New newbie in Shanghai

**braillce** · 10-10-2010, 11:19 AM

Hey to all.

My name is Brice.

I'm a French webdesigner in Shanghai since 5 years, and I have one question.

I got my E license recently and I'm about to buy a Raptor Regal (street) 250cc with a yellow A plate in the Suzuki moto shop Pubei Rd next of the BWM moto store.

Because they're the only shop saying they can provide a A plate for foreigners, I fear there's trouble.

There was an American guy buying a Raptor Regal (but a cruiser) too @ this shop, today, who referred me to this forum, he didn't seem to worry at all, but I am.

So here's the question:

Did any foreigner here ever bought a A plate + bike @ this Suzuki shop Pubei Rd and knows if it's no scam?

Cause the plate a big deal of money (for me), and cause u can only figure out if it's cool or not when the 1st cop stops u and check the plate #.

I only paid 1000RMB deposit yet...

THANKS

**Fred** · 10-10-2010, 11:55 AM

Hey Brice, I'm sorry I'm not able to help you on this one, can I just ask you the precise address of the Suzuki shop on Pubei lu ?
Thanks in advance.

**braillce** · 10-11-2010, 04:54 AM

Hey Fred.

The Suzuki shop I'm talking about is adjacent to the BMW shop, @ #193 on Pubei Rd, near Guilin Rd, near Shanghai South Railway Station.

浦北路193号, 桂林陆。

There's a Benelli shop a bit further, don't miss it if u go there.

**euphonius** · 10-11-2010, 05:22 AM

Brice, welcome to the forum.

I've visited all three shops but having never bought a bike there I can't speak to their services. However, if they are promising to provide a legal plate with the bike, this will by necessity require more than just cash from you, particularly your residence permit and other documents. If they are asking only for cash, or telling you the bike must be registered in some proxy's name, I'd be deeply suspicious. If they tell you it's not legal to register under your own name as a foreigner, I'd be suspicious. Registration of a bike displacing 250cc or less with a 沪A plate is likely to cost 20,000 RMB; at least that is what I was told by someone who did a legal registration.

Can you give us a better idea of what kind of service and terms they are offering?

good luck!
cheers

**braillce** · 10-11-2010, 06:31 AM

Hey, thanks for prompt answer.

Yes they asked for residence registration paper (used to be called yellow paper... it's white nowadays), they ask for my passport too (residence permit), and made a photocopy of my driving license. So that seems fine then.

Although they ask for 44000 RMB for the plate, but that's +/- what they were asking everywhere else for the 沪A plate... (42000RMB @ Harley shop & @ Jiaoji rd shops).

They say they buy the plate @ their shop's (or perso's) name, and then sell it to me @ my own name.

They say I can sell this plate later if I want.

The shop's credit card payment machine looks different, never seen one like it b4. They slide their mastercard in it first and then type the amount and then slide ur card, so I guess it's more a transfer machine (construction bank logo on it so still looks legit).

They still provide fapiao for the bike, and registration papers for the 沪A plate, but they say there won't be any fapiao for the plate, cause there just ain't.

How does that sounds to u?

**euphonius** · 10-11-2010, 07:10 AM

brice,

the info they are giving you is accurate, though I had thought that the smaller-bore bikes had a lower rate for the 沪A plate. You might ask them if the price is the same for a bike under 250cc or under 200cc. There is a limited number of these plates, and Shanghai is not issuing more. And motorcycle plates CAN be transfered to a car, while a car plate cannot be transferred to a motorcycle. This is why the price tracks that of the monthly car plate auction.

a couple of cautions: if they are gathering all of your personal info, it is not likely the bike is first being registered in their shop person's name. if it's first registered in someone else's name, there will be an additional amount of transfer hassle and fees to get it into your name. and because you are not a PRC national, there will be even more confusion. only a very small number of foreigners have done this, and that shop very likely has not done any. (Mine was said to be the first in Shanghai, barely months ago.) They are technically correct that there is no fapiao for the plate, since it's something you are buying from another citizen, not the government. (You actually don't buy a plate; you buy the right to have a plate. When you go to the vehicle management department you will choose a new number from a lottery-style number generator.) But there will be receipts for all of the steps of registration, including the license transfer fee; if you pay the transfer fee you will get a fapiao; if the seller pays the transfer fee he'll get the fapiao.

And, yes, you can transfer the plate later, either with the bike or separately. That's the one thing that makes the plate price tolerable. Think of it as an investment....

cheers

**Wrangler** · 10-13-2010, 05:03 PM

Originally Posted by braillce

Hey to all.

My name is Brice.

