Getting your Motorbike registered (in Kunming/Yunnan)

[andre555]

Hi Everybody,

I’m in the process of getting my new bike (http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...GY-2-(aka-X2)) registered in my own name with a real 云A plate – interesting experience, believe me.

All the following is valid for Kunming, only, and only today, as it might change tomorrow…TIC

You need to prepare the following:
1. Motorbike related documents
2. FaPiao (Invoice)
3. Passport with Visa
4. Residence Registration
5. Insurance

1. Motorbike related documents
I got two main things that are needed for registration
a) One colourful paper with all technical data and registration numbers (Frame ID, Engine ID…)
b) One simple print out with a barcode and some other information

2. FaPiao (VAT Invoice)
Be sure you receive 3 copies in different colours.
Thats to verify YOU bought this bike and paid the 17%VAT, so it must be in the name of the person it is registered later.
When buying the bike be sure you have the FaPiao in your Chinese Name. For the registration you need a verification of your Chinese Name, your name in the passport and the related passport number. I forgot that paper at home today, that cost me 1h discussion and arguing.

I’m not sure, if it can be registered in your foreign name, maybe, I haven’t tried. Strange thing is, that many systems in China don’t support your foreign name, like my driving license is also with Chinese Name, I asked to get with my foreign name, in Kunming and Shanghai (6 years ago) not possible.

Btw. This invoice can be changed/redone by the dealer, if you find in the process that you cant register the bike in your name as some conditions can not be fullfilled.

3. Passport & Visa
Not sure what are the requieremnts. I’m on a Residence permit, that is issued in March, so rather recent. ChinaV mentioned 180 remaining validity in another post.

4. Resident Registration
For Kunming your registered residence must be outside of the 2nd Ring Road. Inside of 2nd Ring Road a bike can not be registered. Theoretically it should be possible to buy such plates, but they are not available, even for lots of money…
Anyhow, as a foreigner it’s easy to shift your residence, just find a friend with a apartment outside the restricted zone, make rental contract, register at responsible police station.
Here we have big advantage to our Chinese Compatriots, the HuKou systems makes such a move impossible.

5. Insurance
I bought the compulsory Insurance for 120 RMB. That should be the only one you really need. The problem is that it covers only 10.000RMB in Medical bills if something happens to a 3rd party. That might be enough if Famer Wang hits a guy in the fields, but if you get in a situation and they realize you have a long nose you will see the $$$ in their eyes – JACKPOT!
I bought another 3rd party liability insurance that covers additional 50.000RMB, its only 51RMB – dirt cheap, actually I wanted 500.000RMB that would be only around 140RMB but they don’t sell this – no reasons given for that.
“You want additional? Take the 50.000RMB and leave us alone…” TIC
I haven’t covered anything else on the bike, such as stolen or something, will investigate that later.
My experience with Insurance in China is - it is very cheap and more important, it really pays! So it’s worth the money, if you have somebody Chinese to deal with them in a claim case.
I bought Insurance from CPIC http://www.cpic.com.cn/ but any other will do as well, they are all the “same”.

Okay, got all that? Time to bother some Government officers…

6. Vehicle Purchase Tax
Go to Vehicle Purchase Tax office and pay the duty on the bike, 10%.
Paper 1. b) was needed here, it has all information for the Tax officers in the barcode.

There was a situation about the Chinese name on the FaPiao, it is nowhere mentioned in your passport, so have a verification ready. I got them convinced as the Passport Number is mentioned also in the Driving License with my Chinese Name and on the FaPiao. Took a while wasted 1h, the verification paper would saved that discussion.

The location for Kunming XiShan district is here: 25.022015,102.6882 (copy & paste into google maps)
This is different from district to district where the residence is registered I was told.

7. Traffic Police
They take your bikes ID number and copy it with tape and red ink onto the bikes certificate. Fill out some papers, pay some small money and they send you off again to the Technical Inspection.
XiShan District Traffic Police is here: 25.044533,102.658326

8. Vehicle Management Office
In Kunming are several Vehicle Management Offices but seems only the No. 4 is doing the bike inspections. All others focus on cars, busses, trucks.
No 4 Vehicle Management Office is here: 25.041632,102.644105

No thrills here, register, pay, test light and brakes, 10minutes later off you go.

9. Traffic Police
…they are closed Friday afternoons, so be back on Monday...

Why I do that? Why I bother with this ‘procedure’, instead of letting somebody deal with it?
Most important, you could say I’m curious.
Last time the car was registered it was dealt with by the dealer, he needed 2 weeks – I wanted to see why.
I’m too long in China to ignore such procedures, that I would handle back home by myself as well.

