How to get a Chinese Motorcycle License

[euphonius]

Hot diggity! Congratulations to Fay! And to you both for having the wherewithal to get the January 2013 study guide, which obviously is the key. Others who complained about the new test clearly were just "misprepared" for the new question bank. Was Fay able to single out questions that were substantially different in tone or detail from the previous question bank? In other words, can she describe qualitatively or quantitatively how the new exam is different?

That fellow who is selling the question bank for 1 kuai is a real saint. Hope he stocks other languages soon...

Cheers

[Graham]

The first thing she noticed was there are no questions on broken arms, spinal fractures, nor if you crashed into a lake, how would you get out of the sinking car?

I will ask her late, what some more differences are, and let it be known.

Fay said the new test is definaty easier than the old one.

When I was looking over her shoulder, when she was skimming the book, from what I saw, it was almost 100% pictures, from sitting in the drivers seat, and looking forward to differing road conditions.

When we were at the test place in Weifang this morning, they (students) are marshaled into groups of 100.
Then placed in holding areas. They test 100 students as a time at the computer desk consoles.
There are 3 holding areas
1st place is outside the side building, and there is a name call.
Then that 100 move to inside the down stairs.
They wait there for about 15 minutes.
Then another name call to double check
Then that group go up stairs to next holding/waiting area.
They are there for another 15 minutes or so.
Then that group go into the test hall.

Fay was told to be there at 09:30, but we arrived early, at about 09:10
She was in the 10:30 group of students to be tested.

It is my guess that in Weifang, about 700 students are tested every day.

Oh, she has just said there are 894 questions.

Gra.

[SabineHartmann]

When I was looking over her shoulder, when she was skimming the book, from what I saw, it was almost 100% pictures, from sitting in the drivers seat, and looking forward to differing road conditions.

Does this means that you dont need the to be able to read anymore? Sometimes I suspect that taxi drivers cannot read at all

[modron]

did you take a test in English?
thanksssss

I supposed to do it in English but when I went to the Police office (after they called me and asked me to come) it turned out that they dont have it in English..........grrrrrrrrrr
I was real pissed off but of course I didnt do anything as arguing would do more harm than good.

[oxoner]

Pretty sure you cannot get a plate without a license. Hoping some others will chime in on this as it seems pretty effed up. Is there an effort now to prevent foreigners from getting legal licenses?

Well, with 1 billon 400 millions people china as other things to do then taking care of less than a percent of foreigners mostly healthy compare to millions that need care.
So it is one thing to be pissed off or b.tch about things we are not agree with but at the end of the day, with so many people to deal with, plus trying to stay on top etc and considering how it took other countries decades (in more friendly environment to change things) It just appear to me that china is going 200 X faster than any of our respective countries. not perfect yet but I just hope they remember to update the English version as fast as possible so I can have my license and get a proper ride :-)

[Bakas]

A small drift away from the new rules. I have passed the exam late last year and got C1E license, that does not allow me to drive a side car right? Will I have to redo a whole song and dance again just to update the license?! Any experiences?

Thanks!

[Lao Jia Hou]

I have passed the exam late last year and got C1E license, that does not allow me to drive a side car right? Will I have to redo a whole song and dance again just to update the license?! Any experiences?

Congratulations on your success. You are correct - a C1E is only for passenger cars and 2-wheeled motorcycles. not sidecars. The sidecar license is commonly a C1D (which includes cars and 2-wheeled MCs).

The rules in Beijing, based on the Traffic Code, are that you need to hold the C1E classification for at least 12 months before you can upgrade to a C1D (requires new lessons & testing).

By the way, I confirmed with the Traffic Police this morning that the English version of the new exam is still not available in Beijing. No information on when it will become available. I would guess that Beijing/Shanghai will be the first couple of cities to implement the English version.

[TB-Racing]

The rules in Beijing, based on the Traffic Code, are that you need to hold the C1E classification for at least 12 months before you can upgrade to a C1D (requires new lessons & testing).

Please clarify, thanks.
This applies to everyone, lets say your international driving license has all the unrestricted motorbike endorsements (incl. sidecar) and of course the English / Chinese translations was correct?!?

[Lao Jia Hou]

Please clarify, thanks.
This applies to everyone, lets say your international driving license has all the unrestricted motorbike endorsements (incl. sidecar) and of course the English / Chinese translations was correct?!?

This applies to someone who acquires a Motorcycle driving license endorsement inside China, by taking the training course, written exam, and road test. If you pass, and get the C1E, you must wait 12 months before you can do the testing for a C1D. If you are originally after the C1D (a possible, direct upgrade from the C1), you must initially register for the sidecar training course/exam.

It also (technically) applies to someone who secures a Chinese DL with a MC endorsement because they have one back home (i.e., gets the translation, passes the written exam, etc). The default issuance (in Beijing) is a C1E, unless a person specifically states in the translation that his/her overseas license is for both motorcycles & sidecars. As we all know, most full overseas MC licenses include sidecars (actually, there is typically not a sidecar category), but the translations will often just mention "motorcycles" (again as we all know, sidecars are a separate category in China).

There are instances, however, of people being given the C1E (due to the MC endorsement back home, and "motorcycle" translation) and successfully arguing (immediately) that it should have been a C1D. But that appears to be more of a one-off case-by-case situation, depending on the willingness of the PSB to do so. Technically, any DL upgrade is not supposed to be provided until the person has "1 year driving experience" (Chinese Traffic Code). I think in these exceptional circumstances, the C1E holder has to cancel the license and go through the process again, specifically requesting the C1D, although I have heard of a few cases where the person successfully argued to get the C1E immediately changed to the C1D, without any additional testing. But that is outside the "rule."

The "rule" is ... one year driving experience before any DL upgrade. Once a DL is issued it is a bureaucratic effort to modify it outside the "rule" and, therefore, meets resistance from the lovely people at the Traffic Management Branch.

Alas, TIC so there will always be exceptions to the "rule."

From what I've been told, the 1 year rule is a blanket rule that is intended for passenger cars -> minibus -> bus -> truck, etc. Motorcycles are just a speck of dust that get swept up in the "rules." We motorcyclists like to believe we are more important than we actually are.

[snakeeater]

I had a little set back today. Trying to apply to make the license since quite a while now. First I was told that after my cars drivers license I would have to wait one year before I can do anything else, including the motorbike. Now that the time has come they tell me I can not add a "lower" license to my cars license, only a higher one. I would have to cancel the license I have, first make the motorbike and add the car again. WTF??? Earlier they had no english motorbike exams... now some driving schools even tell me the county is not issuing any license any more... -Guandong, Huzhou