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Hi MCM'ers
Currently considering a purchase on a minivan for transporting 2x dirt bikes on short and extended trips around China. Will modify the interior to allow it to carry them. Just wondering on the rules behind this. Will this be legal on roads? What about expressways?
I have a mate in BJ who uses a closed trailer to transport his bikes behind a SUV. Seems no one cares.
My mechanic has a stripped down minivan that he uses to pick up bikes. He is always going out with it to pick broke down bikes up. Seems like it is likely not an issue.
OP, you'd just need to make sure/ascertain that any van you consider is classed as a passenger vehicle. If it has rear seats fitted as standard and is registered as such (therefore as a passenger van) then you should face less restrictions than if the van were to categorised as a commercial vehicle. Commercial vans, pickup trucks/utes face a number of restrictions such as being restricted to the left lanes on some expressways, restrictions to roadways/bridges in cities/towns, or complete bans from the same.
If the van comes complete with rear seats which would take up valuable rear real estate for hauling bikes, then you could look to have a reputable/skilled fabricator (good luck finding one in the middle kingdo0m) make and fit seats that hinge from the inner side walls of the van that fold up/down as needed and alter the seat/safety belts as needed. This would allow for the van to still comply with its registration and licensing. If you remove the seats entirely and do not have these fitted then the van would not comply with the registration - which could be a problem if you are stopped at some point/place for some inspection or some such. Just saying...
YMMV
So if the vehicle is designed for passengers than it can only be registered in this way? What about if I ripped out the seats, register it as a commercial transport vehicle and be fully legal? Guess I need to make a few phone calls.Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerdoc
You won't likely have a choice because it depends on the documentation/certification provided by the vehicle manufacturer (documentaiton used when the vehicle is sold and goes for plating/registration). Be mindful that pickups/utes and vans plated as 'commercial' are often restricted or outright banned from many different locations - many of which one would never know unless they had an intimate working knowledge of Mandarin or worked in a certain industry (e.g. delivery driver/courier etc), or until such times as the offence notice (ticket) is sent or one attempts to deal with insurance or vehicle inspection etc. It's likely locals without insider knowledge or benefit of working in relevent road haulage type industries (therefore equipped with the benefit of such 'skill' sets), probably have no clues about where and when the vehicle can and can't be driven.Quote:
Originally Posted by VroomVroom
Also don't take the word of a vehicle salesperson at face value either, since some probably have no clues either about such restrictions. If the salesperson tells you that any commercial pickup/ute, or van doesn't face any restrictions - cause that is BS!
YMMV
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