Guangzhou Area Bike and License

[ZMC888]

It should be simple, if you like the Wuyang Honda, which have a good reputation btw, go to the dealers and pay a deposit of around 500 or so. Make sure they understand that you will pay the remainder before you take full possession of a fully registered bike. You can register it in your name as you have a residence permit, although this is more complex than simply registering the bike in the name of someone you trust with a Chinese ID card, still perfectly legal, although the Chinese person is technically the owner, so some people are uncomfortable with this.

About the license, the foreign affairs office should be able to translate your home license into Chinese for a fee of around 200. Then eye test and police photo at a police traffic center of some kind. Then the 100 question multiple choice test. You could come into difficulties if the local Gong An refuse to transfer your license for some reason (which may be the case where you are due to local motorcycle bans) and another district may be unable to do it for you as you are not registered as living locally.

Being fully legal is ideal, the next best is being as legal as you can be!

[Ritzfactor]

So I am heading over to the local PSB on friday for my first attempt at getting a license in Guangdong!

I will bring with me my passport (with residency permit) my california drivers license, 8 photos with white background, and a native chinese speaker. They might want a translated and notarized version of my license, but everyone I asked has no idea where to get that, so I will just wait and see on that. I assume I will not be able to take the test in english as almost no one around here speaks english. However, I will make sure to update on how things work out!

[TexasAggie]

I have been in Nanjing 6 years, finally got my drivers license for car and motorcycle three weeks ago. I have had my cj750 since 2006 and bought a car for my and been driving it when she did not want to drive me since 2008. If pulled over, just smile and tell them "Wo Boo Ju Da". Seriously, the visa was my biggest roadblock to a license as I had a business visa for 3 years with multiple entries but never more than 90 days. I also live in Texas part of the year so we go back there often. After I officially got married to my Chinese wife, things got easier. You need a visa that lets you stay more than 90 days. That seems to be the key in Nanjing anyway. Once you have that, ZM has accurate advice. I would also add to hire a "translator" to sit with you during the test. It cost me RMB450 and mine translated the test with a guarantee I would pass. I made 99 out of 100. You can put two and two together. You will need a translation of your license. I got mine at the police station but it varies from place to place, ask around. Even with my wife helping it still took 2 days back and forth so do not give up. TIC
DT

[Ritzfactor]

Nothing good to report.

Went to first Traffic Police Station. Filled out the forms (all in chinese) they even have a box for nationality and foreign issued drivers license. Went to hand it in. Sorry we cannot help you here. You must go to Another Traffic Police Station(on the outside of town).

Outside of Town Traffic Police Station: Sorry we cannot help you here. You must go to Guangzhou.
I say: "but Guangzhou does not give out motorcycle licenses and you do."
They say: "we do not know how to give foreigners any license."

Meanwhile 5 different police officers there have all told us different procedures and locations, none of which match up at all, all of which say the other way is wrong.

Due to the Guangzhou games happening in the next couple months, nobody has any idea how to get a motorcycle license here.

Besides riding dirty, any other suggestions for what I should try?

[TexasAggie]

TIC
My wife had to go back and forth for a week in preparation and it still took 2 days for me to get mine. My wife did not accept "no" she demanded to talk to supervisor. She ended up 2 levels up the chain before we got it figured out. I do not doubt their response on not knowing how to do it. There are no consistent processes for them to follow. If you do not have a translator, find a company who helps foreigners get car license and go from there. It may cost you up to RMB1000 by the time it is said and done but it is money well spent. You have to keep pushing.
Oh yes, need to add again that my wife is local Chinese. You need someone local to help.
Good Luck
DT

[euphonius]

TIC
You have to keep pushing.
Oh yes, need to add again that my wife is local Chinese. You need someone local to help.
Good Luck
DT

Ritzfactor,

Aggie's advice is golden. Do not take "no" for an answer.

I was told by several people "who should know" that it would not be possible for me to register a Jialing JH600 under my own name in Shanghai. This included the Jialing rep in Shanghai, one of the BMW dealers here, and a sales agent for Harley-Davidson, also in Shanghai. All of them were wrong, but they were speaking out of ignorance, not malice. They had never done one before, so assumed it could not be done, or didn't have the inquisitiveness to figure out how to do it. The Jialing guy even went and asked authorities, who, like your guys in GD, said, "can't be done." But the I provided him with clear evidence that not only could it be done but that it ***had been done*** and he was able to go back to the registry folks and confirm that, yes, it could.

The moral of this story is probably this: Find a foreigner in a similar situation to yours who succeeded in getting a license. Then replicate their approach. If you truly are the first in your town, you'll need to bring evidence of how another expat did it in a neighboring town.

Don't give up, and please do not assume that you have no choice but to ride dirty.

good luck!

[humanbeing]

They're just lazy...
Get the official written answer from http://www.gdgajj.com/contact/index.htm, then police traffic dept can't deined ur request
From 1 April 2010, even "Migrants" can took the motorcycle test in "working" place

[Ritzfactor]

They told me they do not know how to operate the new regulations (my city is very small) and I am the first foreigner (they said) to even attempt to get a license here. Something that I thought about trying is to get a automobile license first, which gets my name in the system, which they can do. Then from there, ADD a motorcycle license to that which may solve a bunch of the problems with the small town.

I have no issue travelling to a bigger city (not guangzhou) thats further away, however I need an assurance that I can actually get it done there. I also have no problem paying a service 1000RMB to get a legit license. The only time I have off from work during business hours are friday mornings until 2pm.

Its hard to not take no for an answer when you are talking through a translator and all you can understand is that they are saying they cant help you and that they dont know.

I will continue to keep trying, thank you for all the support and good wishes! I already told the people at the station I would be back on friday next week. If anyone can shed more light on the exact process, maybe I can get the health exam and other steps done while i wait for them to figure the rest out. At least do something with my time instead of butting my head up against the great brick wall of china.


As another aside, does anyone know of a shineray dealership (or place that has them in stock) near zengcheng I can go for a test drive?

[TexasAggie]

Does you USA license have a motorcycle permit on it. You need to include a official "chopped" translation of you home license anyway, jsut make sure they include that. In Texas it is CM for car and motorcycle. I had to get the legend for them from the Texas DOT. Do not give up.

TIC
DT

[humanbeing]

http://www.gzjd.gov.cn/pub/index_jsp..._id_49882.html ( the [4])
Find a local to call Vehicle Administration :rolleyes1 first
the nearest is 黄埔车管分所: 广州市黄埔区茅岗路989号
Shineray dealer? You're in Pear River Delta, Locals mainly bought Japanese brand or bikes made in GD ONLY the contact method is http://www.shineray.com.cn/lianxiwm.asp