Post pics of your China Street Bike

[DipStick]

On a related note, finally picked up my YBR250 yesterday. But still no plates in spite of best efforts. Full story and pictures are posted here.

And to finish up the story: Finally got my plates on Saturday! The fixer came to deliver them straight to the office (we are in the middle of a move, hence the boxes in the background and the informal wear. Next to me is our office logistics officer, who bless her heart helped me considerably through this months-long process! We had to work extra-hard because the rules say that I am not entitled to another set of plates (I already have a set for my car). Lots of back and forth with the authorities but in the end we managed to wear them down. Now I got it all: the license, the registration, the green book and the plates!

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I could not install them the same day because I was busy with the move until 4 in the morning. But on Saturday afternoon, I finally put them on.

Front:

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and back:

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The "Jianshe" sticker comes right out nicely, without leaving any mess behind:

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There, gone!

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So that's it! I'm planning on taking my first ride today in my neighbourhood. Slow and easy. The weather is nice, a little on the hot side, but the sweat will be sweet.

[DipStick]

Oh, One final note: I am told that I was very lucky to get an excellent plate number according to Chinese numerology. 168 is read yi liu ba which apparently is close to yi lu fa which means "prosperity all along the way"!

In closing, I thought some of you guys might get a kick at my new keychain!

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[soberpete]

Very nice, Dipstick. Both the plates and the awesome keychain.

Noob question:
What do the black plates mean?

[DipStick]

Hi Pete,

The black plates with the red 领 are consular plates. Nothing to do with a noob question, it's more like you don't get see too many of them in Zibo because there are probably no foreign consulates there. You are more likely to see them in Qingdao. Administratively, it wasn't easy either to get a motorcycle plated because the Chinese government only allows foreign diplomats to have one personal vehicle per family and I already had my minivan. I found a loophole in the rules and had to make a case for it. However, from what I have read on this forum, it was probably not as toilsome as what most expat bikers have to go through to get legal in China.

I did some driving on Sunday and today after work in my neighbourhood. Not much, the odometer is now up to 40km. I think this whole breaking in thing is going to be sooo hard to put up with. I can feel the bike is begging to go faster and harder. But in a way, it suits me fine since I also have to get used to it.

I find that I'm sometimes fumbling the controls. In particular, when I want to turn off the turn indicator, I tend to turn on the opposite side. That middle spot is hard to find. Also, being used to self-cancelling turn signals, I sometimes forget to turn it off since I can't hear it and it is sometimes difficult to see it in sunlight. Some of you might laugh that I use my turn signals, but I don't want to get any bad habits for when I go back home.

More alarmingly, my thumb sometimes fails to find the horn. And I don't want to take my eyes off the road. I guess the only answer is more practice.

Finally, I could use some advice about positioning. I was taught to stay in a blocking position, i.e. left tire track, but when I am going slowly during my practice runs, I tend to stay in the bike/scooter lane (marked only by a line on the ground, no curb). Which brings me to this question: in China, should I behave like a car or like a motorcycle? For example, at red lights, stay in the car lane or in the motorcycle lane?

In Canada, the answer is easy, motorcycles are like cars, no lane-splitting allowed. One of my Canadian buddies here in Shanghai has a Harley and cruises in a blocking position the whole time. I guess it's easier for him due to the size of his bike. He says he just smiles and waives back to anyone who is shaking a fist at him.

Oh, one more thing. The engine noise doesn't sound that smooth. It runs fine but I expected a smoother rumble. I can't say if there is clanking or not, having no frame of reference. I hope it is just because it has not been broken in yet.

DipStick

[prince666]

Hi dipstick
A consular .... good job .... ok as to indicator control swicth no need to try and move it to the left or right just push it in and the indicatol will cancel ok but most of all please just get used to where the horn swicth is as you will need to use
this a lot without looking .... because most horn switchs are on the left side and the clutch is on the left as well which is used a lot i position my hand in a way so my fingers can move the clutch lever ok and my thump floats over the indicatol or horn ??
hope this helps you but most of all be safe and carefull ????

P.S. 2 things you should do with the bike now
1 fit HID lights
2 fit a big fuck of horn the bigger the better
with these 2 mods your riding will be safer in China



steve

[DipStick]

Push it in! LOL, what a newbie mistake! No wonder I was having a hard time turning it off! Thanks for the tip!
I did read the manual, but I guess I missed that.

About the horn, I agree, an air horn might be the best investment I make on this bike. That or a side-mounted machine gun...

[prince666]

Very nice, Dipstick. Both the plates and the awesome keychain.

Noob question:
What do the black plates mean?

Hi soberpete

we need a set of them black plates mate with them on police dont stop you can park everywhere heheheh but when the shit kicks of in china agains laowai then you will be a target for sure i just like rideing with a full face on and yellow plates so people just think i am one of them maybe not as i drive better thats the give away heheh

[soberpete]

Hi soberpete

we need a set of them black plates mate with them on police dont stop you can park everywhere heheheh but when the shit kicks of in china agains laowai then you will be a target for sure i just like rideing with a full face on and yellow plates so people just think i am one of them maybe not as i drive better thats the give away heheh

Right. At least keeping the full-face helmet will keep them pondering.
Dipstick; Get some stickers on you bike and car that state "I don't rape or abuse the Chinese" a.s.a.p.

[DipStick]

LOL. Well, I think if I put a sticker on it with Canadian and Chinese flags, it would buy me some sympathy. We are usually well-liked pretty much everywhere. It's not like I am identified as a Japanese diplomat in Nanjing. That would be plain inviting trouble. Unfortunately, anti-Japanese resentment still lingers strongly in some parts of China. While I like to complain about the driving in China, I do love this country (or else I would not be here).

[prince666]

LOL. Well, I think if I put a sticker on it with Canadian and Chinese flags, it would buy me some sympathy. We are usually well-liked pretty much everywhere. It's not like I am identified as a Japanese diplomat in Nanjing. That would be plain inviting trouble. Unfortunately, anti-Japanese resentment still lingers strongly in some parts of China. While I like to complain about the driving in China, I do love this country (or else I would not be here).

when i was in Nanging the other mouth i went to the Japanese war museum amazing place but from all the people in china who suffered the most was the people in Harbin unit 731 ???

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pictures from Nanging