New member in Hangzhou with some questions
Hi I'm a new member looking to get into riding in Hangzhou. I've looked around using the search function, but unfortunately it raised more questions than it answered. :lol8:
My first question is just on the legality of motorbikes in Hangzhou. The city banned bikes some time ago for the same reason all cities do (farmers ride bike, farmer look poor, bike make city look poor!) But from what I'm told by various people motorbikes were made legal last year so that rich Hangzhou residents could ride their expensive imported sports bikes. And these are the bikes I see most of. Apparently this info hasn't filtered down to all the cops yet, I'm a student and we had an meeting with a police officer at the start of the year, where he just told us motorbikes were flat out banned. But my university professor ensures me they're not. I also see people riding around on motorbikes who look far from rich. After reading this forum it seems motorcycle licence plates in Beijing and Shanghai are astronomically expensive. Maybe they are not in Hangzhou?
Second question is, I heard that getting a new bike registered with a new plate can be really 麻烦, so some people who are into motorbikes I know suggested I buy a used bike which already has registration and a plate. When I told this idea to some other friends they informed me you can't transfer licence plates to a new owner. But they were talking about cars. And after seeing many people on this forum selling licence plates it seems motorbikes have different rules.
I am looking at a bike at the moment, it's a Chinese Suzuki GN125 Clone which (I've been assured) is fully legal and comes with all the required paperwork and licence plate. The seller has even said he will help me with all the documentation to get the bike registered to me and legal on the road. When buying a used bike in China, what documents should I make sure the bike comes with?
When it comes to getting a licence, I already have a licence from my home country. Do I really need to go through the 麻烦 of retaking a test or can I just go to some tier 4 city and pay someone some cash for a licence? And a lot of the guides on exchanging your licence say to translate the paper part of your licence. But my licence is just a plastic card. And it's not specific to motorcycles, it's a car licence that says on the back I can also ride motorbikes.
Thank you for any answers to my long spiel :icon10:
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
Hi and welcome to MCH.
Just start to chip away some of your questions?
As for your hometown (Hangzhou), I don't live there so my answers are based on what goes on in my town (Longkou) and my province (Shangdong).
You will soon find out what applies to one town, city, a province may not apply in your town.city, province.
Are bikes banned in your city? you guess is as good as mine, but if the police say who will be the ones to stop you, fine you and generally give you shit? then IMO its NO?.
Well good luck on that one.
If all your paperwork is correct then no reason why you cant plate a new bike in your name, many menbers on MCM have, so you just need dot all the "I" and cross all the "T.
If you buy a 2nd hand or Bike from a person from the same "plate area" then all that happens is the new owner is recodered for that car/bike with your details and address.
Now if you live outside the plate area and or in a other province, then the plate has to be removed and new paperwork is given to yo to allow you to re-palte the car,bike in your home town/province?.
A bike comes with 2 documents.
1. A green book called the Motor vehicle Register Certificate.
2. A credit card size picture 2 parts with details of the bike (blue)
What country is your home for your DL?
The rights and wrongs of getting or not getting a Chinese DL.
Most of the members who ride in China Have got one, so why not YOU.
That's my 10 cents about Chinese DL.
I wish you luck sorting out all these problems you are going to need it.
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
Hi Prince, thanks for the info. That particular police officer wasn't a traffic cop so he might have not been well versed.
As for the licence, I'm more than willing to obtain a chinese licence. (My home licence is British). I'm just wondering if I can find and pay the right people to not have to take the test again.
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
Yes, that will work and will only come into play when you get your British DL Translated ok? and you have had a UK DL for many years.
I used the same way and my UK DL does not have Bikes A or A1 but like you, I do have (Vehicles you can provisionally drive ) so make sure you download from DVLA the details explaining how this cover you for a motoerbike?
https://s19.postimg.cc/o8mztjrgz/Vie...2018-05-25.png
You can download this page from DVLA ok
Yes you need to talk to TRAFFIC POLICE about riding motorbikes in your area.
Do the Chinese DL the correct way IMO, yes it's a pain but TIC (This is China)
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
Cool, thanks for the info. How do you prove that you've passed the necessary tests to ride a bike? Or does the Chinese dvla just see the picture of a bike on the back of your licence and assume everything is kosher?
I can only legally ride a 125cc motorbike in the UK. But since the Chinese bike is also 125cc will they be cool with it? Should I just keep my mouth shut and not even mention that to them?
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
It's just like this??? if you can show your UK DL covers you for a 125cc bike or any size?? then that's fine because unlike the UK where you need to work up to get a full Motorbike license.
Here in China, a bike is a bike regardless of CC.
So the important thing is as I said when you have your translation done, you make sure you don't walk away with the translation without saying you are covered for C1E or C1D ok.
That was the easy part lol
TIC the logic-free zone
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
When you say get the translation done. I've heard the translation can actually be done by anyone as long as they use the proper Chinese dvla form. Even myself. Is it really that simple to write under "can operate what vehicles" write 摩托车?
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
Again it depends on where you are?
IMO its best to get a Government approved translating company to do the translation with all the correct stamps?
But what you do in the end is up to you ok, just my advise? (Dot the I & Cross the T)
Re: New member in Hangzhou with some questions
Here in Jilin the translation requires a stamp from a government accepted translator. No stamp...no license.
Every area is certainly different. Jilin tried to tell me that they could not do foreign drivers licenses even after I had all the proper paperwork done. We had to work all way all the way up the food chain to the director of motor vehicles. Finally, he came down to the DMV after being coerced and sorted things out. However it was nothing shy of a nightmare getting to this point. It took weeks of fighting the system. I even had to search far and wide for a foreigner with one. Then show them copies to prove it could be done. Even though the foreigner I found had gotten his license the old way a long time ago. (bribe) Then my friend moved here and wanted to get his, they fought him tooth and nail. I had call the director again to get it sorted out. Luckily I have him on wechat now.
Good luck with it!