So far I would say if all locations would be clear from the beginning and I had my name verification with me I could have handled it by myself, I had some help and guidance from the guys I bought the insurance.
Another “helper” who wanted to charge 200RMB backed out as I said I will join him through the process. That made his offer very suspicious to me, would I receive ‘legal’ registration from such a person? I have doubts!
The way I proceed with this now, I know who got what money for what, everything will be legal, no funny twists!

Again everything said so far is for Kunming only! And it might have changed while I writing this...

[ZMC888]

Great post!

Seems a little complicated down there in Kunming! Although the basics I'm sure are relevant everywhere.

Don't forget that in most circumstances the dealer can be persuaded to do all this for you, a simpler format could be this... where I am it is really pretty simple...

1. Go to dealer and select desired machine.
2. Give dealer a photocopy of someone's ID card that you trust*.
3. Pay dealer a deposit, maybe around 500-1000 yuan.
4. Inform dealer that you will pay him/her the remaining money when you bike is registered insured and road worthy.
5. Wait up to a month to receive a phone call from the dealer, pay dealer the remaining money and collect keys, documents and bike!

* This can be done in your own name if you have a residency visa with over 180 days left, but hardly anyone bothers here, as it's slightly more complicated, and your Chinese boss will know you have a new bike....

[andre555]

hmm, sounds you are in a service minded area, away from border areas. The bike is for vacations, trips around not a daily commuter...ahh what a luxury.

Have you ever expierenced the laid back attitude of Kunmingers? Thats why many people like this place, the pace is slow nothing bothers, ahh so nice...
Until, until you want to get things done, done right!

Somehow, I'am sure I could have convinced them, but I would not be happy with the result. And as V and you mentioned certain dounts I thought, I try myself without cutting corners as the dealer would surely have done.

I want it fully legal, in my name - Laos, Thailand, Cambodia right before the door - certain legallity is crucial, especially if you spend bit more then the average China bike costs.

Its not so difficult as I stated so why not expierence burecratism and take it as an cultural expierence. Enjoy Riding!

[andre555]

…continue with the Traffic Police (XiShan District Traffic Police is here: 25.044533,102.658326)

The lady responsible for the motorbikes remembers the foreigner from last Friday and arranges everything. Very helpful, she guides me through the facilities and introduces me to her colleagues who take over.
Into the office, the discussion about Chinese & Foreign Name rises up again. This time the highest ranked officer just points at me, says, he is foreigner, so registration will be the foreign name, Chinese name for these guys are useless anyhow, basta!
Discussion is over and the bike gets registered in my “real” name.
I choose from a computer the licence plate number 云A..998, take picture with the new license plate, get my green and blue book and done.

Summary:
As long as you are legal with a Residence Permit with remaining 180days in China the registration is no thrill procedure at all.

Total Costs:
1. Taxes for the bike: 1.453
2. Compulsory Insurance: 120 RMB
3. Additional 3rd Party Insurance: 51 RMB
4. Technical Check: 50 RMB
5. Registration & Plates: 131 RMB
Total cost to be legal: 1.805 RMB

Its not too much hassle, and the costs are okay - say 10-15% on the bike price to have it legal. Its worth it and there are not many excuses for 50-250ccm bikes not to go this way.
Play by the rules, you would do it in your home country, so why cut the corners in China, thats stupid and respectless to our hosts.

Item 1 depends on the Fapiao Value of the bike, 10% before VAT
All other items are same same for bikes between 50-250ccm
Have fun guys & girls…

[bikerdoc]

Similar to situation here on the outskirts of Ningbo. Though here, drivers license and vehicle registration (including motorcycles) can be in a foreigners name, not just a Chinese name. Have done all these things myself or I should say assisted to do so by the boss (the better 'alf), motorcycle reg, car reg and my Chinese drivers license. Lucky I live outside Ningbo, since Ningbo has a motorcycle ban, so no plates available for anyone inside the city etc. I was even able to sell a CFMoto C250 VIP scooter to a guy living in SH and we swapped everything over legally to his name, and he got a new plate... for the bike, ofcourse we bent some rules to do so. ;)

[MotoKai]

I was even able to sell a CFMoto C250 VIP scooter to a guy living in SH and we swapped everything over legally to his name, and he got a new plate... for the bike, ofcourse we bent some rules to do so. ;)

Thanks for the info. A few questions I'm pondering:
1) The guy living in SH who bought your 250 has a SH residence, yes?
2) He registered his bike in Ningbo - with Zhejiang plates?
3) Do you know if your contact is able to provide Zhejiang registration & plates for a new bike if the owner is a foreigner living in Shanghai (he's looking to buy a JH600)?

Thanks.

