For instance, my daily commuter is a TMEC 200cc enduro bike. I replaced it new in May from a used one I bought and rode for 18 months putting over 10k miles on it. The new one has nearly 2k miles in the past 3 months, so I know it could theoretically handle a long ride, especially one that isn't at 10/10 throttle.
So then I thought--this bike is only made for export from TMEC Power and Technology something something long name in English, and is sold all over the world, but not made for China. Could a person purchase one in China, temporarily register it, and ride it out of the country? Again, not planning such a trip (not ruling it out, either), but just curious if someone knows if this is possible, or does one have to purchase a Chinese-legal bike?
Re: Riding an 'export' bike out of China
Quote:
Originally Posted by
culcune
I have no plans on doing this (but would not say 'never' either), but wanted to know if one could purchase an export-only bike in China and successfully ride out of China on it? For instance, my daily commuter is a TMEC 200cc enduro bike. I replaced it new in May from a used one I bought and rode for 18 months putting over 10k miles on it. The new one has nearly 2k miles in the past 3 months, so I know it could theoretically handle a long ride, especially one that isn't at 10/10 throttle.
So then I thought--this bike is only made for export from TMEC Power and Technology something something long name in English, and is sold all over the world, but not made for China. Could a person purchase one in China, temporarily register it, and ride it out of the country? Again, not planning such a trip (not ruling it out, either), but just curious if someone knows if this is possible, or does one have to purchase a Chinese-legal bike?
The issue would be that the bike has to be legally plated. If the bike is made for export only, meaning not for domestic consumption - how would you propose to have the bike plated legally? I see that as your major hurdle. Without a plate and associated documents you're unlikely to get out through the borders...
Re: Riding an 'export' bike out of China
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bikerdoc
The issue would be that the bike has to be legally plated. If the bike is made for export only, meaning not for domestic consumption - how would you propose to have the bike plated legally? I see that as your major hurdle. Without a plate and associated documents you're unlikely to get out through the borders...
Thanks for that--I figured as much due to the fact that export bikes are taken apart and packed into boxes and loaded into containers, meaning that they leave China permanently.
Come to think of it, I should ask this question to my distributor friend where I bought my bike, out of California. He travels to Jiangsu where the manufacturers he mostly deals with are located. I think what I was thinking of is what he can do as a distributor/dealer as far as putting a dealer plate on his bikes and riding them around. My TMEC is 49 state legal, with California ironically as the one state he cannot sell these enduros to. But he can put a dealer plate on one and ride one around. But I don't think he could put a dealer plate and allow a customer to ride out of the country, for instance riding south into Mexico with one of these bikes. For one, he could lose his dealer plate (not sure what is involved in one of those--i.e. are there a few plates a dealer owns and transfers to whatever vehicle he or she feels like) but that is getting off subject of riding out of China. I kind of doubt that I could register a TMEC in Arizona where I live and take or send the plate to jiangsu and legally ride it out of China because from what I understand, China frowns and pretty much does not allow a non-Chinese plated bike to leave China (and not sure how one would get a non-Chinese plated bike into China in the first place!).
Re: Riding an 'export' bike out of China
^It is not just the issue about a 'dealer plate' that is a concern here. A dealer plate would not have any legal standing here or any other country from which the plate is not issued. There are usually other restrictions concerning dealer plates too. Moreover, the vehicle origin and where it has been established as being sourced initiates its pedigree for want of a more apt description and is what matters. The plate ties that pedigree together, aside from VIN, various serial numbers etc., and is bound by it so to speak. If you source a bike from China and expect to ride it across, towns, cities, districts, provinces and countries/borders, across continents... umm, that bike needs to have an established pedigree from some-place and usually that will be from its country of origin or as has been established through appropriate distribution channels, legal importation and the like - all government mandated naturally. many different bikes made here are never seen here, and are usually not available for local purchase, as they are only manufactured and destined for export.
AFAIK a dealers plate issued in any state in the USA will have no relevance or legality here, unless the bike originated there in the first place. Even so, a dealers plate has by necessity certain restrictions. Meaning that one can't ride a motorcycle RTW on a dealers plate. Plates aren't a transferable commodity across borders without agreement.
Also to clear up perhaps a misunderstanding/misconception... PRC authorities actually don't make it difficult to ride a legally titled, plated and documented bike OUT of China (aside from the issues concerning access and discriminatory policies [e.g. CITY & EXPRESSWAY BANS] - though motorcycles aren't singled out in this regard, as other vehicle types also face broad sweeping regulatory framework bans too)... provided the aforementioned (documentation) are all aligned and the riders legality is all above-board.
FWIW, Prince666 has ridden a legally plated and titled PRC made Yamaha YBR125G bought in PRC, from PRC-Laos-Thailand-Laos-Thailand-Laos-PRC in the last couple of months and arrived back in PRC this week... without significant impediment.
Now that being stated, getting a legally plated bike from outside PRC INTO the middle kingdo0m is an altogether different matter - difficult, but not impossible... firstly the documentation required to get a bike INTO PRC from abroad is nothing short of monumental to say nothing of the 20K bond needed... to allow an overseas plated bike temporary importation into PRC. All applications to bring a motorcycle into PRC from abroad need approval through/from BJ, and once this is gained then all other requirements, customs, licensing, plating etc., fall into place. The key is that BJ have to give the tacit approval first. Agents handle the necessary paperwork and applications, which as outlined are all funnelled to BJ.
