New to Shanghai

[pg_blondie]

I recently moved to Shanghai (Pudong area) from Texas. I have been around dirtbikes my entire life and I have to say.. this forum made my heart smile. Riding is a huge part of my life and it was very hard to leave it behind (or so I thought). The MCM community gives me serious hope! I am buying a bicycle soon as well as a electric scooter. However, I am interested in eventually getting a license and traveling around China by bike. Any suggestions? I am partial to my Yamaha YZ250 back home but am open for trying anything that would give me the freedom of being on a bike!

[bikerdoc]

gidday there and welcome to MCM... You are indeed heading in the right track with getting a bicycle and an ebike/scooter... for these will allow you to adapt and re-educate yourself to using roads and other pathways in China, before embarking on the frantic aspects of riding. You can find a wealth of information including licensing threads and bikes by using the search function on MCM. While on the subject of bikes, read up on the legalities and subsequent pitfalls and sometimes scams when it comes to buying and ownership and plating motorcycles, indeed any vehicle here. Buyer beware until you are familiar with the whole kit and caboodle of bike ownership. There are quite a few bikes that come from various Chinese manufacturers that might be to your liking, in the 250cc dirt range... Shineray, Loncin, Galaxy et al. That said though there are other choices and bigger displacement options too. Keep in mind there are some supposed current adventure/dual purpose bikes with bigger displacement 400-650cc under development along side the 600-650cc already in place. So keep watching MCM for all the latest as things develop. If there is one constant never truer than in China, and that is "change" which brings a whole other meaning to the phrase "watch this space"

[Shanghaifingers]

Welcome Shanghai! There is a lot to learn and as Biker Doc stated the bicycle route is a great way to get start and acclimated to the craziness of Shanghai. Pudong is a little less crazy then downtown PuXi.

Hope you on the road soon. Please get legal papers and plates!

SF