I'm a French webdesigner in Shanghai since 5 years, and I have one question.

I got my E license recently and I'm about to buy a Raptor Regal (street) 250cc with a yellow A plate in the Suzuki moto shop Pubei Rd next of the BWM moto store.

Because they're the only shop saying they can provide a A plate for foreigners, I fear there's trouble.

There was an American guy buying a Raptor Regal (but a cruiser) too @ this shop, today, who referred me to this forum, he didn't seem to worry at all, but I am.

So here's the question:

Did any foreigner here ever bought a A plate + bike @ this Suzuki shop Pubei Rd and knows if it's no scam?

Cause the plate a big deal of money (for me), and cause u can only figure out if it's cool or not when the 1st cop stops u and check the plate #.

I only paid 1000RMB deposit yet...

THANKS

Hey Brice, that was me getting the Raptor 250. I already saw the plate on the bike and I should be getting my bike tomorrow or the day after, depending on the weather. I bought the bike on 10/4 and they started the registration process on the 8th. When you saw me I was passing them my passport and temporary residence permit. I had my driver, a very sharp shanghainese negotiate with them and the process seems legit. Basically they had to transfer the plate to their name, then to my name with the final plate name under me, hence the need for my proof of residency and the need for a chinese name. If you want you can hold off a little while and see if I get into trouble, since I paid for it already. Ha. I will take a look at the paperwork and let you know.

The police are checking for plates. One checkpoint is at Maoming Lu and Changle Lu and they check around 5 to 8pm during rush hour. Many places are not allowing non-shanghai plates to get gas anymore. There are signs at the gas station and this is the new law. The communist government is smart. They may not be able to catch you but they can control whether you get gas or not.

Also, supposedly non-plated bikes will get towed and impounded (but I would only worry about that if you see the yellow tow trucks with other bikes on them).

From my understanding any bike over 80 cc needs a yellow plate. Under 80cc is blue plate. I have heard the figure at 50cc but it doesn't matter to me since I am going to be riding 250cc so it's a yellow plate for sure. Yellow plates I have been quoted 42-44k. Blue plates are half but non-transferrable.

The other fees were the local tax (I can't remember the amount but I think 10-13%) and various other fees. When I almost got my plate from the Yamaha dealership for my scooter I was quoted the same fees so I felt pretty confident there wasn't anything strange going on.

I do believe the shop has some back channels to get things done as I asked them if I could modify my bike and pass the government bike inspection (every 2 years). They said I could modify it as I wished and they could take the bike to get inspected for me and it would pass. I would take, of course, is a fee to pay them. In theory, modifications to the bike, especially lights, horns, and exhausts, are prohibited.

Hope this helps...

**Wrangler** · 10-13-2010, 05:12 PM

Oh Yes, to add. My scooter was impounded recently for a parking violation. I had a lot of trouble getting it out, since I didn't have plates or a drivers license. I had to get someone to help me otherwise it may have taken 20 days or more to get my scooter back. Rumor has it things are going to get worse for non-plated vehicles AFTER the expo since there law enforcement will have more time on their hands. (Plus SH gov needs new sources of revenue to line their pockets, huh).

**euphonius** · 10-14-2010, 01:01 AM

Wrangler makes an important point about legal registration by foreigners -- the vehicle management bureau computers accept only chinese names, not foreign names, so you have to have a legal document showing your legal name in chinese. this is a problem if you have just a foreign passport and a residence permit, since the residence permit only repeats your foreign name, not your Chinese name, if you have one. Some people have managed to use their police registration papers, which for the convenience of the police will list your (optional) Chinese name in addition to your foreign name and passport number, thus linking your two names so the vehicle management bureau will accept that you are one in the same person. The best form of ID for this is the Shanghai Residence Card, which is the closest thing to a "hukou" for a foreigner. It's not too difficult to get, but few foreigners even know about them, or how to get them. I've covered this in some detail in a separate thread, which anyone registering a bike in Shanghai should probably read.

good luck and cheers...

**braillce** · 10-14-2010, 04:02 AM

@ wrangler,

I was hoping u would show up and let me know how things are going for u.

Thanks for following up.

U're right, I'll wait a little bit before to give them more $, and check carefully for ur following posts.

Since u already paid ;)

@ euphonius,

The Suzuki shop was ok with just my Chinese E license for making the plate.

My Chinese name comes from my Alien Employment Permit delivered by my company, this AEP was required for me to make that E License though, so the Shanghai card is a workable though little known option for who has no AEP and wants to get a Driving License or a Vehicle Plate.

The shop won't even require to see ur Driving E/D license if u present an official ID doc with ur Chinese name though...