[Motor-Diary]

…continue with the Traffic Police (XiShan District Traffic Police is here: 25.044533,102.658326)

The lady responsible for the motorbikes remembers the foreigner from last Friday and arranges everything. Very helpful, she guides me through the facilities and introduces me to her colleagues who take over.
Into the office, the discussion about Chinese & Foreign Name rises up again. This time the highest ranked officer just points at me, says, he is foreigner, so registration will be the foreign name, Chinese name for these guys are useless anyhow, basta!
Discussion is over and the bike gets registered in my “real” name.
I choose from a computer the licence plate number 云A..998, take picture with the new license plate, get my green and blue book and done.

Summary:
As long as you are legal with a Residence Permit with remaining 180days in China the registration is no thrill procedure at all.

Total Costs:
1. Taxes for the bike: 1.453
2. Compulsory Insurance: 120 RMB
3. Additional 3rd Party Insurance: 51 RMB
4. Technical Check: 50 RMB
5. Registration & Plates: 131 RMB
Total cost to be legal: 1.805 RMB

Its not too much hassle, and the costs are okay - say 10-15% on the bike price to have it legal. Its worth it and there are not many excuses for 50-250ccm bikes not to go this way.
Play by the rules, you would do it in your home country, so why cut the corners in China, thats stupid and respectless to our hosts.

Item 1 depends on the Fapiao Value of the bike, 10% before VAT
All other items are same same for bikes between 50-250ccm
Have fun guys & girls…

I registered my Bike with exactly same procedure in Kunming in 2006, the only difference is the number plate charges me only 91 CNY at that time.

I was told by my dealer that they can go through all of these multifarious processes for only 100 CNY, I mean the services fee, of course you have to pay all of the charges. Actually they are not doing it themselves, they had an long-term collaborative agent who's running this business, but I rejected this offer and had everything done in 1 day, even when I wasted 1 hr to run to a wrong Vehicle Registration Office at the beginning.

I want to see the whole procedure with my own eyes that's why I rejected the cost-effective offer. By a lot help from another agent I met in the wrong registration office where I first went to, he told me where to go, how to follow the registry flow, thank him, Nice Guy! BTW, as an agent, he didn't even try to sell his service to me when he gave me those useful advice.

Then I ran back home on my new bike and picked up all necessary documents, went through the totally same work flow as you, when I finally had the number plate installed on my bike, It's only 10 minutes to the Traffic Police's off time.

I sold my bike in 2009 after the registration expired 6 months, in a pity price.

Congrats, Andre, I'm a Yunnaner, although not a Kunminger, but used to live in Kunming for yrs. I'm now planning a motor trip to cross Yunnan, Guangxi, Guangdong and Hainan, I don't have a 2-wheel baby currently, that was tough, but i'm going to buy a FZ6N.

Wish you guys have fun on the bikes in China!

[andre555]

Hi Mike,

nice to hear from you.

Hope you got yourself a bike in Africa! Let us see some pictures, there must be astonishing landscape and great areas of nothing...just as we like it.

Give me a shout when you make it back to your hometown.

Greetings from South of the Clouds
Andre

[lightend]

Great post!

Seems a little complicated down there in Kunming! Although the basics I'm sure are relevant everywhere.

Don't forget that in most circumstances the dealer can be persuaded to do all this for you, a simpler format could be this... where I am it is really pretty simple...

1. Go to dealer and select desired machine.
2. Give dealer a photocopy of someone's ID card that you trust*.
3. Pay dealer a deposit, maybe around 500-1000 yuan.
4. Inform dealer that you will pay him/her the remaining money when you bike is registered insured and road worthy.
5. Wait up to a month to receive a phone call from the dealer, pay dealer the remaining money and collect keys, documents and bike!

* This can be done in your own name if you have a residency visa with over 180 days left, but hardly anyone bothers here, as it's slightly more complicated, and your Chinese boss will know you have a new bike....

if using someone elses id, they would need a motorbike license as well right? if i could use someones id card (as i have 5 months left on my visa now) then a copy of my driving license to get the plates and that registered to, that would be cool. problem is my wife has no license,?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.

[euphonius]

if using someone elses id, they would need a motorbike license as well right? if i could use someones id card (as i have 5 months left on my visa now) then a copy of my driving license to get the plates and that registered to, that would be cool. problem is my wife has no license,?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.

As far as I know, registration is allowed whether the registrant has a motorcycle endorsement or not. Two separate issues. Just be sure you have a legal license and the bike is legally registered (to someone) and insured when you ride.

This does raise another question about insurance: If the rider is not the registered owner, and liability insurance is in the name of the registered owner, is the rider covered in an accident? Do check the fine print.

cheers!