Ykarus from Germany in JinHua, ZheJiang

Hi me and my girlfriend just moved to Jinhua for one year of intensive chinese studying.
Once here we started our chinese driving license, and I must say Crazy Carl if you had just a little trouble getting it you where sooo sooo lucky. It took us all of two month to get it and now that we've passed all tests and jumped every hoop they wanted us to we still don't have it because now we have to wait another three days, wich will shure enough turn out to bee another two weeks. :gun_bandana:
Thats just one thing we had to learn pretty fast here in china,patience patience patience, nothing everhappens when they say it does everything takes at least four times the time as proclaimed.

Buying our two Jialing 150cc, the same ones Crazy Carl has, took us another month and was a lot of fun. I tell you when you learn chinese some where back in your own country and expect to be able to understand anyone when you are actually in china, boy are you wrong. Lots and lots of sign laguage pointing here and there and getting draged from one place to another brought us to a jialing dealer who claimed to have one offroad motorcycle, after only two weeks we had all the numerus formalitys done that one could not even dream of in any other country I've ever been and were ready to buy the first and wait again for the second one to do it all over again.

having no driving licence yet, although that doesn't seem to be a problem for any chinese motorcycle driver, we only went for small rides yet, small tours to the mountains around JinHua and such. But bigger tours are planed, one ride to Chengdu in the winter Holidays, as some to Shanghai and Nanjing to visit fellow stundents and now that we've seen Crazy Carls story we are strongly thinking about a trip up to the taklamakan bevore we leave for germany next year.

I myself ride Motorcycles for six years back in germany, my first one was an old yamaha 350XT wich is still run by my father who too is befallen by the "multi motorcycle syndrome". My second one wich still stands back in germany waiting for my returnis a 640 KTM LC4 wich I worked on a bit as to ride it as what we in germany call Enduro (offroad wheels) as well as what we call Supermoto (17 inch street wheels). And now here in China I bought my first brand new Motorcycle the 150cc Jialing in blue, I think that the only colour it comes in *g*
so much for me

Hi!

I've been riding in China for 6 years with no licence, but if you can get a licence, I suggest you should, especially if you want to cover long miles and do touring. See you on the road:scooter::scooter:

Ykarus,

Welcome to the site and thanks for the thoughtful introduction! I'm glad to hear that you and your girlfriend have decided to try spending some time in China. Besides doing what you all do for work, the other things you'll learn about people, yourself and the world will be forever life changing...ESPECIALLY if you choose to see it by motorcycle which looks like the route you're going!

My first ever new bike was also the Jailing. The Jialing JY150-GY2 is a good bike for long distance traveling in China since parts can be found for it anywhere in China...even the smallest villages. The cruising speed isn't there but if you're going to be doing a lot of flat out riding, you can swap the chain and rear sprocket out for more top speed. She survived the mid-summer heat of Xinjiang and will take you (although very slowly) up to 5000m. Stick some washers underneath the fork caps to stiffen up the front end as I think you'll find the rear shock plenty stiff for most purposes. If you ride it hard, it will need a lot of maintenance but that's okay since it's not expensive and gives you a chance to hang out with locals.:goodtime:

Whether on the road riding a 150 or in an office waiting for a license, China will certainly teach you patience as you're now well aware. Sometimes I wish it were a better organized and efficient place but then that would take all the crazy fun out of the experience, ja? :icon10:

Winter riding in China, especially around the mountains of Chengdu and further west, can be EXTREMELY dangerous. We just had a fellow rider killed by a hit and run driver going from Chengdu to Xian so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be EXTRA careful and stay 100% aware 110% of the time. :weary:

If you have any particular questions about a ride or are planning a ride, please post them and there are more than a few experienced riders here who may be able to offer some assistance or thoughts.

Most importantly be safe, make it home, and take some pictures!!! :riding:

Wie fur einen schonen tag!
CC

Hi guys,
i have just recently bought a HD Sportster, legally registered !!!
I was driving car since many years in China, but had no motorbike license.
In Ningbo no problem, incl. translation services of the EU license it took me 2 1/2 hours to get my fresh printed license.
Costs about 200,- RMB's...