Getting legal: Registering my JH600 in Shanghai

[ChinaV]

That was more exhausting than my tour through Yunnan and Sichuan. Thanks for sharing all the details, I'm sure others will benefit greatly from this report.

Disgusting that Shanghai can extort those fees from people, but I would probably bite the bullet and make the same decision as you if I lived there.

Cheers!
ChinaV

[felix]

Sounds like a great trip! I'd love to try jiangxi. Unfortunately i'd be working on the 29th so you won't be getting an escort, i only have weekends to ride.

The goajia is undoubtebly the best way to get out of town, even in suzhou. I use it every now and then on the sidecar, but generally avoid it on two wheels unless it's very early or very late. I was once driving my sidcecar on it when a police car pulled up alongside me, but all they did was wave with big grins and give me the thumbs up! Ah china....

[euphonius]

ChinaV,

I'll trade you my ordeal for yours any day. Well, yours minus your little wipeout!

As for the cost, I'm looking at that fee as something like a certificate of deposit. Regardless of what happens to the bike, as long as the rules don't change it's like, er, money in the bank. Yes, that's a big "as long as"...

At least Shanghai hasn't banned bikes outright, as quite a few cities have. I'm guessing you are far from the Guangzhou CBD, right?

[TexasAggie]

jkp,

Good to see you got thru the ordeal. Shanghai is different from Nanjing for sure. My costs here in the Jing were RMB8000 for the plate here and another RMB4000 for taxes and miscellaneous charges. However, the system was very similar. I can definitely agree with your use of a facilitator. I used one for both my China motorcycle test and for the plate process even though my wife is Chinese. Money well spent as I am sure they saved us hours of back and forth! Anyway, enjoy and keep the rubber side down.

DT

[Pfaelzer]

jkp,

we are all waiting to see your Buckin' Bronco RR continue - but now I understand why this had to wait. Unbelievable you went through all of this but I bet there are a lot of foreigners in China, interested in the procedure of registering a bike. Good contribution... and fantastic report.
I am living in Hong Kong and procedures here are pretty similar, once it comes to registering a cross-border vehicle. The plates to cross from Hong Kong into Guangdong are also expensive, but same than in your case, they are not linked to the vehicle and do not loose in value. Good to read, that you like the bike. As I said, there is no real need for big modifications unless you are... - it runs well as it is -

Hope to meet up with you somewhen for a ride.
Cheers,
AW.

[ChinaV]

ChinaV,

I'll trade you my ordeal for yours any day. Well, yours minus your little wipeout!

As for the cost, I'm looking at that fee as something like a certificate of deposit. Regardless of what happens to the bike, as long as the rules don't change it's like, er, money in the bank. Yes, that's a big "as long as"...

At least Shanghai hasn't banned bikes outright, as quite a few cities have. I'm guessing you are far from the Guangzhou CBD, right?

Actually, I think wiping out is still more fun than dealing with Chinese bureaucracy

I'm well outside of Guangzhou, but the ban on bikes now stretches from Guangzhou all the way to Shenzhen. JH600, out the door with plates, insurance etc. is 37k. I wonder why Beijing, Shanghai, and Nanjing allow motorcycles, yet Shenzhen and Guangzhou do not. We have a better riding season down here, and Shenzhen was the first major city opened for foreign trade.

Cheers!
ChinaV

[jape]

I find this interesting. Once upon a time I was involved for a while in small town road and parking planning, very complicated and many factors most wouldn't think of (delivery needs, noise, pollution, rights of way, emergency vehicle access and more).

I haven't heard of anything similar to total motorbike bans anywhere else in the world but I don't have a broad knowledge. I think in UK and Aus such ideas can start at local government level and spread. Often such local government regs, ie parking, vehicle access and times can be far away from the usual major political party positions, a local quirk because of local conditions such as in London.

The nearest thing in Aus so far is toll roads which no-one likes but which are growing and necessary if you want fast access into major city centers. So far you can always circumvent these routes but only by knowing the side roads and suburbs well otherwise you are forced into main bus/tram and local traffic routes. That may change over time if the idea of travel zones spreads. The need for safe streets for locals, often with residential parking and speed bumps etc. contrasts with the need for through routes, shopping centres and so on.

Do you have any idea why motorcycles are banned over there? Is there an official reason given and does it extend to scooters, mopeds and electric bicycles? Is it on all roads in a region including for locals in villages that surely rely on such transport or just in city centres and express roads?

[ChinaV]

Do you have any idea why motorcycles are banned over there? Is there an official reason given and does it extend to scooters, mopeds and electric bicycles? Is it on all roads in a region including for locals in villages that surely rely on such transport or just in city centres and express roads?

Each city has its own rules on which two wheelers and which areas. Officially they are banned because:
Noise pollution
Air pollution
Traffic crashes and fatalities
Illegal motorcycle taxi operation
Impact on traffic order
Impact on the image of the city
Theft and security

If you read this document , I think it makes a pretty strong case for removing motorcycles from Chinese Urban areas.

Cheers!
ChinaV

[bikerdoc]

ChinaV. That's an interesting article that raises quite a few valid points which tend to support banning motorcycle use in Chinese cities. It's unfortunate that such bans though infringe upon those who chose to ride motorcycles for recreation purposes or for those that prefer to ride motorcycles to/from work/shopping etc. The key word here is choice and individual freedom of choice. That's one of the negative aspects of a political system like communism; based on idea of the collective rather than the individual and that the will and greater good for the majority (collective) supersedes the rights and will of the individual. Me thinks that rather than outright motorcycle bans, that higher priced licensing would be an alternative measure with a special designated plate, such like what applies in Shanghai. It seems to work in Shanghai so surely such a measure could work elsewhere, after all the article tends to argue that people have increasing incomes etc., so it seems like a sensible viable alternative to complete motorcycle bans - which in of itself is discrimination. Indeed there needs to be some co-ordination, perhaps a plate that has a higher cost and can only be used on motorcycle above a certain displacement or horsepower that then can use expressways etc. If there were to be more stringent enforcement on ALL road users and pedestrians then things would tend to work more smoothly...

[ZMC888]

It's all a cultural problem, Chinese people often do silly little trips on the most 'face getting' vehicle they can, instead of riding a bicycle or walking... This is what made motorcycles seem to be a such a menace, and also why the roads are so congested with cars now.

I can see why people want to ban polluting unregistered, uninsured small motorcycles and scooters, but banning big recreational bikes and giving them no way to be legal is ridiculous and goes against China's WTO commitments.

perhaps a plate that has a higher cost and can only be used on motorcycle above a certain displacement or horsepower that then can use expressways etc

+1, hopefully...............one day..............!